Shopping centre stalled

Four months after its official opening, the new Bayonet Head Shopping Centre is still not up and running, with uncompliant fire systems and major unauthorised changes to the final build allegedly to blame for the delay.

The Albany Advertiser understands the fire system installed in the new building did not include smoke extractors, which was a condition of the building approval.

The Advertiser also understands significant changes were made to the final building without the City’s knowledge or consent, including 14 shops instead of 10, and a fire hydrant box which blocks the view of a pedestrian crosswalk, among other issues.

As a result the City considers the building an illegal structure, but the building’s owners disagree and have taken the matter to the State Administrative Tribunal.

The Woolworths Supermarket was allowed to open in January after it was granted a short-term temporary occupancy with strict safety conditions, including the employment of full-time fire wardens.

The Advertiser understands no other shops will be allowed to conduct business until the fire systems throughout the centre are brought to compliance to the satisfaction of the City and the Department of Fire and Emergency Services.

The Advertiser also understands the City and DFES consider it impossible to extend Woolworths’ safety arrangement to the whole centre.

Centre owners Cuscuna Nominees believe the issue is a case of discrimination.

“The chemist shop has been fully stocked for the last two months, and they don’t have permission to open which is unfair on those guys,” Cuscuna managing director Sam Cuscuna said.

“As far as I’m concerned, it’s a bit of discrimination between a large company (Woolworths) and ourselves.”

Mr Cuscuna declined to comment on the fire safety issue, but conceded changes had been made to the centre’s design.

He said several shops had to be divided but the number of shops would not interfere with the City.

“It’s not the City who is going to run the shops. The building has not grown, it hasn’t got any bigger,” he said.

City planning and development executive director Dale Putland said the centre was a safe place to shop.

“The City of Albany would like to see the centre open and thinks it will be highly successful,” Mr Putland said.

“The City urges businesses to avoid unnecessary delays by obtaining the correct approvals prior to making any alterations that are not in accordance with the approved plans.

“The City is bound to enforce the relevant regulations under the Building Act 2011 and Planning and Development Act 2005.”