Emergency safety orders issued to Balmain Leagues Club after fire

By DANIEL LO SURDO

Inner West Council has issued emergency safety orders to clean up the Balmain Leagues Club after a large fire was discovered at the disused site earlier this month.

Last week, a suspicious fire arose from the abandoned Balmain Leagues Club leaving black smoke blowing into the sky and disrupted traffic in the area, with Inner West mayor Darcy Byrne calling on the NSW government to demolish the site, which the state has targeted as a tunnelling site for the Western Harbour Tunnel.

On Sunday, Cr Byrne announced that council had issued emergency safety and clean up orders for the Leagues Club, calling it a “disgrace that the NSW government has to be forced to clean up this dangerous fire and asbestos hazard”.

The state government have resisted calls for the site to be demolished, saying that it isn’t necessary for the safety of the building.

Council’s orders have been sent to the property owner and Transport for NSW. The state government is expected to occupy the site for seven years while the Western Harbour Tunnel, an underground harbour crossing between Cammeray and Rozelle, is completed.

Tension remains over land use of Balmain site

Council has staunchly objected to the Balmain Leagues Club site being used for the Western Harbour Tunnel, saying that “it would result in significant construction impacts and would unduly delay redevelopment of this site”.

They added that the state government’s occupation of the site would be “essentially eliminating” the redevelopment of a new Tigers Leagues Club at the site, and would also cause road safety, noise and traffic impacts across the area.