Neighbours of a “dangerous” Fremantle property could wait up to 12 months before the building is demolished and are pleading with the city to intervene.
Councillors voted last week to move ahead with a demolition order for 5 Beach Street and Mayor Hannah Fitzhardinge was glad to see a decision made.
“The sooner the better with this one,” she said.
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City officers say the 12 strata lots — which were once destined to be tourist accommodation — have fallen into a such a state of disrepair that they had recommended a demolition order to remove risk to the public.
The four-storey multi-residential development — which has remained incomplete since 2010 — was found to have widespread deterioration and weathering of building elements, extensive vandalism, an accumulation of disused material and evidence of “drug activity” and “squatting” during a 2023 site inspection.
Council reports said illegal occupation and transient tenants had existed within the site since 2004.
Local Garry Adams told councillors he repeatedly called police about the property in the fear someone would be hurt.
“Over time, it’s become a popular attraction for local teens to perform dangerous acts that are uploaded to social media,” he said.
“It’s common to see children on the roof and on the open parts of the third and fourth storeys throwing bricks, bottles, smashing glass and even jumping from the roof onto the (building) next door.”
He said the site even appeared on websites promoting derelict buildings that could be explored in Perth.
Mr Adams said he eventually expected a trespasser to become “seriously injured” or “die” and pleaded with the city to secure the building.
“What will be done in the interim to ensure the property is secured and prevent access to the fronts and the back?”
City staff said the owners would need to be given “reasonable time” with the demolition order given the size of the building.
“Twelve months would be considered to be a reasonable time,” they said.
“If the building order wasn’t complied with, there would be the possibility of prosecution.”
Local Donna Ayriss told councillors there were ongoing antisocial and illegal behaviours at the property.
She also claimed works that had been undertaken at 5 Beach Street in 2007 had resulted in a loss of off-street parking for 15 years and was an “extremely stressful” period for her.
“We see fires, we see flashlights, we’re regularly calling the police,” she said.
“We’re seriously concerned about injury or death on the site.”
She said she was also concerned about the property being demolished and becoming a vacant block, citing another vacant property on the same street that was frequently used by squatters.
“It’s a site for continual antisocial behaviours, squatting, dumping of rubbish,” she said.
“There can be personal threats to safety in walking past this site.”
Speaking with PerthNow after the meeting, Mr Adams said he wanted more done to prevent trespassing in the interim.
“Whether it’s 12 months or 18 months, we’re still going to have the problem of people trespassing until it’s taken out,” he said.
“The bars on the front gates have been pulled apart and kids just slip through there and go in, otherwise they’ll have ladders up against it.
“There’s a whole range of ways of getting in there.”
Mr Adams said the state of the property made nearby residents anxious.
“We know that eventually somebody’s going to get seriously hurt and we’re going to be the ones calling the police or ambulance, trying to help whoever’s injured in there,” he said.
“From our perspective, that’s something that worries us a great deal.”