Byron Shire Council has denied claims by local filmmaker and activist David Bradbury that Council was ‘only given the hospital for $1 if they agreed to demolish the site using the Tweed-based contractor the state government had already signed the contract with’.
A Council spokesperson has since told Echonetdaily ‘there was no requirement to use a particular contractor’.
The spokesperson said, ‘Council resolved to negotiate with the contractor previously engaged by NSW Health because it was advantageous for a number of reasons’.
The project team handling the demolition and remediation of the site is led by Tweed Coast Demolitions and Excavations (TCDE), a Northern Rivers company with more than 11 years of experience in this type of work.
‘TCDE has been involved in many significant projects in the Northern Rivers including the Tintenbar to Ewingsdale Highway upgrade, the Woolgoolga to Ballina Highway upgrade, Bonalbo Hospital, Tweed Shire Council and Ballina RSL Aged Care Facility. TCDE has contracted Aztech Services, one of the leading Class A asbestos removal specialists in the country to remove the asbestos from the site.
‘Aztech Services was involved in remediating homes affected by the Mr Fluffy insulation in Canberra, which has the same type of asbestos insulation as the Mullumbimby Hospital, as well as All Hallows School, Charleville Hospital and the Mater Hospital in Brisbane.
‘The site will be monitored by ENV Solutions, an environmental engineering firm based in Ballina. ENV Solutions has an intimate knowledge of the site and is responsible for ensuring that the removal is carried out to all regulations and monitoring of the site.
‘Tweed Coast Demolitions and Excavation (TCDE) has extensive large project experience and Aztech Services, which will handle the removal of asbestos, has extensive experience in removing asbestos contamination similar to what’s on the Mullumbimby Hospital site,’ the spokesperson said.
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