Engineering report says chimney can stay

Date: Wednesday, 12th August 2009

The former Ross River meat works chimney will continue to stand tall as a sentinel to Townsville’s past.

An independent engineering report commissioned by the Townsville City Council and developer the Lancini Group has shown the 19th Century chimney can be saved.

A structural analysis of the smoke stack found it was in good condition and with strengthening work outlined in the report could be safely retained beside a residential development.

Engineering experts Base iGi were engaged to investigate the chimney’s condition and whether it could be incorporated in a joint venture apartment project proposed by the Lancini Group and Macquarie Bank on the former meatworks site.

Planning Committee chairman Cr David Crisafulli said the report provided the green light to save a symbol of the city’s heritage.

“The report’s finding is great news for the community and for the future of an important part of the city’s history,” Cr Crisafulli said.

“The developers have acknowledged both the community’s concerns over the future of the chimney and this council’s desire to protect it as a monument of the past.

“They have worked with the council to have detailed investigations carried out by leading experts into the structural integrity of the chimney to see if it could be saved.

“The report has found that the chimney can be retained with restoration work which means we can look at how to progress its preservation.”

Further investigations by the developer and council will now take place to determine the scope and cost of the restoration and funding arrangements for the work.

Managing Director of the Lancini Group, Mr Laurence Lancini said he was pleased with the ultimate outcome.

“While we were always eager to have the chimney incorporated into our project design, we removed it when the initial safety issues were flagged a couple of years ago,” Mr Lancini said.

“After fielding many calls from the public on this matter and following discussions with Council we jointly funded an engineering investigation by a highly specialised group of consultants and their findings give us reason to be pleased today.

“There is still some work to do to ensure the structure is stable and no longer a safety risk, but we are working through that and overall this is a great outcome,” he said.

Mr Lancini said, “We look forward to the day when all restoration works are completed and we are able to hand over the parcel of land on which the chimney sits as well as the bike

path strip along the top of the riverbank to Council for the benefit of all members of the community.”

Heritage Committee chairman Cr Ray Gartrell said the report’s finding was a big win for the local community.

“The chimney was built in 1891 and is the last remaining landmark of a meat works operation that was part of the lives of many families in the city over many generations,” Cr Gartrell said.

“As someone who was born and bred in Townsville I’m very pleased that the chimney will remain part of the Townsville landscape.

“I’ve received a lot of feedback from residents on this issue and I think it’s a great outcome for our city that the Chimney and the development can co exist which will provide another option for home buyers.”

The Base iGi report has recommended restoration work on the chimney include re-pointing of the chimney’s brick work, and reinstatement of an earthing system for protection against lightning strikes.