ROCKDALE Council and residents of Wolli Creek fear that their streets have sustained serious long-term damage when a developer "sneaked" a heavy-drilling rig through a residential area in the dead of night.
Furious Rockdale mayor Shane O'Brien said that at 2am on Tuesday a Ganellen company subcontractor transported a 135-tonne drilling rig along Levey Street which has a 3-tonne limit, rather than take a safer route recommended by the council.
"This was a blatant contravention of council advice and without the necessary approval," Cr O'Brien said.
"The council is now trying to assess the potential damage to underground infrastructure and road pavement resulting from a blatant disregard for community assets.
"Unfortunately, it may be years before the full impact of the damage caused by this excess weight becomes apparent."
Ganellen, a design and construction contractor with an office in Balmain, is building three residential towers in Levey Street, near the Mercure Hotel.
Cr O'Brien said the council developed more suitable options in consultation with the company — to use Marsh Street, a part of the highway network and built to withstand this type of weight — but "a bunch of developers, who premeditated this for a financial gain, decided to take a short cut in the dead of night for their own commercial interests".
"They've shown total disregard for ratepayers' assets and increased the risk of danger and damage to the surrounding community assets," he said.
"It's appalling behaviour from a company that boasts of its 'best practice' credentials on its website.
"Frankly, I hope Ganellen and its subcontractors never operate in Rockdale again."
The short cut from the Princes Highway would have involved either Gertrude Street or Innesdale Road, adding to the damage bill.
Cr O'Brien is also calling on the state government to increase the penalties for such dangerous and damaging actions.
‘NO DAMAGE’
Ganellen chief executive Peter Maneas was confident no damage was done.
He said construction companies had been carting this kind of machinery over public roads for decades, all over the world.
And the contractor had an independent engineering certificate stating that the rig was being transported under the requirements of the Roads Act.
Should machinery that size be allowed into a residential street or do you have concerns about construction work in the Wolli Creek area?
