12 July 2019

Access Canberra stops work on Geocon's Belconnen building site

| Lachlan Roberts
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Geocon’s Republic construction site at Belconnen. Photo: George Tsotsos

Access Canberra has shut down Geocon’s large Republic construction site in Belconnen on Thursday afternoon (11 July), stating construction was inconsistent with the development and building approvals.

The site on Eastern Valley Way, Belconnen is a $1 billion, mixed-use residential construction project, with 750 purchasers already having bought an apartment.

A Geocon spokesperson said the stop work notice relates to “minor, technical issues on a submitted DA amendment”.

“There are no safety issues associated with the stop work notice and the notice does not call Geocon’s build quality into question,” the spokesperson said.

“Geocon is working with all relevant authorities to have the matter rectified as soon as possible.

“Australia’s largest, $1 billion, mixed-use residential construction project is expected to re-commence in the coming days and be delivered ahead of schedule. This will come as welcome news to the 750 purchasers who have already secured an apartment in Republic.”

Geocon says the stop work notice was in relation to ‘minor technical issues’.

ACT Construction Occupations Registrar Ben Green said further building work was prohibited while the notice is in place, however, work can occur to bring the building back into compliance with the building approval.

“We will continue to investigate this matter and work with the parties involved to ensure a timely resolution,” he said.

“This is yet another reminder that we will take action where it is identified that building work has occurred without the required approvals in place.”

In May, Access Canberra inspectors also issued a stop work notice and a prohibition notice on TP Dynamics’ 68-home complex in Belconnen after they discovered that works had been undertaken without relevant development or building approvals.

More to come.

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Why is the site unnamed? If it’s apartments being sold off the plan then given what is happening in Sydney, surely the public have a right to know? Who is Access Canberra trying to protect? What about freedom of information? Unless we seriously start scrutinizing and challenging what are obviously shoddy and corrupted standards in the building industry then we will continue seeing incidents like wayfarer or opal towers.

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