WorkSafe ACT has approved the undertaking of remedial works and has granted access to the Soho Development Calypso Apartments site on Northbourne Avenue at 11.47am today, Thursday 13 October, following the collapse of part of excavation shoring works early Tuesday morning.

Art Group said these works have immediately commenced and the contractor is liaising with authorities regarding the works associated with the rectification of neighbouring properties.

On Tuesday, CFMEU ACT said that in a city like Canberra, we shouldn’t be seeing these kinds of collapses, even with the ongoing amount of rain across the region.

CFMEU ACT secretary Zach Smith said: “Excavation collapses like this are not normal. They should only happen in first world countries during natural disasters — not heavy rain. Yet in Canberra we’ve now seen two in as many months. 

“The only reason we have not seen multiple fatalities is dumb luck, plain and simple. This easily could have happened during the day when workers were on site. And it would have been a tragedy. 

“We can’t accept the ACT being the Wild West in terms of building regulation anymore. We need trade licensing, we need developer licensing, and we need shonks to be held accountable.”

The developers of the building, Art Group, said they are currently liaising with authorities and assisting affected residents.

They said construction works on Block 46 Section 6 have temporarily ceased until further information is received from WorkSafe ACT and further details will be “issued in due course”.

Access Canberra said they were made aware of the shoring collapse at the site yesterday morning, Tuesday 11 October.

They said they have issued a Stop Notice for the site under the Building Act 2004 and is preparing an Emergency Rectification Order under the Construction Occupations (Licencing) Act 2004.

Access Canberra Building Inspectors and Senior Engineer have attended the site and are working collaboratively with WorkSafe ACT.

Access Canberra’s construction occupations registrar, Nick Lhuede, said he recently wrote to all construction licencees about wet weather, advising them to ensure site safety including around excavation and shoring.

“I am calling on builders and developers to ensure that they have appropriate controls and structures in place for large-scale and deep excavations,” he said.

The Registrar has directed Access Canberra’s Senior Engineer to engage with similar large construction sites in coming weeks to ensure controls are in place to manage excavation safety. This will include conducting inspections across the ACT.

ACT Minister for Sustainable Building and Construction Rebecca Vassarotti said she was “shocked” to see the images of the collapsed wall and Canberrans have a “right to be concerned”.

“It is vital that everyone involved in significant construction works are suitably qualified and that the community has confidence that such large works meet safety and building quality standards,” Ms Vassarotti said.

“This incident highlights the need for engineer registration, which the ACT Government has committed to in the Parliamentary and Governing Agreement. Consultation on our engineer registration scheme recently closed and I look forward to tabling legislation in the Assembly next month.

“The ACT Government is also working on the implementation of a developer licencing scheme and look forward to introducing a public discussion paper in the coming months. These are just part of the critical building reforms that I am delivering for the ACT Government.”

Dickson resident Simon Baker told the ABC that he and his partner heard the pit collapse.

“About 1.15am last night (11 October) we heard a big bang, [but] weren’t sure what it was,” he said.

“We looked out the window and there were some electrical wires bouncing about.

“We knew that we have a big construction site behind our house, so it sounded like maybe a giant piece of equipment – a digger or something – had fallen in.

“It felt like an earthquake or something, the whole house sort of shuddered.”

Mr Barker also told the ABC he lost power for a short time after the collapse before it returned, but he woke without power once again.

“The electricity went out for a second but then it came back on,” he said.

“It wasn’t until this morning that it [went out again and] still hasn’t come back on.”

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