The long wait for the demolition of the old Northam Hospital is finally at an end, after the iconic and controversial building came down last Wednesday at about 10am.
The demolition drew a large crowd of locals, who gathered around to watch the long-awaited event.
However there was confusion as a heavy layer of dust covered the town, limiting visibility and causing stand-stills on central roads
Mary Glass said there were no warnings to local homes or businesses, and the “implosion” of the building caused people to run from the site.
“It seems the Shire really dropped the ball on this one,” she said.
“We were right around the corner, and we didn’t know what was happening until we just heard this huge bang.
“We had a group of co-workers crossing the street at the time to go to a meeting, and they were caught right in the middle of the dust cloud.”
.Ms Glass said she was concerned over how the Shire handled the demolition.
“There was a semi-trailer on Wellington Street that had to stop because the driver couldn’t see anything,” she said.
Ms Glass said she was also concerned over the potential for asbestos contamination from the site.
“There was a lot of white dust that covered practically the whole town, and who knows what was in it?” she said.
Northam Shire CEO Jason Whiteaker said the private contractor had put in safety procedures prior to the demolition.
“The first stage took around four days, so we couldn’t be sure of when exactly the larger structure would come down,” he said.
Mr Whiteaker said the contractor had also undertaken a test of the debris for asbestos.
Noel Pulleine, who managed to find a spot close to the action, said he was in contact with a worker who was receiving updates during the process.
“The demolition contractors had placed some massive cables around piles that they had weakened by removing most of the concrete around the inner re-bar,” he said.
“They then pulled on the first three cables one at the time. It wasn't until they pulled on the fourth cable did the building collapse. And once the very heavy dust cloud settled, we were able to see what remained of the old Northam Hospital, and a new skyline of course.”
