Eastern Suburbs Councillor Slams Developers’ “Fantasy” Geotechnical Reports

An Eastern Suburbs councillor has viscerated “fantasy” geotechnical reports submitted by developers, as residents fear continued property damage.

Julian Parmegiani, a Liberal, represents the vaunted harbourside suburb of Vaucluse on the Woollahra Municipal Council. While it is built on rock, nearby neighbourhoods like Rose Bay and Double Bay have a delicate geology, being situated on a high water table which impedes large developments. The Minns Government’s planning reforms have nonetheless unleashed a raft of applications.

Such developments were a focal point in the latest meeting of the council’s Environmental Planning Committee, in particular one proposed for Conway Avenue, Rose Bay. Parmegiani probed the council’s manager of development assessment, Nick Economou, on whether council staff are “able to take into account the confidence limits” in a report submitted by the developer.

“Given the boundaries of our knowledge about geotech matters, number one,” the councillor said. “But putting that aside, given the experience that has occurred already in multiple underground car parks being built. To me, some of those reports sound good, sound defensible. However, in practice, they turn out to be a fantasy.”

Economou said that the council’s engineers are in a “difficult” position, “because ultimately we are reliant upon the accreditation, the skill and knowledge of these reports,” and because they are responsible for ensuring the accuracy of the information therein.

“But would they have the skill to further scrutinise that? The answer is no, because they’re not geotechnical engineers. Every time there is a specialist report that is provided by a technical expert, we rely upon people’s integrity, their accreditation, and the council must accept that information in good faith.”

Developments responsible for property damage

In the last couple of years, numerous properties in Rose Bay and Double Bay have suffered damage from construction works disrupting the water table. Residents express concern that upcoming developments could cause more harm.

One such proposal is a State Significant housing project planned for Dover Road in Rose Bay. A report commissioned by some local residents indicated that it could harm 40 close-by properties, increasing to 130 when the impact of other, nearby developments is also considered. Parmegiani said at the time that the report “has more red flags than a May Day parade.”

“Building an eight storey block on wet sand will be a challenge, if not impossible,” he added.

Merrill Witt is a Residents First Woollahra councillor, another member of the Environmental Planning Committee also representing Vaucluse. “Like Councillor Parmegiani, I’m worried that Council is approving DAs with conditions for dewatering that the applicants’ hydrogeological and geotechnical reports have indicated cannot be met,” she said.

Contradictory geotechnical reports from developers and residents

Parmegiani asked Economou whether the council should employ a geotechnical engineer. In his reply, he noted that there have been “many” cases in which an applicant and an objector have both hired one, who then produce contradictory findings.

“And ultimately, the whole court process is, you can get two experts saying two different things, and ultimately it comes down on whose evidence or whose weight of information we feel is best suitable or closer to our control.”

Economou gave no definitive answer, noting that such a decision is the council’s prerogative.

Meanwhile, as the state government battles to increase housing construction, residents continue to fear that their homes may be impacted by ongoing and future developments.