Mill Hill tenants given the boot

The historic Mill Hill Boot Factory, located in Spring Street Bondi Junction, has been vacated by the Waverley Council following advice from consultant engineers.

According to the engineers, the Boot Factory is “considered unsafe in its present state for occupants and the public in the surrounding external areas of the building”. The council-owned building was tenanted by the Echo Neighbourhood Centre, the Eastern Area Tenants Scheme and the Waverley Drug and Alcohol Centre.

After months of negotiations between tenants and the council, a report was circulated with the engineer’s advice to vacate the premises hours before the November 18 council meeting.

That same day the council gave 14 days’ notice for the tenants to vacate under a prior agreement. The effective eviction date was December 2 but no public access to the building was allowed from November 20.

Echo Neighbourhood Centre manager Zoe Jack said she was “extremely disappointed” with Waverley Council’s handling of the situation.

“All of the services here provide support for disadvantaged people, people who are often marginalised and needing a lot of help,” Ms Jack said. “We’re trying to keep that running when they need it most, just before Christmas, and also having to negotiate and project manage relocation into offices that aren’t really fitted out to meet our needs.”

While admitting she is not a structural engineer, Ms Jack questioned the dire assessment of the building’s structure. “We haven’t seen any evidence of the structural issues,” she said.

Mayor Sally Betts said she was saddened by the closing of the building and subsequent tenant relocation.

“I understand they don’t want to vacate but ultimately we have a duty of care to them and their clients,” Councillor Betts said. “We will cover the relocation costs and have found the organisations alternative premises in the area. Our staff will help them move and we are offering them office space nearby.”

Ms Jack also raised concerns that the three tenants “seem to have been labelled by Council as being difficult and obstructionist” to the process, a label she claims is absurd.

Built in 1892, the historic Boot Factory has undergone several alterations in its long life including a refurbishment courtesy of a bicentennial grant in 1988. The council is yet to decide the Boot Factory’s fate. There are various options of construction to make it safe, some with works totalling over a million dollars.

The mayor said the state of the building was so bad the council needed to renovate to ensure that even though there’s no-one inside the building, everyone in the vicinity would also be safe.

“We’ll make a decision on the actual building next year when we are given all the options and costs,” she said.

– By Liam Kinkead