The fire damaged Dundas Scout Hall, which has been confirmed to contain high risk asbestos, is finally set to be demolished.
Parramatta Council has granted Scouts NSW approval to demolish the building, located at 42A Yates Avenue, Dundas Valley, at a recent Local Planning Panel meeting.
An Asbestos Material Survey was submitted with the Development Application, confirming traces of friable and non-friable asbestos had been located throughout the building.
But a Parramatta Council report said it “has not identified any fundamental issues of concern.”
“The application along with the Detailed Site Investigation submitted by the applicant was reviewed by Council’s Environmental Health Team Leader who determined that satisfactory evidence has been provided that the site can be made suitable for the proposed development, subject to conditions of consent,” it read.
Following demolition of the hall, further investigation into the potential contamination of the soil will be required for any development on the site.
The Dundas Scout Hall was badly damaged by fire in December 2022, making it the second time in one month that the much-loved facility was targeted by arsonists.
Although the hall hadn’t been used by an active Scout group for many years, it was often used for hire.
At the time of the incident, the hall was being utilised by The Manning Foundation, who was using it as a space to store items like food and blankets to give to those in the local area.
Ellie Busby is a news reporter for Western Sydney Publishing Group. A graduate of the University of Hertfordshire and Western Sydney University, she is a journalism Major. Ellie has worked with Universal Media, The Cova Project and for a range of other organisations. In 2024, Ellie was named Young Writer of the Year at the Mumbrella Publish Awards.