Council vacates ‘risky’ offices

THE Lae City Council (LCC) is vacating some of its buildings that are no longer fit for occupation on health grounds.
LCC Health and Community Services director Jonathan Iapng said private sector businesshouses would be next for the “clean-up”.
He spoke to the media last week after the LCC closed down four of its shops at the Lae market area.
“We vacated the shops that belong to us due to health reasons and the dilapidated electrical wires and power connections,” he said.
He added that the LCC was also looking at vacating the LCC rundown flats at 1-Mile that were currently occupied by council officers.
“Another building that we looking at shutting down is the main administration office building at Top Town,” he said.
In a letter dated March 11, 2019, to the acting city manager, the office of health and community services called for urgent maintenance and repair to the Nial Community Centre Hall.
The roofs of the main administration building is leaking despite additional repairs.
“The building’s old roof sheets had never been replaced, and is now beyond repairs,” Iapng said, adding that documents and office appliances were at risk of being damaged or destroyed by the rain.
“The ground floor areas of the personnel, administration, accounts and commercial offices, including the corridors and rest rooms, are also affected by rain.
“The risk of electrocution is high and it is just not fit for occupation anymore,” he added.
Iapng told The National those were the reasons why city management was given 15 working days, starting on March 1, to act.
He warned owners of businesshouses to repair faults in their buildings to ensure they are fit for occupation or “we will take similar action like what we are doing now”.