Due to an issue with the heating/cooling system in Ray Walsh House, Council staff who regularly work on Levels 1, 2 and 3 of Ray Walsh House in Tamworth have been relocated or requested to work from home.
Tamworth's customer-facing services which operate out of the Ground Floor remain open to the community and able to welcome visitors, including Customer Service and the Development Hub.
As it stands, the work required on the heating/cooling system to restore functionality cannot be undertaken due to the presence of Asbestos Containing Material (ACM) and the subsequent risk management requirements under Council's Asbestos Management Protocol. Ray Walsh House was built in the 1970s, and purchased by Council in the 1990s. In recent years, despite ongoing maintenance and work to ensure a safe work space, an increased frequency of immediate issues has necessitated the need for a long-term solution to limit disruption to Council operations and services.
Last night, Councillors were briefed on the situation and agreed to move forward with a two-phased approach:
- Continued relocation of impacted Council staff
- Assessment of the future of the Ray Walsh House structure.
It is anticipated that this project will have a duration of a number of years. The community's elected representatives on Council will be consulted regularly and at key project milestones.
In the short-term, Council is prioritising the relocation of all Ray Walsh House staff to Council-owned venues, and exploring commercial options. Council is working to have all staff, and therefore all operations including our Customer-facing services, relocated from Ray Walsh House over the next 8 weeks. Once access points for the community have been confirmed, these will be communicated across a number of channels.
In the mid-term, Council will be engaging with experts on the future of Ray Walsh House, and the best way forward for both the community and our staff.
