Media Enquiries:
Robert Caulfield, Managing Director Archicentre Mobile: 0412 381 306
Ron Smith Corporate Media Communications Archicentre Mobile: 0417 329 201
Media Release
1st November
Second Deck Collapse in Four Days
Home owners holding parties and gatherings at homes with timber decks should have
them checked before the event and limit the number of people on them to allow a sensible
load on the structure.
Archicentre, the building advisory service of The Australian Institute of Architects said a collapse
last night of a timber balcony injuring 20 elderly people is the second deadly timber collapse in
the past four days. The accident occurred at eight o’clock last night at a house in north eastern
suburb of Ballajura.
A collapse of a timber deck at Morayfield, north of Brisbane, where seven people were injured
and taken to hospital, happened on the 28th of October when about 15 people were on the timber
deck, which was about three metres off the ground, gave way.
Archicentre's pre-purchase home inspection statistics show that approximately 6% of Australian
homes have a timber balcony or deck and that about 2% of these are potentially fatal.
Mr Robert Caulfield, Managing Director of Archicentre said these figures indicate around 8,000
balconies in Australia could be life threatening and there is a need for people to inspect their
decks and balconies for rotting timbers and rusty corroding steel fittings which could lead to life
threatening balcony collapses.
"In the last few years, balcony collapses in several states have resulted in a number of injuries and
deaths with coastal properties in the high risk categories because of the harsh environment and salt
damage to metal fittings.”
Archicentre says anyone intending to hold a Christmas or New Year's function which will see a
crowd of people occupying their balcony or deck, should check that it is safe and not in danger
of collapse.
“Failing to check the balcony or control the number of people on it could create serious legal or
insurance problems for owners.
"The dinner or party, where people gather on the balcony or for a drink or a barbeque are high
risk activities."
Mr Caulfield said we urge everyone with a balcony or raised deck, whether it's timber, concrete or
features steel supports, to check it out carefully for safety, including an inspection for rotting
timbers, shaky hand rails and balustrades, rusting bolts and brackets, rust stains and cracking in
concrete balconies.
"If people find faults they should take immediate action to repair them and if they are not sure to seek
professional advice. "Holidays are also the time when many home owners decide to build a balcony
themselves and we are urging them to do it properly and ensure that they obtain council building
approval."
Archicentre has information available from the website on How to look out for a Balcony Collapse
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