Royal Canberra Hospital Implosion - Aftermath

Aftermath

The ACT Government led by Kate Carnell came in for sustained criticism, and a number of official enquiries were held. Many people complained the event should never have been made a public spectacle, as this was inviting disaster. Other people felt that this was unfair, as implosions around the world generally excited local interest and had had an enviable safety record. Further, the near-record Canberra crowd had legitimised the event by their very presence.

ACT WorkCover is the authority responsible for administering, implementing and enforcing legislation in the Australian Capital Territory covering occupational health and safety (OH&S), workers' compensation, dangerous substances and labour regulation. The coroner found that the authority did not follow established safety processes. It failed to ensure that the explosive workplan required by the ACT Demolition Code of Practice was met. It also failed to scrutinise departures from the original demolition workplans and to issue appropriate prohibition notices in accordance with the OH&S Act to ensure the methodology was safe, not only to the workplace employees but also to the public.

Since the hospital demolition, the ACT Government has carried out 2 bridge implosions in secret, as part of the Gungahlin Drive Extension project. The first one was carried out with a surprise disruption to traffic in the middle of a weekday, and the second one was carried at an early hour of a Saturday morning with a 1 km exclusion zone, with no prior notice given to the public.