DEPARTMENT of Primary Industries and Regional Development (DPIRD) research staff at Merredin are not expected to return to their damaged offices this year.
DPIRD central region director Pam I’Anson said this week it was hoped staff could return to upgraded administration offices and research laboratories in the first half of next year, after the buildings were un-roofed during a freak Good Friday storm.
“DPIRD is continuing work towards repairing the Merredin office site, following significant storm damage in March this year,” Ms I’Anson said.
“The buildings and laboratories in Merredin were constructed during the early 1980s and consequently were of an old design,” she said.
“DPIRD is investing upgrading the buildings and laboratories to provide contemporary facilities which align with modern business and research.
“Our officers are continuing to deliver services from the Mitchell Street (Merredin) office and grains research addressing soil productivity, weed management, pre-breeding and agronomy is continuing at the Merredin Research Station on Great Eastern Highway.
“The project is at the estimation stage in terms of calculating the materials required, project milestones and completion dates.
“We are aiming to return to the site by early to mid-2019, however a final project timeline is yet to be confirmed.”
Ms I’Anson said the building repairs and replacement program “will be aligned with the future requirements of DPIRD’s business needs at the site”.
Winds of up to 113 kilometres an hour recorded by the Bureau of Meteorology tore roofing iron and timber battens off the north wing of the administration centre on Good Friday evening, about the time staff would normally be leaving the building formally known as the Merredin Dryland Research Institute.
Some of the iron sheets were dumped in a central open-air courtyard but most were deposited in the front car park near the main public entrance on the opposite side of the building.
Last week sections of the roof on the north wing and a few sections of the south wing roof were still covered with tarpaulins.
The building has been fenced off and signs warn of asbestos.
