Loafers Lodge contamination after fire ‘unbelievable’, mould growing

Contamination inside Loafers Lodge is described as “unbelievable” and a breeding ground for mould more than a month on from the deadly blaze that killed five people.

Asbestos in the roof has created a potential health risk at the scene.

Loafers Lodge company director Gregory Mein said specialists have told him it’s unlikely former residents’ belongings can be salvaged.

“The fire has burned out the whole mezzanine level and this has imploded into that [below] floor area. So a lot of those rooms are just completely gone, they don’t exist anymore,” Mein told the Herald.

“Underneath that, there are two levels... they pumped that much water through that building, and with the police and fire service trudging through there, the cross-contamination is just unbelievable to see and hence there’s mould because the stuff is wet all the time.”

On Friday, lawyers acting on behalf of two former residents filed High Court injunction proceedings to prevent the building from being demolished.

Loafers Lodge Limited director Gregory Mein. Photo / George Heard

Community Law senior lawyer Oscar Upperton said following this, the parties agreed on orders by consent.

“Those orders will allow us to conduct our own inspection of the Loafers Lodge building to determine if any tenant belongings can be returned to them.

“Tenants haven’t received sufficient information to make it clear to them that the belongings can’t be returned, so these orders provide us with an opportunity to assess that properly.”

It means the owner of Loafers Lodge has to make the building available from Monday next week for independent specialists, acting on behalf of the former tenants, to assess the asbestos contamination and the prospect of recovering possessions.

No other activity can be conducted in the building apart from what is strictly necessary to prevent further deterioration that will cause an imminent health and safety risk.

The building owner must provide daily updates on any work planned at the site.

Speaking before this agreement was reached on Friday, Mein said consent was still needed to demolish the building, which would take some time.

He said the company had not planned to “go anywhere near” tenants’ belongings for at least a month and was instead focusing on making common areas in the building safe.

Mein said if there was a hint the asbestos may be drying, contractors working on site would dampen it down with more water.

“As time goes on it just gets worse and worse and worse but the specialist did say, at the best, maybe something with a hard surface [could be salvaged]. I.e. a mirror that doesn’t have any wood backing or anything could maybe get cleaned but... anything which is slightly porous, or material or anything, he said no way.

“If the judge decides that isn’t the case, well then we re-address it.”

Wellington City Council spokesman Richard MacLean said the building has been returned to the owner and the council had no power to issue directions about the recovery of items inside.

“However, we fully understand why residents will be upset that their property cannot be returned. This is an obviously difficult situation.”

A 48-year-old man has been charged with two counts of arson and five counts of murder in relation to the fire.

His case was called in the Wellington High Court earlier this week. For reasons that have been suppressed to preserve his fair trial rights, the man was granted continued interim name suppression until mid-August.

Further reports were needed for the court to properly assess the man’s need for suppression, and other matters in his case. In the meantime, he is remanded in custody.

The victims were Kenneth Barnard, 67, Liam James Hockings, 50, Peter Glenn O’Sullivan, 64, Melvin Joseph Parun, 68, and Michael Wahrlich, 67, known by many as Mike the Juggler.

Georgina Campbell is a Wellington-based reporter who has a particular interest in local government, transport, and seismic issues. She joined the Herald in 2019 after working as a broadcast journalist.