Thomas Dunne is the publican of what is often referred to as the Palace Hotel, one of Main Street’s oldest, most iconic buildings. It’s a family affair with all four family members working within the confines of O’Duinn’s Irish Pub collecting their wages from pouring beers, cooking meals and providing a place for travellers to rest.
However, a dispute over water damage to the interior of the building which dates back to when the Dunnes first bought the old hotel back in 2006, has this publican close to the end of his tether.
“We noticed the water coming in, in 2007, and then it started to get really bad. The pictures hanging on the walls were going mouldy and the water was basically coming in and dripping down the walls. It has nearly ruined our restaurant,” Mr Dunne said.
“It was so bad … when our insurance was due for renewal in 2010, the insurance company did their report and said they wouldn’t be re-insuring us … after we gave them $75,000 in premiums over three years,” Mr Dunne said.
The publican says their first point of call was the BSA, the government-run group which regulates the building industry in Queensland.
“They are dragging their feet and have been for years. I want them to get the builder who did the original work to come back and fix the entire problem caused during the previous renovations - the inside and the outside.
The BSA tells me the case is closed and that I should go to the small claims court. Well if that is the case, why don’t we all go there … and the BSA can close its doors and save a hell of a lot of money,” he said.
The builder who emphatically denies being responsible for the water damage is Peter Bailey from Bowen.
“We met with Thomas and the BSA onsite at the hotel last Tuesday morning and we did a full hour test to try to establish where the water was coming in from. Usually the test goes for about 15 minutes but we conducted an hour-long test which showed no water entry to the building.
“I understand Thomas’ frustration … I do. And if the water was getting in through faulty workmanship then I would fix it immediately but it’s important to remember there were a lot of other people doing work on the building, besides me, before Thomas bought it … including air conditioning contractors and the people who moved the pokie room to where it is today,” Mr Bailey said.
The builder says if the BSA recommends he go back to the hotel to do some more work, then he will.
“I feel for him, and I understand his frustration but the thing is I believe the water proofing method that was originally installed on the building has failed,” Mr Bailey said.
The general manager of BSA Queensland Ian Jennings says the urgent meeting was set up between the publican, the builder and a BSA inspector on May 1 to hopefully clarify the issue.
“This building inspection was intended to determine whether water penetration is still an ongoing issue at this property.
“Investigations are still pending and the BSA will be pleased to provide an update when the report is finalised,” Mr Jennings said.
But Mr Dunne remains adamant the BSA is right at the centre of the controversy and clearly isn't doing its job.
“They are a joke. This is their job. Not mine. Why don’t they shut their office down instead of messing with people’s livelihoods.
“The meeting last week was an example of their incompetence. He said there was no water leaking, so I got him a chair told him to climb up and look at the pools and pools of water.
“I was fuming, I had to walk away.”
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