THE BRISBANE TIMES REPORTS:A myriad of underground mine tunnels and unexploded World War II bombs has forced a six-month delay to the start of work at the RSPCA's new $19 million headquarters at Redbank.
The RSPCA planned to start work this month, as part of its plan to shift from its run-down Fairfield home.
However, seven "unexploded ordnances", or WWII bombs, were found on the site in the latter half of 2007, while a recently discovered network of underground mine shafts from the nearby Westfalen mine was still causing delays.
RSPCA Qld chief executive officer Mark Townend said the seven unexploded ordnances had been exploded but the mine tunnels remain a problem.
"There are more underground mine shafts that didn't show up on the previous surveys," Mr Townend said.
An police officer inspects the remains of a live
mortar exploded on 12 July 2007 on the former
Redbank Rifle Range which was the site af an
Australian and American Army Base during
World War 2.
"But we still plan to finish onsite by mid-July 2009. It is still the location for us, there is no doubt."
Mr Townend said there was no longer a problem with unexploded ordnances.
"The UXOs have been cleared. It is a clear site," he said.
Mr Townend said he understood the RSPCA still had enough unencumbered land on the Redbank site to house the buildings planned for the purpose-built animal refuge.
Plans for the new animal shelter have yet to be approved by Ipswich City Council.
Ipswich City Council planning and development committee chairman Cr Paul Tully said the plans had only recently been received, but he said underground mine tunnels were not unusual in Ipswich.
"They have only just lodged the town planning application," Cr Tully said.
"These are issues, but they are still side issues.
"The tunnels are from the Westfalen mine which is about two kilometres to the west."
Cr Tully said the old mining tunnels could influence where the RSPCA's planned buildings were built on the Chalk Street site at Redbank.
He said Ipswich City Council also planned to extend Smiths Road at Goodna through to Chalk Street as the Ipswich Motorway upgrade program started, a move which would help the new RSPCA site.
"We are looking to do this in the next two years," he said.
The RSPCA still needs $6 million in capital support from private sponsors to allow the new centre to go ahead.
The State Government allocated $14 million in December 2006, which included a $10 million grant, about $2 million from the sale of the Fairfield site, plus the "gifting" of $2 million for the new site at Redbank.
Mr Townend said he anticipated clearance for the location of buildings "above ground" to occur in mid-February.
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