North Ryde CSIRO fire-testing laboratory to shut down after 82 years

Australia’s premier research body, the CSIRO, will be vacating its historic premises in North Ryde this year, with the lease set to expire in December.

That decision spells bad news for the organisation’s fire-testing lab, a facility used to test fire-resistant building materials. 

What happened: The CSIRO confirmed to the Lorikeet on Friday that it would not be renewing its lease on the North Shore laboratory, in use since 1944.

The facility is primarily used for testing the resistance of construction materials to fire. It contains multiple industrial furnaces.

Cuts to blame? When asked whether the closure was related to recent job cuts at the agency, a spokesperson for the CSIRO said the decision followed an “extensive assessment of our long-term property strategy, and organisational priorities”.

• CEO Doug Hilton recently announced the agency would be sacking 300-350 full time roles.

Fire heritage: Lorenzo Fazzini is the managing director of L&A Fazzini Manufacturing, a fire protection system manufacturer who has been using the North Ryde facility since 1961, then run by Lorenzo’s father.

Through the decades, his company has paid to test their fire resistant materials at the facility. 

Fazzini told the Lorikeet these products are particularly important for Australian houses built in areas vulnerable to bushfires. 

• Projects built with material tested at the North Ryde laboratory include the Quay Quarter Tower, the Sydney Metro and the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre.

“Why could we do all of this? Because of the testing we did at the CSIRO”, Fazzini said.

The history: The site — then named the Commonwealth Experimental Building Station — was established during World War 2 on a 28-hectare plot of Lane Cove bushland. It was used for manufacturing and construction through the post-war boom. 

Out of state: Fazzini told the Lorikeet his company valued testing at the CSIRO because it was not a private company, which he said improves trust. 

When the laboratory goes, he says the nearest facilities are in Canberra and Victoria, both of which are privately operated. 

Opposition: Fazzini was firmly against the agency's decision to close the laboratory, and said he had previously urged them not to.

“We are the oldest customer they have had,” he said. “I think they're being reckless. I think it's all about money”. 

A spokesperson for the CSIRO said they are “working with staff, customers and stakeholders to minimise any disruption”.