Semi Retired Foamer

Farewell to the Decrepitude of Eastlakes Shopping Centre

Part 6 – Bye Moits, For Now (But Not Forever)

Welcome to the sixth installment — and somehow, we’ve rolled into a brand new year.

Just south of Sydney, tucked firmly into the heart of Eastlakes, there stood a shopping centre so magnificently worn-out it felt deliberate — less abandonment, more quiet defiance. While glossy mega-malls multiplied across the suburbs like ambitious fungi, stuffed with designer labels, artisan smoothies priced like small mortgages, and all the personality of a corporate lounge, this place dug in its heels. Modernisation simply wasn’t on the agenda. Largely because no one was particularly motivated to make it one. Until, inevitably, they were.

Opened in 1964 — the golden age of brown tiles and modest expectations — the Lakes Shopping Centre was planted squarely on the site of a former racecourse. Because nothing says logical urban evolution quite like replacing galloping thoroughbreds with clearance racks and a fish shop whose aroma achieved local landmark status.

Encircled by an expanse of near-identical red-brick flats, the centre wore many hats: neighbourhood meeting point, time capsule, five-star pigeon accommodation, and a long-form architectural shrug. For me, though, it was something else entirely. Armed with a camera and a slightly concerning appreciation for structures in visible decline, I committed to documenting its demolition — because if you’re going to process nostalgia, you may as well do it in ultra-high definition as an excavator methodically dismantles your childhood.

Then the calendar flipped.

We’ve now moved into a new year, and with it comes the next stage of this slow-motion farewell. New companies have arrived. New faces walk the site. New work begins. The demolition phase as we knew it has shifted gears, and the project is clearly entering its next act.

For now, it’s farewell to Moits — who carried out much of the heavy lifting through the final retail removals. But not goodbye entirely. We expect their return once the green light is given to rip down the remaining switch room building and the stubborn trolley bay on the lower car park level. Those last two survivors still stand — relics waiting for their inevitable appointment with gravity.

And so the saga continues.

You’re welcome.

The Rise & Fall Of Eastlakes Shopping Centre.

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8-12-2025

Above and below.

Ground testing continuing on at the site.

Photos: Brad Peadon

Breaking up some more concrete slab.
Photo: Brad Peadon

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10-12-2025

Work was winding down for the year, with things mostly concentrated on removing the foundation of the former two level carpark.

While close to complete, it still looks like there is a little left to go (February 2026).

Above and below.

I guess the biggest surprise on this day was the disappearance of this small Asian shrine on Barber Avenue, in Jack Mundey Reserve.

Below: Not long prior to removal.

Photos: Brad Peadon

Above and below.
Sprinkler trucks are probably the busiest in the Moits fleet.
Photo: Brad Peadon

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12-12-2025

Noted one last excavator sitting along the Barber Avenue fence line in the morning, but reported to be on the back of a truck before lunch.

Thus bringing an end any more work noted on the site for 2025.

The green temporary office soon followed after.

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21-1-2026

A bit bored, I went back to check on things at the site.

Wasn't expecting much given local friends usually have their eye on the place for me, though I did notice nature was doing it's bit to try to take control again.

Above and below.

Nature taking opportunity of the festive period to start a development of it's own.

Photos: Brad Peadon

New Builtcom signage noted at the entrances of Evans and Barber Avenues.

Photo: Brad Peadon

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3-2-2026

Something I had initially planned to do on the first day of the new year was to walk around the site and record anything that still remained of the shopping centre.

A significant lack of motivation after the festive season didn't see me do it until February.

Besides the rather significant switch room and trolley bay, there were a few smaller survivors still hanging around.

A small piece of the Woolworths foundation has managed to avoid removal.

Photo: Brad Peadon

Above and below.

Planter box remains.
Photos: Brad Peadon

Above and below.
The only surviving indication of any of the tenants in the old mall is this old Woolworths sign in the surviving trolley bay.
Photos: Brad Peadon

Above and two below.

The biggest surviving item is the switchroom, which has become a well spread 'heritage listed' rumour across the community. :-)
This is not the case and, at this time, it is expected to go during March.
Photos: Brad Peadon

Old embankment on the west side of the site.
Photo: Brad Peadon

The main entrance to the mall off Evans Avenue.

McDonalds was to the right, the offices to the left, and the former carpark in the distance where some of the white foundation can still be seen
Photo: Brad Peadon

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13-2-2026

Looks like my Christmas holiday is over, with the first activity on the site occuring today.

A number of people standing around having a good talk about it.

The switch room building still defiantly holds on. :-)

Photo: Brad Peadon

ARA Electrical were part of the team on site for, what I assume to be, the first day back.
Photo: Brad Peadon

The ARA Electrical division operates as part of the broader ARA Group, an Australian-owned organisation that delivers a wide range of infrastructure, engineering, and facility services across multiple sectors. ARA Electrical focuses specifically on electrical engineering, construction, maintenance, and technology integration services for commercial, industrial, and infrastructure-based clients.

The division provides end-to-end electrical solutions, covering system design, installation, commissioning, and ongoing maintenance. Their work commonly includes power distribution systems, lighting, communications cabling, automation systems, and energy management technologies. They support projects ranging from new infrastructure developments to upgrades and lifecycle maintenance of existing facilities.

ARA Electrical is also involved in automation and smart building technologies. This includes implementing control systems that improve energy efficiency, monitoring capability, and operational reliability across large facilities. These services are particularly valuable in sectors where electrical reliability and efficiency are critical, such as transport, manufacturing, defence, utilities, and large commercial developments.

A strong emphasis is placed on safety, compliance, and quality assurance. The division operates within strict Australian electrical standards and workplace safety frameworks, reflecting the high-risk nature of electrical and infrastructure work. Their integration within the wider ARA Group allows them to collaborate with other specialist divisions, particularly in transport and rail infrastructure, enabling them to contribute to complex, multi-disciplinary projects.

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20-2-2026

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24-2-2026

Today work seemed mostly be going on around the telecommunication pole at the rear of the site.

A couple of excavators have turned up on the site, presumably for work related to the pipes, but have not had a chance to talk to anyone as yet.

CASE CX145C had newly arrived at the site.

Photo: Brad Peadon

Above and three below.
Service Stream working on the telecommunications pole near Barber Avenue.
Photos: Brad Peadon

Service Stream Limited is an Australian infrastructure services company founded in 1996, initially focused on telecommunications network construction and maintenance.
It be headquartered in lovely Melbourne, obviously one of my fave cities, but with major operations in Sydney and across New South Wales, the company grew rapidly during the expansion of Australia’s mobile and broadband networks and was listed on the Australian Securities Exchange in 2004.
Over time it diversified beyond telecommunications into utilities, including electricity, gas and water infrastructure, as well as transport and industrial services, expanding its capabilities through a series of acquisitions such as Comdain Infrastructure in 2018 and Lendlease Services in 2021.
Today, Service Stream plays a significant role in delivering, maintaining and operating essential infrastructure networks across Sydney and the broader Australian market.

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25-2-2026

Thankfully local Shane Greenway was on hand to capture the arrival of the second of the newly arrived excavators.

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26-2-2026

More and more vehicles turning up on site, and Barber Avenue reduced to one lane for reasons unknown as of now.

Above and below.

It has been hard identifying most of the companies involved with this stage of the project, most of the vehicles going mostly unmarked.

However this truck had a small sticker for Ardee Civil on the cab.

Photos: Brad Peadon

Ardee Civil Pty Ltd is a Sydney-based civil construction company specialising in essential infrastructure works, particularly water, wastewater and stormwater systems (hence all the pipes that have shown up) for residential, commercial and broader public projects across the region.

Established as a private Australian business and accredited for Sydney Water minor works, Ardee Civil provides end-to-end services from planning and design through to construction and commissioning, focusing on delivering quality, safe and compliant solutions that meet industry standards and client expectations.

With decades of experience in site development, utility installations and complex civil works, the company’s multidisciplinary teams work on a wide range of projects that help strengthen and maintain critical community infrastructure in New South Wales.

Above and two below.

Noticed that the east end of Barber Avenue has been reduced to one lane operation.

Kilford Traffic Control seeming to have that contract.

Photos: Brad Peadon

Kilford Traffic Control is a Sydney-based traffic management and control business operated under the registered company Kilford Civil Pty Ltd, which has been active since April 2018 and began trading under the Kilford Traffic Control name in 2022. The company provides professional traffic control services for roadworks, construction sites and events in Sydney and wider New South Wales, including developing traffic management plans, deploying trained traffic controllers and supplying associated plant and equipment such as barriers and signage, with a strong focus on safety and compliance with industry regulations.

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2-3-2026

Much the same as the last visit, though it was interesting to note that part of the south fencing have been moved out to where the witches hats are lined up on Barber Avenue.