They call him Rob the Wrecker.

Since the 1980s, Perth businessman Robert Moltoni has made a living bringing skyscrapers to the ground in under 10 seconds.

He was the first person in Australia to implode a building by rigging it with explosives.

"The energy that hits you when it's happening is beyond description," Mr Moltoni said.

"There's air shock for a start — it hits you in the chest.

Perth businessman Robert Moltoni built a reputation as WA's go-to demolition contractor in the 1980s. ( ABC Radio Perth: Gian De Poloni )

"It's quite an emotional thing, it's a draining emotion.

"It's far quicker than you might imagine — if you're not looking you've missed it."

In the 1980s and 1990s, Perth's building industry was booming due to increasing demand for high rise office space.

Mr Moltoni saw an opportunity and traded in his quiet life as a farmer in Pemberton to become Western Australia's go-to demolition contractor.

The first big implosion

His first big job came in 1988, when he was commissioned to demolish two city buildings to make way for what is now the QV1 tower.

With the push of a button, the 11-storey structures disintegrated into a dust cloud and Rob the Wrecker had just witnessed his first implosion.

"There wasn't any relief — I just absolutely believed that it would go well," he said

"We faced a lot of resistance but fortunately enough sense prevailed in the end and it was a very successful implosion."

The twin buildings, which made way for the 43-storey QV1, were the first buildings in Australia to be demolished by a controlled implosion. ( ABC News )

Mr Moltoni went on to implode another four buildings in Perth's CBD, including the old Emu Brewery, the 17-storey ANZ Bank building and Canterbury Court, a multistorey car park in Northbridge.

"With Canterbury Court, it took about 90 kilos of explosives to bring down a 10-storey building," he said.

"Preparing the building for implosion is about removing internal walls and windows — you essentially take out anything that will restrict the collapse of the building and just leave the column and slab.

"The placement of the explosives go in on the last day, you guard the building overnight and shoot it in the morning."

The Canterbury Court multi-storey carpark on James Street, Northbridge was imploded in 1992. ( Supplied: Mainline Demolition )

Are implosions safe?

Mr Moltoni said despite the dramatic and confronting nature of implosions, they are a safe demolition method.

"I think there's a perception that because there's so much energy happening and it's unstoppable once you press a button, that it's dangerous," he said.

"But everybody is taken out the area — if at worst you get building impact or property damage, that's the most that can happen.

The 14-storey ANZ Bank building was demolished in the late 1980s and is now the Enex retail complex. ( Supplied: Mainline Demolition )

"It's a safe tool when used in a planned and proper manner."

Unfortunately, that wasn't the case during the 1997 demolition of the Royal Canberra Hospital, which Mr Moltoni was not involved with.

A fragment of steel flew off the building and across Lake Burley Griffin, where thousands of people had gathered to watch the implosion.

The steel hit 12-year-old Katie Bender in the head, killing her instantly.

Mr Moltoni said that tragedy put an end to building implosions in Australia.

"It killed it off completely and it's unfortunate because the same rule could be applied to our freeways — people are being killed on the roads, but would we close all our roads?" he said.

Transforming the city

Many Perth heritage buffs have criticised city's tendency to regularly knock down old buildings for new towers.

But what does the man who tore down many buildings think about how the city looks today?

Perth's city skyline in 2018 — a number of the skyscrapers are built on sites Rob Moltoni demolished. ( ABC Radio Perth: Gian De Poloni )

"Our city is a modern, sharp, high-rise office and residential city and I think the way it is developing has its own character," Mr Moltoni said.

"I think it's a little manicured — it doesn't have the vibe of some of the European and Asian cities that I visit.

"But it's growing well — the street life in our city has changed immensely.

"It used to be an office block city and after five or six o'clock at night it was all over, there wasn't any point being there."

Evidence of life's work demolished

Mr Moltoni said he'd like to see more unconventional architecture in the city.

"For instance, the [Perth Arena] entertainment centre, which [developer] Len Buckeridge refered to as a squashed coke can, is a good example," he said.

"It looks a bit odd but it attracts you to the city.

"What used to be landfill on Burswood is now a fantastic world-class stadium — Perth is growing in the right direction."

Mr Moltoni, who at 70 is still involved in the demolition company he founded, said he is proud to have helped shape Perth's CBD.

Crushed can? Perth Arena opened in 2012 after the previous entertainment centre was demolished. ( ABC News: Tom Wildie )

"When I drive down St George's Terrace, there's nothing that people can look at to say Moltoni did that — it's all gone," he said.

"But it is good to have been a part of it.