removing a section of wall in brick apartment

Hi, after months of hunting, we were finally successful buying an apartment at auction on the weekend!

The building is a 1970s three story block of flats in brick construction.
we're on 1st floor with one floor above and parking underneath on ground floor.

We want to remove a doorway and some adjoining wall in order to open up the small dining area into the living room. I assume that the internal wall construction is rendered brick (I guess it could be solid concrete too...) which means it's probably load bearing.

As I understand it, if it is a LB wall, the process to remove the wall will probably involve:
- a structural engineer, who will assess the building, specify requirements and provide drawings for a builder
- a builder to carry out the work (likely with a structural beam of some sort)
- an inspection to confirm the work is carried out correctly
- approval from body corporate (based on engineer's report)

The total area of wall we want to remove is approx 1800-2000mm across (inc. a standard door opening).

So, based on what I know, I'm assuming this should be a fairly no-fuss job.
Can anyone give a ballpark on how much this may cost?
And, if you know a good structural engineer in Melbourne CBD, I'd love a recommendation.

Thanks!


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