As if the former residents of Mascot Towers in Sydney weren’t doing it tough enough, last month they received another blow, and it’s one that smacks of local government incompetence, with maybe even a lingering whiff of past potential corruption.

As the NSW government cranks up an investigation into what led to the emergency evacuation three years ago of the 10-storey, 132-apartment block, it has emerged that vital documents relating to the approvals for the building have gone missing.