Mascot Towers owners worried they will be saddled with $3m debt from NSW Government rescue loan
A $3 million NSW Government rescue package for the evicted residents of the cracked Mascot Towers has left some owners wondering how they will repay the help.
NSW
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A $3 million NSW Government rescue package for the evicted residents of the cracked Mascot Towers has left some owners wondering how they will repay the help.
Regulation Minister Kevin Anderson yesterday announced a $3 million one-off emergency loan that would allow residents to receive up to $400 a night to cover their housing expenses.
The rescue package has to be repaid through insurance or compensation payouts from whoever is found to be at fault.
But owner occupier Matthew Harris said: “I think it is looking extremely unlikely that anyone will ever be found accountable for what has happened.
“This may well be adding a $3 million debt to the owners’ corporation which already has to find $5 or $6 million in repairs,” he said.
Premier Gladys Berejiklian has refused to rule out whether owners in the troubled Mascot Towers will be forced to repay a $3 million NSW government rescue package if no one is found responsible for building defects.
Asked whether she could guarantee that owners will not have to stump up millions of dollars if no party is held accountable, Ms Berejiklian would not rule out the possibility.
“We’re actually working through those issues,” she told reporters in the inner-south-western suburb of Panania.
“The engineers haven’t yet finished their assessments and whilst there’s huge question marks as to who’s accountable, I want to assure everybody the government will keep those who made those mistakes or haven’t done their job properly accountable.”
Asked the same question a second time, Ms Berejiklian said: “We have to see these issues be worked through”.
“Until we know what the cause of the incident is ... the government has stepped in in very exceptional circumstances to at least assure the residents they don’t have to worry about where they’re spending the night,” she said.
The Premier also said the government was overhauling a number of regulations regarding the building industry and would introduce new legislation to parliament in the next session.
“I don’t want anyone to feel concerned this is a widespread issue but at the same time we need to make sure we send a strong message to the community that we’re overhauling a compliance regime in relation to buildings but also that there will be an audit of at least 30 per cent of certifiers every single year,” she said.
Residents of the block’s 132 units had to move out 10 days ago after giant cracks appeared in the 10-year old high rise.
It is the second high rise to be evacuated in Sydney in six months following the discovery of major faults in the Opal Tower building at Homebush on Christmas Eve.
“While residents wait for advice from specialist engineers on the root cause of the problem, we are taking decisive action to ensure all residents of the complex, both homeowners and tenants, are not left out in the cold,” Mr Anderson said.
Bayside Council Mayor Bill Saravinovski said: “It’s about time. It took the NSW Government a week to do something.”
But he feared the tower was part of a much larger problem. “How many more towers are we going to find like this?
“The government has been pushing for fast, high density housing that is approved by private certifiers.
“We need to put approvals back in the hands of councils because our interest is purely to make sure buildings are completed properly,” he said.
Labor regulation spokeswoman Yasmin Catley said: “Building safety and regulation is one of the most serious issues facing NSW residents.
“Government assistance is welcome and the parliament must get to work immediately to ensure another building in Sydney isn’t evacuated for a third time in 12 months,” she said.
And she called on the NSW Government to appoint the Building Commissioner it announced when the Opal Tower problems emerged.
David Bare, NSW executive director of the Housing Industry Association, welcomed the emergency loan to the residents of Mascot Towers. “It makes sense to provide them with some degree of relief,” he said.
But Mr Bare said the NSW Government needs to “move on with implementing the recommendations of the Shergold Weir report” which looks to improve compliance in the building industry.