NSW Building Commissioner takes aim at apartment defects

NSW Building Commissioner David Chandler has been having heated discussions with many developers and a former Sydney lord mayor.

Former planning minister and Sydney lord mayor Frank Sartor swapped public life for the quiet life – or so he thought.

His new role as a gun for hire for big property developers has proven to be anything but, however, after a bruising public stoush with NSW Building Commissioner David Chandler – who has been busy giving many developers a very hard time.

The pair were involved in a heated discussion last week after Mr Sartor’s alleged attempts to defend a property developer behind two buildings Fair Trading says has significant defects.

NSW Building Commissioner David Chandler.

Former planning minister and Sydney lord mayor Frank Sartor.

Following the face-to-face meeting at the commissioner’s city bunker, Mr Chandler took to social media to take a dig at Mr Sartor, who was a giant of Sydney politics from 1991-2011.

Mr Chandler claims Mr Sartor said: “Commissioner you have to realise that the industry could not just pivot overnight to meet the NSW reform agenda since your appointment. It will take 3 to 5 years to embrace the new standards that are being called for’”.

Mr Chandler, who was appointed in 2019, then wrote: “My response was that, ‘Mr Sartor, there have been no new standards called for since my appointment, only accountability’.”

Opal Tower at Sydney Olympic Park was evacuated in 2018 due to major cracks. Picture: David Swift.

The very public LinkedIn take-down has sparked a stern response from Mr Sartor, who claims he didn’t say what was quoted and will be responding to Mr Chandler outside the media.

“I am not an apologist for bad development. Clients come to me because the NSW planning system is extremely complex and largely dysfunctional,” he told The Sunday Telegraph.

Mr Sartor then extolled the virtues of being away from the public eye, which means he can spend more time with his family instead of going to official functions “with 300 people I don’t know”.

“One lady was persistent when I was at the supermarket, saying ‘I am sure I know you from somewhere’,” the 70-year-old said.

“I told her yes, I am Brad Pitt’s cousin.

“I am enjoying anonymity and being able to take my kids to sport.”

Mr Chandler declined to comment.

The Office of the NSW Building Commissioner currently has 30 separate orders out on more than 25 property developers for high-rise properties across the state.

Those in the spotlight include high-profile developer Toplace as well as Icon Co, who were behind the construction work at the trouble-plagued Opal Towers.

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