Skyview project at Castle Hill under scrutiny after whistleblower raises concerns

Five northwest Sydney apartment blocks under construction by flamboyant developer Jean Nassif’s Toplace Group are under scrutiny after a whistleblower raised concerns about the project.

A “crack” team of engineers has been called in to ensure five northern Sydney apartment blocks are safe to live in.

More than 200 off-the-plan purchasers in the Skyview apartment complex in Castle Hill face delays in settlement after pictures allegedly showing large cracks in the building’s slab were sent by an industry whistleblower to NSW Fair Trading.

That whistleblower also claimed “continuous water leaks” and what was described as a “major defect” in the basement floor slab.

Artist impressions of the Skyview residential development at Castle Hill.

An industry whistleblower has circulated pictures of a crack in the floor of basement carpark B1 in the development. Picture: Supplied

A Fair Trading inspection of the construction site last month “confirmed the existence of structural issues that would ­require specialist engineering advice” according to a spokesman for Better Regulation Minister Kevin Anderson.

The five-tower project’s private certifier has since com­missioned an independent engineering report.

The Saturday Telegraph can reveal that the report will look at alleged basement slab cracks in four distinct areas and find the cause of the deviation.

“A report on their findings will be given to the certifier and (developer) Toplace shortly — it is likely there will be some further issues,” a spokesman for the NSW Building Commissioner David Chandler said.

Skyview is currently under construction at Castle Hills. Pictures: Supplied.

The whistleblower said this showed a patch-up fix between towers A and B.

It is alleged continuous water leaks created this crack …

… which has been covered by a dish drain. Pictures: Supplied.

“It is unfortunate that the building occupancy may be delayed, however this is considered a better option than purchasers settling on their apartments and then moving into a building that may have defects.”

The project will eventually create 960 one, two and three bedroom apartments in towers up to 24 storeys.

Toplace is a company run by flamboyant developer Jean Nassif.

He was the little-known property developer until his Instagram video of wife Nisserine – “Congratulations Mrs Nassif – you like?” went viral.

The 2019 video, where he is gifting his wife a $480,000 yellow Lamborghini, spawned a host of spoof videos.

Toplace Group owner and founding director Jean Nassif.

A Toplace spokesman said “the building has been subject to thorough review by a qualified structural engineer and that work has been subject of independent peer review”.

“A certificate of structural adequacy has been issued (and) any allegation to the contrary is completely false,” he said.

“The rectification works the subject of the reporting to date relate to a single slab that is entirely independent from building superstructure.”

A Hills Shire Council spokeswoman said the “council undertook extensive compliance action regarding noise, dust and working hours during the construction of the Skyview apartment complex”.

Last year the Toplace volunteered to replace almost 380 bathrooms in a Botany development after an ­inspection uncovered flaws in five.

Greens MP David Shoebridge, who headed an Upper House inquiry into building standards, called for “a strengthening the quality control of all critical trades, from waterproofing through to fire safety”.