Spring Farm soil didn’t ‘look right’, says engineer who did tests for Camden Council

Engineer Solern Liew says he told Camden Council of suburban Spring Farm’s soil problems, before many homes there began to sink.

An expert engineer warned Camden Council the Spring Farm area was not fit to build on in a report that forms the centrepiece of a major class action by residents whose homes are sinking.

At the council’s request, GeoEnviro director Solern Liew investigated the quality of the ground fill at the site on Sydney’s southwest outskirts.

Documents filed with the NSW Supreme Court in the recently commenced class action against the council and developer Cornish Group claim the GeoEnviro report found in 2010 that the site was “unsound for building” and that the council knew of this conclusion.

But thousands of homes were built there anyway.

GeoEnviro Consultancy director Solern Liew, who says he warned Camden Council of the danger. Picture: John Grainger

The class action alleges homeowners have suffered financial loss because the site was “unfit for residential buildings due to the unsound condition of soil on the property.”

The Telegraph has visited homes as little as five years old that are falling apart as the land beneath them drops away.

Some residents have dubbed the area “Sink Farm”.

Many houses in the suburb have no obvious problems. Still, lawyers behind the class action say the owners of these homes also have a right to be compensated because values have been undermined by association.

GeoEnviro’s Mr Liew told The Daily Telegraph on Monday “it was a very brave move of me to say what I said because (the council) were my clients. Being my clients I have to say the right things in their favour but when I did the fill testing I just said ‘That fill doesn’t look right’.

The glass in this Spring Farm home exploded due to soil movement. Picture: Supplied

“I said ‘the fill is not suitable for residential’ (development),” Mr Liew recalled.

In June, The Telegraph sought access to Mr Liew’s report from the council under the Government Information Public Access Act. But the council claimed copyright law prevented it from sending a copy. It also said that because of the Covid-19 pandemic it could not allow the report to be viewed at its office.

On Tuesday, a council spokesman said “as there are ongoing civil proceedings involving Council and Cornish Group relating to the Spring Farm development, council is unable to provide comment on this matter.”

He also said The Telegraph was “welcome to arrange to view the report” now that restrictions had lifted.

In response, The Telegraph has renewed its request to view the report.

A Cornish Group spokeswoman said the allegations made concerning the report “are the subject of two proceedings, including the claim which Cornish Group has commenced against Camden Council.”

That claim is separate from the class action.

The spokeswoman said the Cornish Group would defend the allegations made against it in the class action.