‘Structural’ problems with glamorous Bellevue Hill units
A ritzy collection of $3 million homes in one of Sydney’s most expensive suburbs are sitting dormant because they are riddled faults that could become “serious defects”.
NSW
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A ritzy collection of $3 million homes in one of Sydney’s most expensive suburbs are sitting dormant because the development is riddled with faults that could become “serious defects”.
NSW Building Commissioner David Chandler has ordered developer Maryland Developments to fix defects at The Acre development in Bellevue Hill.
The building work rectification order relates to a number of concrete slab ceilings, columns and beam edges that have “ineffective concrete cover” to the embedded structural steel reinforcing tendons.
“Exposure due to insufficient concrete cover to the reinforcing steel could result in corrosion which could in turn compromise the structural integrity of the building,” according to the May 13 orders.
There were also a number of waterproofing and fire safety issues identified.
The 27 units and four terraces are located on the site of the old Bellevue Hill Bowling Club on Cooper Park Rd.
The developer was also issued with a prohibition order preventing a private certifier from issuing an occupation certificate — which allow off-the-plan buyers to settle on their properties, unlocking millions in value.
The property’s initial certifier was Valerio ‘Vic’ Lilli, who was last year banned for five years by NSW Fair Trading for issuing an interim occupation certificate for a Castle Hill building “that he could not reasonably have determined was suitable for occupation”.
“The Office of the Building Commissioner has been following this project since our initial OC Audit in December 2020,” a NSWBC spokeswoman said.
“NSW Fair Trading and the Office of the Building Commissioner will continue to monitor this matter.”
The developers have been caught in the net of the NSWBC’s targeting of 50 site based audits every six months, which has since ramped up to 150 buildings in the past few months.
They are designed to ensure defects are discovered before people hand over potentially millions of dollars.
The developer did not respond to requests for comment.
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