Councillor calls for proactive building inspections amid cladding crisis

Proactive building inspections would identify problems early on and restore the community’s confidence as Sydney’s building industry comes under scrutiny. A Liverpool councillor wants the council to be on the “front foot” as the city’s development boom continues.

Mascot Towers was evacuated due to structural concerns. Picture: Monique Harmer

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A Liverpool councillor is calling for proactive building inspections aimed at identifying problems early and restoring public confidence in the wake of the building industry crisis.

Nathan Hagarty is urging his fellow councillors support a motion — to be considered at the council’s July 31 meeting — to introduce a proactive building inspection and compliance program for sites under construction at Liverpool.

Cr Hagarty said the council already had a team of compliance officers, but the current process was “reactive” and relied on complaints made by residents, with problems often coming to light when buildings were completed or occupied.

Liverpool councillor Nathan Hagarty. Picture: Matthew Vasilescu

He wants the council to take the lead and deploy compliance officers each week to conduct random checks on developments under construction.

Sydney’s building industry has come under scrutiny after a series of incidents, including the evacuation of most residents from Opal Tower at Olympic Park in December 2018, when cracks appeared in some walls, and the evacuation of unit owners from Mascot Towers in June after cracks were found in the Mascot building.

Cr Hagarty said the council should act now instead of waiting for the state and federal governments to take action.

Mascot Towers was evacuated in June. Picture: Monique Harmer

“I get a lot of complaints from residents that feel they’re powerless,” he said.

He added residents had previously alerted him to issues such as “building practices (that) aren’t up to scratch”, inadequate signage and the hours of operation at developments being constructed in their neighbourhood.

“We shouldn’t have to rely on residents effectively doing building inspections themselves and contacting compliance officers. Compliance is council’s job, not residents’,” he said.

Cr Hagarty said he was also concerned about “private certifiers issuing occupation certificates when perhaps they shouldn’t”, as well as buildings potentially affected by flammable cladding.

“We basically know the building industry is in crisis. This is an attempt to restore some confidence,” he said.

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