Mosman Council to crack down on safety deficiencies at 216 Raglan St after Fire and Rescue inspection

An apartment building advertised as offering ‘prestige apartments’ is at the centre of a council crackdown on fire safety deficiencies after an inspection by Fire and Rescue NSW.

The development was completed in 2022.

Mosman Council will crack down on fire safety deficiencies at a recently completed apartment building due to concerns over the safety of residents living in the complex.

An inspection by Fire and Rescue NSW has uncovered defective fire proofing measures in the recently completed four-storey ‘Balmoral Collection’ unit development at 216 Raglan St, Mosman.

The complex – touted as one of the suburb’s most luxurious unit buildings – has been previously lauded for its architectural merit and was named a finalist for the Urban Developer’s coveted mid-size development prize in 2022.

The Fire and Rescue NSW report made public last week shows an inspection on December 29 uncovered deficiencies including inadequate fire hydrant systems.

The report states there was further noncompliance with separation and compartmentation in the building which was found to not provide an adequate barrier to prevent the transfer of smoke and heat in the event of an emergency situation.

A photo of the four level development.

A photo of the building (front), from street level.

The report states the deficiencies did not comply with Australian Standards and has recommended further inspections of the building to identify any other deficiencies.

The report was referred to Mosman Council which will now issue the owner/strata owner of the building a notice of intention to issue a Fire Safety Order.

The terms of the order will require the owners/strata to engage a suitably qualified building practitioner to carry out an audit of the existing building’s fire safety measures.

The council’s compliance manager would then review and determine whether to issue the Fire Safety Order which would require the owner/strata to carry out any remediation works recommended by the building practitioner.

The development has come under scrutiny from Fire and Rescue NSW.

Mosman councillor Simon Menzies, speaking at a council meeting last week, questioned why residents had been allowed to move into the building.

“This is a new development (and) I’m not sure how people could pay millions of dollars to move in there and their asset could burn down tomorrow,” he said.

Council staff told the meeting the council’s compliance team unit deems fire safety as its “highest priority” and was intending to carry out a full audit of the building to ensure it meets all compliance standards.

In a statement, Central Element – the developer of the building – said: “With all of our developments, we ensure adequate fire and safety measures are in place.

“On this occasion we worked with our contractor … who ensured it was compliant and certified, by Fire and Rescue NSW prior to occupancy.

“Since then, Central Element have been in direct contact with Fire and Rescue NSW to address and satisfy further requests from a secondary inspection. These further requests have since been closed out with Fire and Rescue NSW.

“It is important to note, that at no point in time, was the fire safety performance of the building compromised.”

Planning records show the $5.2m development was approved in 2018 and construction works were completed last year.

The development has four whole-floor apartments described by listing agents as “offering the ultimate lifestyle” within “spectacular prestige apartments’’.

Each of the residences has a private lift, a chef’s kitchen, fireplaces, built in barbecue areas and outdoor spaces with views over Balmoral Beach.