Icon Co ordered to fix defects at 1-31 Victoria St Roseville, 659-669 Gardeners Rd Mascot
The developer of Sydney’s Opal Tower has been ordered to fix serious defects, including ‘uncontrolled cracking’, identified in two other apartment complexes built by the company.
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The developer of Sydney’s Opal Tower has come under fresh scrutiny after the NSW building watchdog uncovered multiple defects in two other apartment buildings built by the company.
Two separate building rectification orders have been issued to developer Icon Co following inspections of multistorey residential developments at Roseville and Mascot.
The orders were issued by Fair Trading NSW on Thursday and require Icon Co to fix the defects within 180 days to ensure the developments meet Australian building standards.
In an inspection of the Roseville development at 1-31 Victoria St, Fair Trading identified 24 separate defects relating to the building’s essential services, structural systems, fire safety and waterproofing works.
The rectification order states the defects include “uncontrolled cracking” in the ground slab of a basement area, evidence of “ponding water” throughout the roofs and corrosion in the metal framework of stairs.
In Mascot, an inspection by Fair Trading of the Avantra development at 659-669 Gardeners Rd identified 30 defects relating to waterproofing, structural systems and fire safety.
Fair Trading states the defects include “undue dampness and deterioration” of the building’s ceiling and “uncontrolled water ingress” to basement levels of the site.
Icon Co previously made headlines when structural defects identified at the Opal Tower at Sydney Olympic Park forced the evacuation of residents on Christmas Eve 2018.
The company states it has since spent $40m on the building, including completing rectification works as well as funding alternative accommodation expenses for occupants.
Icon Co, in a submission to Fair Trading relating to the Mascot development, states it has been working with the owners corporation’s of the building to carry out site inspections and develop joint methodologies of repair.
Fair Trading director of legal operations Elizabeth Stewart said the rectification works at the Roseville and Mascot development were required to ensure the sites meet building standards.
“I accept that the order requires considerable further construction work that is likely to be costly,” she said.
“However, the cost to the developer must be balanced against the benefit to the occupiers of the units … in having the building constructed to the approved plans and in accordance with the building code of Australia.”
In a statement, a spokesman for Icon said: “We have always engaged proactively with the Owners Corporations to help a swift solution to these matters.”
“In the past, where issues have arisen, Icon has a track record of working cooperatively with owners and residents to make it right,” he said.
“We continue to engage constructively with the Owners Corporations and their building experts on these projects to ensure that all parties are satisfied with the scope of repairs.
“We remain confident that we can complete this work shortly after securing the agreement of the building experts on the best way forward.”
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