The north shore’s worst suburbs for building defects revealed amid government crackdown
New figures have revealed the worst suburbs on Sydney’s north shore for complaints about dodgy apartments and building defects as new laws come into force aimed at increasing standards in the industry.
North Shore
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The worst postcodes for building defects on Sydney’s north shore have been revealed in newly released figures as a raft of laws come into force aimed at lifting standards in the industry.
A total of 130 complaints were lodged by north shore residents in 2018 due to concerns ranging from the structural integrity of high-rise units to the quality of homes and strata complexes across the region.
The figures, released by the Department of Finance, show Wahroonga, Turramurra and Warrawee topped the list of worst suburbs for building gripes with 16 complaints recorded over the 12 month period.
The 2066 postcode, taking in Lane Cove, Longueville, Northwood and Riverview, also emerged a trouble spot with 12 complaints lodged by residents.
The rapidly growing suburbs of Willoughby, Northbridge, Crows Nest and St Leonards ranked third, with the postcodes each recording 10 complaints.
The figures come as the State Government rolls out a raft of new laws on the building sector, triggered by high-profile cases of defects including Sydney’s Opal Tower.
The legislation, enacted last week, increased obligations on engineers and builders and will require all parties involved in the design and building process to be sufficiently qualified and accountable.
The laws will apply to both new buildings as well as those built within the last 10 years.
There will also be increased protections for apartment owners by requiring duty of care by all people who carry out construction work.
North Sydney lawyer David Bannerman, who has acted in over 300 defects matters, said common complaints raised by residents included water leaks, fire safety defects as well as the structural integrity of units.
“The legislation recognises current consumer protection is woefully inadequate but it doesn’t go far enough in protecting all homeowners,” he said.
“If they want to give all consumers comfort they need to extend the home warranty insurance scheme – not just to buildings below four storeys.
“I think it’s all a bit reactive (and) too early to say how many owners will be able to bring negligence claims”.
Willoughby Council has echoed concerns over inadequate measures around insurance coverage for homeowners.
“Under the system developers have (been able to) employ unlicensed, uninsured, unqualified people to construct multistorey buildings and therefore have less insurance and quality control than single occupancy dwellings,” the council said.
“These groups of people often set up ‘phoenix’ companies that disband shortly after construction is completed to avoid building defect litigation – after the completion of high rise building the owners have no recourse to compensation.”
The Residential Apartment Buildings Bill also passed parliament last week, giving NSW Building Commissioner David Chandler increased powers to gather information, conduct inspections, enter construction sites and investigate building defects.
The Department of Finance figures show the 2069 and 2073 postcodes, taking in Roseville, Castle Cove and Pymble, had eight complaints in 2018.
Rounding out the top five worst suburbs for complaints were Chatswood and St Ives, each recording seven complaints.