Kingsford: Mould growing, no barriers and other serious hazards flagged at potential boarding houses

A report exposing the serious hazards at a development site in Sydney’s south has forced a building work rectification order to be put in place.

The building site where the defects were found. Picture: Google Maps

A building work order has been issued at a building site in Sydney’s southeast after hazardous safety issues were discovered.

Currently, there is a boarding house under construction at 44 Willis Street, Kingsford, which consists of 40 rooms and 17 parking spaces.

However after Matthew Whitton, an authorised delegate of the Secretary of the Department of Customer Service, inspected the site in May this year, serious defects were found.

According to the building work rectification order (BWRO), “significant water ingress through basement walls and construction joints” had been discovered.

The building site where the defects were found. Picture: Google Maps

This poses a risk as “water is dripping on the electrical board and hydraulic pump for the car stacker system”.

“A makeshift awning has been placed over the electrical board that is overflowing and spilling water,” the report states.

“Plastic bags have been placed over cable connections to the electrical board and pump.”

The report also highlights the walls turning green “with mould and water is spilling out of spoon drains”.

Another issue the inspector uncovered included lack of safety with a car stacker, which has the controls in the working area and not on the “user side” of the safety gate, and the barrier to prevent falls is “inadequate”.

“The absence of a stable barrier is a fall hazard and poses a risk of serious injury to a person,” Mr Whitton states in his report.

The report highlighted serious risks.

“The operating control in the working area of a car stacker is a crush or shear hazard and poses a rick of serious injury to a person.”

Since the issues were flagged, the developer has accepted them and will follow the recommendations suggested to fix them.

This includes moving the electrical/pump components away from the wet wall, installing a new barrier around and relocating the car stacker user controls.

Why did the site get a BWRO?

Mr Whitton outlined in his report the “potential consequences” and the serious risks of harm that could happen.

“I have considered all of the circumstances. I accept that the Order requires specified actions that are likely to be costly,” he said.

“However, the cost to the developer must be balanced against the benefit to the occupiers to be gained from identifying the specific building work that will eliminate the Serious Defects.”