Inspection after cracking sounds reported in Jean Nassif Toplace tower in Canterbury

A resident living in a Toplace apartment complex that is the subject of two NSW Fair Trading building work rectification orders claims to have heard cracking in the night.

Exclusive: Cracking sounds allegedly heard at night by a resident living in a Sydney apartment complex constructed by developer Jean Nassif’s Toplace Group triggered an urgent building inspection this week.

A team of NSW Fair Trading officers and a government “emergency” engineer attended the Vicinity Apartments in Canterbury on Monday night to conduct an immediate ­investigation.

The building is the subject of two separate building work rectification orders for serious defects identified last year and others in March this year.

Mr Nassif, who is the owner and founding director of the Toplace Group, is the subject of a NSW Police manhunt in relation to alleged financial crimes dating back to 2021.

The 55-year-old is believed to be living overseas after telling a NSW parliamentary ­inquiry earlier this year that he was in Lebanon.

A NSW Fair Trading spokesman said no signs of structural distress were found during the Monday night inspection of the Vicinity Apartments, ordered “following reports from a resident of cracking sounds in the building.”

The Vicinity Apartments in Canterbury. Picture: Justin Lloyd

“NSW Fair Trading is continuing to enforce the existing Building Work Rectification Orders which apply to the building, and is engaged in enforcement proceedings against the Developer in the Land and Environment Court,” the spokesman said.

The enforcement proceedings relate to rectifying a serious defect identified in the construction of transfer beams or slabs in the hi-rise.

Developer Jean Nassif.

The 10-storey apartment block.

NSW Fair Trading Building and Construction Compliance director Matthew Whitton said the transfer beams or slabs were “deemed not structurally adequate to support the ground floor and level one” and posed “a threat of collapse” of the building.

Toplace was given 30 days to install temporary propping and 180 days to retrofit strengthening to a level ”sufficient to support the building”.

The second building work rectification order issued in March relates to serious defects in waterproofing, internal load bearing components, the building enclosure and the fire safety systems.

A Toplace spokesman said the developer had engaged engineers who had responded to the concerns of the department and that “the matter is before the courts.”

“While the department has made orders the department has not specified what needs to be done on the building. That is still subject to negotiations between qualified experts,” they said.
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