Gold Coast Q1 residents unable to enjoy view after $1m cleaning machine breaks

The owners of the Gold Coast’s best view say they have not been able to enjoy it for more than a year despite paying up to $230 a week in body corporate fees.

IT is the iconic tower with priceless views.

However, residents paying up to $230 a week in body corporate fees to live in the Q1 say they haven’t been able to look through their filthy windows properly for almost 20 months because the cleaning machine they paid $1 million for doesn’t work.

According to Workplace Health and Safety Queensland (WHSQ) the Building Maintenance Unit (BMU) has been closed since May 2018 after a motor failed. A prohibition notice was issued by WHSQ at the time.

This is not the first time the Q1 has faced issues. From 2010, the building went three years without a wash due to the breakdown of an old machine.

Some of the 526 unit owners paying $7000-12,0000 a year to the body corporate are furious with the lack of maintenance at the city’s tallest tower.

“The machine has been a priority for everyone in the building to fix,” one resident said. “The views are what is most attractive about it. It is not a good look.”

Residents of the Q1 Tower will soon get a clear view. Picture: Nigel Hallett.

Residents say dissatisfaction with delays to fix the machine contributed to a major overhaul of the body corporate last month.

Change was enforced after a 274-4 vote to control the $3.5 million annual body corporate.

Residents told the Bulletin the BMU’s failures were due to a breakdown in communication between the body corporate and the caretakers.

“It (BMU) cost the building over $1 million but was never fit for purpose in the first place,” one resident said.

“At best that machine cleaned around 80 per cent of all the windows on the property.

“It was a failure to consult the caretakers which led to this and then the problem was just left.

“The caretaking was under resourced and rundown.

“It is just so disappointing to see beautifully presented units in that state.

Another resident said the issue got too much during the recent bushfires when smoke caked on the window grime.

“It was really, really bad,” a woman said.

“The windows were very dirty, all of my friends complain about it.

“People who stay here say even taking photos is hard.

“I think there were a lot of frustrations with owners and tenants because the windows were really, really bad. The lift was another issue. It all exacerbated and resulted in a new body corporate.”

The Q1 Tower in Surfers Paradise. Picture: Regi Varghese

Under the direction of the new body corporate work is now underway to make the relevant repairs on the window washing unit.

Workplace Health and Safety Queensland (WHSQ) confirmed it tested the machine this week.

“WHSQ was notified of the testing which forms part of a prohibition notice that will be lifted once all of the engineer’s recommendations have been implemented and evidence provided to WHSQ.”