Epping: Alleged defects found at 9-11 Crandon Rd after NSW Fair Trading inspection
More than a dozen alleged serious defects including mould and water leaks have been found at a northwest Sydney unit block where the owners’ corporation has taken the developer to the NSW Supreme Court.
NSW
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A litany of alleged defects have been identified by the state’s building watchdog after another inspection was carried out at the occupied Epping apartment block where its strata company is taking the developer to the NSW Supreme Court.
The NSW Fair Trading first ordered developer Eppcon Management to fix alleged defects at 9-11 Crandon Rd in October 2024 with three more modifications since made, the most recent being May 20.
A total of 30 units are housed in the complex where the inspection identified inadequate drainage on the balconies of levels 4 and 5 in units 17, 19, 21, 22, 23 and 28.
Alleged “uncontrolled” water leakage from outside had already wreaked havoc on some units including a bedroom in unit 22 and the laminated floors of the home which were covered with black mould and were “significantly swollen/bubbling” because of excess moisture.
Mould growth was also allegedly on the ceiling, window edges and corner of the south wall of unit 17’s bedroom.
Common areas were also allegedly hit with water seepage, including at the toilet and cleaners’ room in the basement where leaks from the slab above was discharging directly on to the electrical wiring.
The rooftop allegedly also had poor drainage and foam insulation was seen to be installed on the roof surface, which caused water ponding.
The stairs also presented a fire safety hazard because the door frames were allegedly hollow when tapped, indicating gaps in the grout behind frames were not solid.
The step at the threshold of each doorway of the fire stairs was also identified as a defect.
The basement stairs, including those in the carpark, were “not adequately fire rated or protected” according to the inspection report.
Alarmingly, cracking was allegedly found including “uncontrolled” cracking between 2mm and 4mm in the basement where cracks allowed water to penetrate.
There was also allegedly cracking up to 2mm in the garden boundary walls and multiple horizontal cracks and salt deposits because of water evaporation in the bin room’s external walls.
Problems continued in the external common areas where the gaps in the bricks had allegedly been partially or fully blocked with mortar, which prevents moisture from escaping.
NSW Building Commission acting director of building compliance Donald van Keimpema, who issued the order, gave Eppcon Management until June 30 to fix the alleged defects.
Mr van Keimpema deemed the deadline reasonable considering the building was occupied even though the developer initially requested 90 days.
“I am aware that the development is occupied which may delay the developer doing the things ordered to be done by this order,’’ Mr van Keimpema said.
“I have formed this belief balancing the risks that the serious defects pose against the period of time it will take to carry out the specified actions.’’
The developer raised several submissions following the rectification order. They included concerns about the units’ saleability, the inspection report being unsatisfactory because alleged defects did not apply to all 30 units, and costly compensation to residents during the litigation process.
Mr van Keimpema acknowledged the order could result in the developer incurring additional costs but considered it did not “outweigh the benefits from eliminating, minimising, or remediating the serious defects’’ and did not consider the costs or delays would prejudice the developer”.
He said compensation for the owners’ corporation was a matter for the court and the purpose of the order was to ensure the “rectification of the serious defects in a timely manner”.
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Originally published as Epping: Alleged defects found at 9-11 Crandon Rd after NSW Fair Trading inspection
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