High-rises in danger of turning ‘toxic’

Corners­ are being cut on high-rise residential properties in NSW, industry analysts­ say.

The Opal Tower building is seen at Sydney's Olympic Park where cracks were found in the building, sparking fears it could collapse earlier this year. Picture: AAP

Developers and construction firms are increasingly cutting­ corners­ on high-rise residential properties in NSW, industry analysts­ say, with a lack of oversight resulting in structural defects that are making apartments a ­potentially “toxic” investment.

Last night, the residents of more than 100 apartments at Sydney’s Mascot Towers remained locked out of their homes following the detection of significant cracking and movement in the basement of the block on Friday.

Documents from the Mascot Towers owners’ association revealed­ that concerns over the building’s structural integrity were raised months ago at a strata meeting, but nothing had been done to address them.

“Proposed remedial works to the structural slab expansion joint,” was noted in the minutes of an owners’ meeting on April 9, ­reported by the Nine Network, referencin­g the slab that is now covered in cracks.

Questions remain unanswered as to the cause of the cracking — whether it was materials used in the build of the decade-old apartment block or the construction of a new apartment block next door, which according to one resident caused the Mascot Towers to “shake like an earthquake” when it was being built this past month.

The Mascot Tower incident has occurred just six months after the Opal Tower debacle in Sydney­’s Olympic Park.

That 36-storey apartment complex­ was first evacuated just before Christmas, after residents heard loud cracking noises.

As of June 3, residents of 172 apartments at Opal had not yet been given the all-clear by safety officers to return.

NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian said the government wanted to “get to the root cause” of what has occurred.

“There was some speculation it could have been from things that happened in the near vicinity, but we need to find out the cause before we know how to act,” she said.

Bill Randolph, who heads the City Futures Research Centre at UNSW and is involved in a two-year project investigating major defects in Sydney’s multi-unit blocks, said corner-cutting was “rampant” in the development sector.

“It’s well recognised that there are a lot of ways to cut corners in the development of multi-unit buildings, with many points along the procurement chain where you can make lots of adjustments ­because you’re pushed for money or time,” Professor Randolph told The Australian.

“There are problems with the self-certification system because there’s a lot of opportunities for people to sign off on their own work and there isn’t much policing of that.

“Another problem is that the certification process is all done at the end, when a lot of the structural­ problems may already exist and aren’t easily detected.”

He said in order to improve the industry, the consumer had to be included at an earlier stage of the building process.

“We’d very much like to see much more information available about the build quality, design, and a greater emphasis on inspections by independent engineers while the build is occurring to ensure the quality of the final product.”

Stephen Goddard, spokesman for Owners Corporation Network of Australia, said 80 per cent of all new apartment buildings in NSW were constructed with some type of structural defect, many of which did not appear until the six-year warranty had passed.

“Anybody looking to purchase in a building less than 10 years of age is foolish because the defects will not have yet surfaced,” he said.

“The apartments (at the Mascot Tower) are as toxic as Opal because­ the property is now worth less than people’s mortgages.”

He urged the NSW government to enact legislation to give the owner’s corporation the right to sue for negligence if the final product did not match the plans.

“This government is undermining public confidence in strata living as a lifestyle choice,” Mr Goddard said.