No need to evacuate Macquarie Park units ‘at threat of collapse’, Building Commissioner David Chandler says

Building Commissioner David Chandler apologised for stress caused to residents of apartments said to be at threat of collapse, while lashing out at his own department.

Building watchdog David Chandler has criticised his own department after it slapped urgent orders on a developer to fix a block containing 900 units in northwest Sydney.

Mr Chandler insisted no residents need to leave the complex, even though the order raises the prospect of the building collapsing.

The Building Commissioner told media on Thursday there was no safety risk at Greenland Australia’s Lachlan’s Line unit complex in Macquarie Park, after reports in The Sydney Morning Herald stated buildings there were at threat of collapsing.

“I want the public to understand there is no imminent risk to this building and the safety of the people in it, and I’m very distressed this story has got to the point where those people have gotten stress (put) on them that was avoidable,” Mr Chandler said.

“I think a lot of us have contributed to that stress, I’m going to look back at what we could have done that was different, but I’m going to also ask all of you (media) to think what you could have done that was different – we’ve got to stop putting people into a stressful situation where we can avoid it.”

The Lachlan’s Line apartment complex buildings in Macquarie Park were said to be under threat of collapse due to defective workmanship. Picture: Max Mason-Hubers

Mr Chandler said he was going to look at overhauling language used by his department, saying “I’m going to have a look and see whether we … should have communicated with those owners better”.

The building work rectification order on the development, issued on Monday, states “This is a defect in a building product or building element that causes or is likely to cause the basement slab to fail, namely, to fracture and collapse, leading to the destruction of the building or any part, or the threat of collapse of the building or any part”.

Building Commissioner David Chandler (pictured left), tried to ease concerns. Picture: Dylan Robinson

Greenland Australia is the domestic arm of Chinese state-backed developer Greenland Holdings, which made international headlines last year for a “ghost-town” development including 260 villas in China’s northeast which has been left half-finished and abandoned.

Greenland Australia in a statement said it has “been fully co-operating with the Commission” since the order was issued.

Building Commissioner David Chandler has since said the buildings aren’t at imminent risk of collapse. Picture: Max Mason-Hubers

“Their initial investigations have identified the … issues are localised in the lower car park levels only and that there is no risk of collapse of the building’s towers. There is no serious damage or serious structural defects at the project, as some media outlets have claimed,” the statement read.

Mr Chandler – who has been tasked with improving building quality amid a Minns’ Government pledge to overhaul the number of homes being built in NSW – said up to 20 per cent of property developers were risky, but insisted his hard line stance won’t damage the soaring targets NSW has to hit to address the housing crisis.

“I see complete compatibility between the need to have more housing and the need to have quality housing,” he said.

“The Premier is of the view (there’ll be) no reduction in quality … I’m not the planning department so I can’t approve the things.”

Do you know more? Email [e-mail]

Originally published as No need to evacuate Macquarie Park units ‘at threat of collapse’, Building Commissioner David Chandler says