Two private schools, dozens of apartment blocks and commercial buildings were identified as having highly-flammable materials in an investigation prompted by the deadly Grenfell Tower Tragedy in June, 2017.

NewsLocal can reveal Fire and Rescue NSW (FRNSW) and councils across northwest Sydney have recorded at least 88 buildings fire safety concerns in the past 12 months from fire doors failing to open to potentially highly-combustible cladding.

HILLS SHIRE

Oakhill College in Castle Hill has been identified as one of a series of buildings plagued with fire safety concerns.

A Hornsby Council investigation discovered an administrative building at The Hills private school contained combustible cladding.

A Hills Shire Council spokeswoman said council officers had identified a further 10 high-rise developments with a series of fire safety concerns across Castle Hill, Kellyville, Baulkham Hills, Rouse Hill, Bella Vista and Norwest in the past twelve months.

HOW WE BROKE THE ISSUE

ATLAS COMMERCIAL BUILDING NORWEST HIT WITH 26 FIRE SAFETY ISSUES

ATMOSPHERE TOWERS ISSUED WITH 41 FIRE SAFETY ISSUES

ROUSE HILL APARTMENT FIRE ISSUES SPARKS FIRE SAFETY WARNING

“Council has inspected all buildings and served Fire Safety Orders,” a Hills Shire Council spokeswoman said. “Appropriately qualified and independent people have been engaged to address the fire safety issues identified.”

Residential developments took out the majority of the failed audits, according to council fire safety reports.

At least 21 fire safety issues were identified at a multi-level residential building at 40 Applegum Crescent, Kellyville.

Concerns included unstable fire hydrant boosters, a lack of fire resistant structures and fire exit doors failing to open “without force”.

Five other residential developments were identified to have a series of undisclosed fire safety issues. They were located at 13-19 and 21-25 Seven Hills Rd, Baulkham Hills,

21 Hezlett Rd, North Kellyville, 5 Celebration Drive, Bella Vista and 40-52 Barina Downs Rd, Norwest.

A fire safety inspection at at 43 Lavender Avenue, Kellyville, found non-compliant fire stairs, inadequate plans for smoke detection systems, a lack of smoke-proof walls and a disabled fire shutter.

The lengthy list of fire safety deficiencies comes after the Times revealed developers behind Castle Hill’s Atmosphere residential towers, Norwest’s Atlas commercial building and a residential building at 97 Caddies Boulevard, Rouse Hill were hit with fire safety orders by council.

“Inspection reports from FRNSW were submitted to council which identified fire safety deficiencies within both the Atmosphere and Atlas buildings,” a Hills Shire Council spokeswoman told the Times.

“Since that time, both properties owners have engaged appropriately qualified fire engineers to inspect the buildings and report on the level of fire safety compliance within the buildings.”

Engineers engaged to inspect the Atmosphere Towers said they were satisfied that most of the issues within the newly-completed building had been addressed.

“Council is working with the owners to address the remaining issues,” the spokeswoman said.

A Toplace spokesman said a fire safety audit had been completed at the Atmosphere building, “with a small number of low-risk items currently being addressed on site”.

“The majority of the items identified by Hills Shire Council, Fire & Rescue NSW, and the appointed C10 Accredited Fire Safety Engineers have been rectified on site,” the spokesman said. “None of the items currently being addressed are considered to pose a significant fire safety risk.”

A report from engineers at the Atlas building will be submitted by the end of the month.

HORNSBY SHIRE

Hornsby’s Barker College is another school understood to “most likely contain” potentially combustible cladding.

Barker College Headmaster Phillip Heath said the school requested FRNSW investigate cladding in one area of the school “where some concerns were held”.

“Following their review they deemed that no further action was required by Barker College,” Mr Heath told the Advocate.

“We are aware of the new combustible cladding regulations and are working towards meeting its requirements and the deadline for registration of any our buildings that may contain external combustible cladding.

“Our first priority is always for the safety of our students and staff and we take very seriously any issue such as this.”

Fire and Rescue NSW also identified combustible cladding at Cherrybrook Village Shopping Centre and Hornsby RSL Club, as well as residential buildings at 25-27A Wongala Crescent, Beecroft, 446 and 450 Peats Ferry Rd, Asquith, 35-39 Balmoral St and 5-9 Waitara Ave, Waitara.

The council and FRNSW cladding report found properties “most likely to contain” the combustible material were 40-44 Edgeworth David Ave, 14 Pound Rd and 4-8 Bouvardia St, Hornsby and a car showroom at 42-54 Pacific Hwy, Hornsby.

A whopping 42 fire safety orders have been issued to building owners across the Ku-ring-gai local government area, while seven were made against buildings in the Hornsby Shire.

A Ku-ring-gai Council spokeswoman was unable to identify properties issued with fire safety orders, however, confirmed a further seven buildings had completed work to rectify issues.

A Hornsby Council spokesman said there had been seven fire safety orders issued by council officers, with three property owners yet to rectify council concerns.

Residential and commercial buildings at 22-26 Nursery St, and 274-278 Peats Ferry Rd, Hornsby, 5-9 Waitara Ave, Waitara and 3-5 Chilvers Rd, Thornleigh have complied with council orders, while buildings at 27 Muriel St, 21 Water St and 42 Bridge Rd, Hornsby are yet to resolve issues.

“There were a range of issues detected, such as failure to provide an annual fire safety statement, not having the smoke alarms tested and having dysfunctional exit signs,” the spokesman said. “For the three properties that have not yet complied, council is continuing discussion with the property owners.

“Court action will be undertaken if it is deemed necessary, but there are no plans for that at this stage.”

BLACKTOWN

A string of buildings across Blacktown, Riverstone, Marsden Park and Seven Hills have been hit with fire safety orders after issues around potentially combustible cladding and fire systems were discovered by council.

Blacktown Council officers issued 17 fire safety orders in the past twelve months.

Council reports revealed four industrial buildings in Marsden Park, Eastern Creek, Minchinbury and Seven Hills were identified “as potentially containing non-compliant combustible external cladding”.

A five-storey residential building was also identified, as well as three commercial buildings in Schofields and Plumpton.

A Blacktown Council spokesman said fire safety is of “utmost importance” and “council will proceed to orders where it is deemed safety issues are significant”, however, the regulatory action of fire safety orders were a “last resort”.

“In most instances, council officers work with Fire and Rescue NSW in response to

complaints made to them,” the spokesman said.

“Alternately, council officers can deal directly with building owners or managers when

complaints are made directly to Council or are identified during Council inspections.”

Fire safety reports from council also revealed a two-storey residential aged care facility was forced to be vacated, after it was declared a portion of the building was illegally constructed.

Blacktown Council was unable to provide property addresses due to privacy policies.

FIRE FACTS

FIRE and Rescue NSW have conducted approximately 640 compliance inspections across NSW in the past 12 months.

A FRNSW spokesman said of the 310 inspection reports resulting in council investigation across the state, 12 building owners were hit with fire safety orders in the Parramatta Local Government Area.

Parramatta Council failed to respond to NewsLocal’s fire safety investigation and could not disclose the location or issues relating to the 12 buildings of concern.

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