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Risk rating system for builders proposed to prevent defective towers

2020-08-31T17:15:22+10:00

21 January 2020 A risk-rating system for builders and new powers for the building regulator to stop suspect high-rise apartment towers are among measures the NSW government wants introduced to avoid further incidents like Sydney's cracked Opal and Mascot towers. The government used the release of the measures to renew pressure on Labor and the crossbench to pass its building reform legislation, which stalled in the NSW Upper House late last [...]

Risk rating system for builders proposed to prevent defective towers2020-08-31T17:15:22+10:00

‘Angry, depressed’: Owners in dire straits years after roof ripped off

2020-09-21T22:14:42+10:00

20 January 2020 Robin Son had planned to move out of his parents' West Ryde home soon after he bought an apartment in a Lidcombe building in late 2014. But ever since a storm ripped off the building's roof in January 2016, causing millions of dollars in damages, the 34-year-old has been unable to afford to move with his wife into the two-bedroom apartment they poured their savings into. Instead, they [...]

‘Angry, depressed’: Owners in dire straits years after roof ripped off2020-09-21T22:14:42+10:00

If you’re a dodgy builder in NSW get set for a new risk tool that will expose you

2020-09-21T22:14:52+10:00

15 January 2020By 2030 the NSW construction landscape will be very different, and it won’t much matter what the industry’s past gatekeepers think they can do to maintain the status quo.The forces driving this are different.Here are some reasons why:Loss of confidence – Construction’s customers have lost confidence in both the industry’s public and private institutionsHype – Promises of how new legislation, the latest construction technologies and changing construction methods would [...]

If you’re a dodgy builder in NSW get set for a new risk tool that will expose you2020-09-21T22:14:52+10:00

Cracked towers spark widespread safety fears about high rises: poll

2020-08-31T00:01:28+10:00

13 JANUARY 2020 Eight in 10 Sydneysiders have safety concerns about the structural soundness of high-rise apartment buildings in the wake of the crisis sparked by the cracked Opal and Mascot towers. An Ipsos poll of residents for advocacy group the Committee for Sydney found the quality of construction and the structural integrity of towers were by far their biggest safety concerns, followed by fears of becoming trapped in a [...]

Cracked towers spark widespread safety fears about high rises: poll2020-08-31T00:01:28+10:00

Certifier accused of letting people live in tower while ‘still a building site’

2020-09-21T22:15:28+10:00

13 January 2020 A prolific building certifier is fighting to save his career after allegations he allowed people to move into two Sydney apartment towers while they were "still a building site". Valerio "Vic" Lilli is challenging the Building Professionals Board's decision to reprimand him and strip him of his accreditation for five years for signing off on the "Atmosphere" buildings at Castle Hill. The Building Professionals Board has alleged the [...]

Certifier accused of letting people live in tower while ‘still a building site’2020-09-21T22:15:28+10:00

Warning NSW construction crisis fix is still two years away

2020-09-21T22:15:35+10:00

10 February 2020 The NSW Building Commissioner has warned a major fix to the state's residential construction crisis is two years away, as fresh cracks emerged in Sydney's troubled Mascot Towers apartment block. In an interview with the Herald, David Chandler admitted he had been "a bit despondent" after visiting some "pretty awful" construction sites in recent weeks. "There are some really regrettable things out there that abhor me," he said. "We'll [...]

Warning NSW construction crisis fix is still two years away2020-09-21T22:15:35+10:00

Unit Dwellers Powerless to Stop Electricity Rip-Off

2020-10-06T22:14:44+11:00

29 December 2019 People living in apartments are being treated as “second class citizens” by paying more for electricity after the state government abandoned plans for reforms which would have saved people thousands of dollars on power bills. The NSW government is being blasted for allowing developers and electricity providers to continue to run monopolies in new buildings. Owners Corporation Network's Karen Stiles said the government had let down unit owners. [...]

Unit Dwellers Powerless to Stop Electricity Rip-Off2020-10-06T22:14:44+11:00

‘Opal’ Law to Fix the Shonks

2020-09-21T22:16:18+10:00

29 December 2019 Developers and builders who have been "red flagged" will not be able to sell high-rise apartments without a new mandatory inspection. It is a move the state government desperately hopes will avoid a repeat of the Opal Tower and Mascot Towers defective building debacles. The inspections are part of an interim measure to prevent homebuyers from being stuck with a poor quality apartment. The Daily Telegraph Linda Silmalis [...]

‘Opal’ Law to Fix the Shonks2020-09-21T22:16:18+10:00

Taxpayers paid $200m last year to prop up government fund against dodgy builders

2020-08-31T17:16:18+10:00

18 December 2019 Taxpayers forked out more than $200 million last year propping up a NSW government insurance fund that offers consumers protection against dodgy builders in an industry so broken that private insurers have fled the market. And in an effort to bring taxpayer liabilities that have topped $600 million under control, the Government has proposed that compulsory insurance premiums on some new homes and renovations will almost double within [...]

Taxpayers paid $200m last year to prop up government fund against dodgy builders2020-08-31T17:16:18+10:00

One year on, Opal Tower still a construction zone

2020-08-31T17:16:23+10:00

18 December 2019 On Christmas Eve last year, Jenny (not her real name) carried her baby down to the ground floor after being told to evacuate Opal Tower, moments after she heard a loud bang while she was in her apartment. "They told us all to "back off, back off"," she said. "The police said the building was going to fall down and that we had to walk away from the building." [...]

One year on, Opal Tower still a construction zone2020-08-31T17:16:23+10:00
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