Apartment buyers warned over defect cover
23 DECEMBER 2022 People in the market for a new apartment are being urged to steer clear of developers lacking a star rating or defect insurance, four years after the mass evacuation of a cracked apartment tower in Sydney. Read article, which appeared in several publications:> HERE
‘Lipstick on a pig’: Building boss slams unit block fix
26 NOVEMBER 2022 A five-year battle to get structural problems in a Sydney unit block repaired has resulted in cosmetic fixes described by the NSW building boss as ‘lipstick on a pig’. The project will now become part of the Project Intervene scheme where Mr Chandler and his team can bypass the courts to engage directly with the developer to fix flaws. It's a move welcomed by Owners Corporation Network [...]
Commissioner’s plan to purge lawyers from costly fights over dodgy buildings
15 NOVEMBER 2022 Owners corporations can now dob in defective buildings up to six years old and receive help from the government to resolve the dispute outside the courts under an initiative set up by the state’s inaugural Building Commissioner. Karen Stiles, the head of Owners Corporation Network – an advocacy group for strata owners – welcomed the initiative and said owners were “crying out for help” to avoid lengthy [...]
Why this apartment with cladding is safe but not sellable
13 November 2022 The curse of the crisis that rendered apartments unsellable has moved into a new phase as the regulator grapples with the technical and reputational risks of giving buildings a green tick to go back into the pool of tradeable properties. Strata advocates say regulators need to be quicker to act. “If they can taint the title they have a duty to remove the stain if there is [...]
Owners issue 10-point election manifesto
8 NOVEMBER 2022 The Owners Corporation Network (OCN) announced this week that they plan to be actively involved in the NSW state election, potentially tapping into the voting power of NSW’s one million-plus strata residents. With that in mind, they have now issued their 10-point manifesto and are calling for strata owners’ support in promoting policies that can become part of the debate heading for the state elections next year. [...]
Key Priorities for a Better Strata Future
8 NOVEMBER 2022 The Owners Corporation Network (OCN) announced this week that they plan to be actively involved in the NSW state election, potentially tapping into the voting power of NSW’s one million-plus strata residents. With that in mind, they have now issued their 10-point manifesto and are calling for strata owners’ support in promoting policies that can become part of the debate heading for the state elections next year. [...]
Chandler talks about older blocks – Flat Chat Wrap Podcast
25 OCTOBER 2022 Jimmy Thomson: 'Co-podder Sue Williams and I took ourselves off to the Owners Corporation Network’s 20th anniversary event last week and it turned out to be a very revealing evening indeed. OK, the plaudits and praise were flowing faster than the free wine – and that’s saying something. I hosted and Sue delivered a fascinating speech about how the OCN was formed in the darkest days of [...]
Developer pledges to fix defects under new NSW rules
5 OCTOBER 2022 Developer Australia YMCI is counting on a vote by owners of defective apartments it has rectified in western Sydney to draw a line under legal action and allow it to get on with marketing the next stage of its $5 billion Ovation Quarter development. Strata owners advocacy group Owners Corporation Network said the streamlining of rectification processes would remove a lot stress. “Enforceable undertakings by the developer [...]
David Chandler Stays as Building Commissioner in a Win for Strata
1 SEPTEMBER 2022 He has another full year (at least) to clean up property development in NSW and will then turn to recently completed blocks with serious problems. This is wider than NSW however. "I wish we had a David Chandler in Victoria" was a recent plaintive post to the Flat Chat forum. Apartment owners in Victoria don't even have an equivalent of NSW's Owners Corporation Network to fight in [...]
David Chandler is Staying On And Is Just as Determined as Ever
29 AUGUST 2022 The highly respected building commissioner in NSW is set to stay in his role for one more year after reversing his decision to quit later this year. He will now remain in his role until August 2023. Chandler’s reappointment has been welcomed by industry representatives and consumer advocates alike. On the consumer side, Karen Stiles, Executive Officer of the Owners Corporation Network of Australia, says Chandler’s decision is [...]
24 AUGUST 2022 The NSW government has reinstated Property Services Commissioner John Minns less than four weeks after terminating him from the same role. Karen Stiles, executive director of the Owners Corporation Network, an advocacy group for strata owners, welcomed Mr Minns’ reinstatement. “The property sector is increasingly complex, as are the needs of people buying, selling or renting their home in the rapidly expanding apartment sector,” Ms Stiles said. “Leadership [...]
Stumped for Good Strata Advice? Where You Can Find It
19 AUGUST 2022 A recent story about an elderly couple hit with a cruel, special levy, with costs trebled by fighting an unwinnable case in court, has highlighted the importance of good, reliable advice for apartment owners. It’s one of the many ironies of apartment living that the people at the bottom of the totem pole – the tenants – generally get the best advice. Just search online for tenants.org and [...]
Why adding value to your apartment building is worth the investment
3 AUGUST 2022 When you invest in an apartment, it is possible to increase its value significantly by improving the building it sits in as a whole. This can range from hanging a beautiful artwork in the foyer or lobby to much more substantial projects such as improving the facade, upgrading common areas, installing a lift into a modest walk-up or adding balconies to all units. Paul Morton of Lannock Strata [...]
NSW terminates real estate regulator after 8 months
31 JULY 2022 Mr Minns, appointed by former minister Kevin Anderson in November, left the role on Friday, making him the second figure in a key position of industry reform to depart within days, after the largely unexplained resignation of building commissioner David Chandler. “It was a sad week for consumer protection in NSW,” said Karen Stiles, executive director of strata owner advocacy group OCN. “Monday brought the shock resignation of [...]
‘The power players are right in your face’: How David Chandler took on Sydney’s shoddy developers
13 JULY 2022 The state’s first Building Commissioner, David Chandler, had been looking forward to going fishing when his stint in the high-profile role was due to end this year. But once he heard some developers had already ordered the champagne for a party to celebrate his exit, he decided to stay put a bit longer, Chandler reportedly quipped to a room of property insiders a few months ago. Owners [...]
David Chandler Resigns as NSW Building Commissioner
The building regulation environment in NSW is in for a shake-up following the resignation of respected NSW Building Commissioner DAVID Chandler. Chandler will finish his role in November after just over three years. No public announcement was issued. Karen Stiles, Executive Director of the Owners Corporation Network, expressed shock at the news and praised Chandler’s contribution. “It was a sad day for NSW apartment purchasers and industry alike when NSW Building [...]
NSW Building Commissioner David Chandler Resigns
25 JULY 2022 NSW’s first building commissioner, David Chandler, has quit the role three years after former Liberal premier Gladys Berejiklian appointed him to lift the standards of the state’s beleaguered construction industry. Owners Corporation Network executive officer Karen Stiles said Chandler was respected and had “led massive reforms during his tenure in an attempt to restore consumer confidence”. She said the news of his departure was “terribly sad”. “NSW [...]
‘Just like The Castle’: The apartment owners under siege in their own buildings
13 JULY 2022 Apartment owners claim they’re under siege from telcos determined to install broadband services in their buildings – whether residents want them or not. And they say they’re being forced to hire lawyers to try to stop them and protect their common property from potential damage caused by subcontractors when companies bully their way in. “This shouldn’t be allowed,” said Karen Stiles, executive officer of the apartment owners’ [...]
Telcos Bully Way into Apartment Buildings
13 JULY 2022 An emerging issue is that of smaller telecommunications providers muscling their way into apartment buildings to instal their equipment. Karen Stiles talks to Raf Epstein. Listen:> ABC Drive with Rafael Epstein
How Telcos can bully their way into unit blocks
11 JULY 2022 Ever since the Federal Government embarked on its politically fraught and occasionally flawed efforts to introduce high-speed broadband to our cities, there has been a dubious tactic embraced by some (but not all) telcos to force their way into apartment blocks. And when I say “force”, I’m referring to letters from internet service providers to strata committees demanding access to install their equipment, warning them that they [...]
Show me your stars: Apartment buyers start pulling deposits after new rating system
3 JULY 2022 Apartment hunters have pulled deposits and are switching to builders and developers who have earned gold star ratings on a new ratings platform, says NSW building commissioner David Chandler. Since the Independent Construction Industry Rating Tool (iCIRT) register was launched in May, including the first 19 companies rated as trustworthy, four families told Chandler they had withdrawn deposits from unrated builders and developers and taken their business [...]
NSW State Government launches inquiry into Embedded Networks
27 JUNE 2022 State Government launches inquiry into Embedded Networks in apartments in NSW and their effect on residents and businesses. OCN encouraged owners with a poor experience in terms of lock in or expensive contracts to have their say. Watch clip from Channel 10 News
Out of Court Settlement Reached Over Opal Towers
21 May 2021 According to Karen Stiles, executive director of apartment owners peak group Owners Corporation Network, the long-running case had exposed more than the cracks in the Opal Tower. “It was really the start of the turning point where the government had to admit we had a problem with rampant building defects in residential towers and actually had to do something to address it,” she said. Read more:> HERE
Charger guide helps NSW buildings get electric vehicle ready
More electric vehicle drivers can soon charge up at home and work, with a step-by-step guide released by the NSW Government, and a pilot site providing proof of concept for EV-ready buildings. The EV Ready Buildings materials and webinar registration details are available on the Drive electric NSW EV ready buildings webinar webpage. Speakers at the webinar include the EV Council Head of Energy and Infrastructure, Ross de Rango, and Owners [...]
Hundreds of buildings with cladding deemed low priority despite possible ‘unacceptable fire risk’
The state government taskforce into dangerous flammable cladding has deemed more than 500 buildings a low priority, despite their facades potentially posing unacceptable fire risks. NSW Auditor-General Margaret Crawford made the finding in a review of reforms targeting unsafe cladding since the material supercharged London’s deadly Grenfell Tower fire tragedy in 2017. Crawford said identification of buildings in the immediate aftermath was hampered by a lack of building records, but [...]
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