Several Hunter buildings will feature in a NSW parliamentary inquiry into building standards.
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The inquiry by the upper house public accountability committee will examine the role of private certification in protecting building standards and the adequacy of consumer protections for owners and purchasers of new buildings.
It will also examine the limitations on building insurance and compensation schemes.
The committee will also consider the role of strata committees in responding to building defects and the protections offered for all strata owners in disputes. In particular the committee will investigate case studies related to flammable cladding on NSW buildings and the defects discovered in Mascot Towers and the Opal Tower.
The Landmark building at Charlestown is among the Hunter buildings to come under scrutiny.
Apartment owners will pay an anticipated $400,000 each to rectify defective work that became apparent soon after the building opened in 2008.
Apartment owner Aidan Ellis has campaigned for more than five years for significant law changes to hold developers and private certifiers more accountable when apartment buildings have problems.
He has also campaigned for changes to legislation about the operation of strata committees after lengthy disputes over rectification work at the Landmark building.
"No one wants to spend money fixing work in someone else's apartment because the work wasn't done the way it should have been in the first place," Mr Ellis said.
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Greens MP David Shoebridge, who will chair the inquiry, said a marked increase in the number of high-rise apartments in the Sydney region, and serious cases in which cracks were found in two large unit complexes, highlighted the need for proper regulation and policing of standards.
"With an increase of high rise apartments, particularly in the Sydney region, it is extremely important that the NSW Government has adequate regulation and oversight of the building industry, including appropriate consumer protection, and are responding to building defects in a timely and effective manner. With this in mind the committee will also consider the NSW Government's response to the Shergold-Weir report and other reports into the building industry."
"Due to widespread public concern this issue needs to be addressed urgently. The committee will hold hearings in August and requests submissions by 28 July 2019. We strongly encourage submissions from impacted stakeholders, organisations and individuals," said Mr Shoebridge.
The committee will also launch an online questionnaire to allow as many community members as possible to have their say on the issue.
Matthew Kelly
Matthew Kelly has worked as a journalist for more than 25 years. He has been working as a general reporter at the Newcastle Herald since 2018. In recent years he has reported on subjects including environment, energy, water security, manufacturing and higher education. He has previously covered issues including the health and environmental impacts of uncovered coal wagons in the Hunter Valley, the pollution of legacy of former industrial sites and freedom of information issues.
Matthew Kelly has worked as a journalist for more than 25 years. He has been working as a general reporter at the Newcastle Herald since 2018. In recent years he has reported on subjects including environment, energy, water security, manufacturing and higher education. He has previously covered issues including the health and environmental impacts of uncovered coal wagons in the Hunter Valley, the pollution of legacy of former industrial sites and freedom of information issues.
