The New South Wales building authority will supervise the fixing of numerous houses in a newly developed residential area, following their description of the flaws as "alarming."
Waterproofing problems have been found in 325 out of the 354 houses at the Shell Cove Marina, located in the NSW Illawarra area, since 2019.
The multi-million-dollar residential development is part of a joint venture between Singapore-based developer Frasers Property and Shellharbour City Council.
It is unclear how many homes have already been repaired.
Building operations executive director Matt Press said the arrangement with Frasers Property was the first voluntary undertaking related to class one, or free-standing homes, since the commission was granted extra powers.
"Undertakings are a relatively new tool in our regulatory toolkit," he said.
"We actually apply an independent third party we call an undertakings manager, who is on the ground to oversee the works and act as a first point of contact for home owners."
Shellharbour Mayor Chris Homer said Frasers Property may have "dropped the ball" in addressing all home repairs, but Mr Press said it was time for an added level of governance.
Mr Press stated that this setup would benefit everybody more.
“I believe it has been difficult for the developer… essentially each owner is their own entity involved in this. Therefore, it truly required backing from the building commission to gather everyone,” he stated.
Mr Press stated that Frasers would employ the undertakings manager, who would "operate on behalf of the commission," guaranteeing that all repairs were both up to code and prompt.
'This should never have happened'
Residents who have been impacted can choose to participate in the initiative, however, homeowner Chris Maude mentioned that the continuous circumstances have severely eroded the community’s faith.
"I’ve lost considerable respect for how Frasers has handled this situation, mainly due to their neglect in certain finishing aspects and the way they’ve carried out some of the work," he stated.
"I'm still undecided whether independent oversight will be enough to win my trust back enough to want to opt in."
Mr Maude said Frasers Property tried several times to fix waterproofing issues at his home, causing him to take time off work and "mental strain".
He mentioned that part of the completed work needed evaluation from a structural engineer following certain damages that occurred due to their actions.
Even though Robyn Parkinson’s house was wrapped in scaffolding for four months, she was satisfied with the renovations addressing the issues of dampness and water leakage.
She mentioned that they reconstructed her balcony. A significant amount of work was also done on the rooftop… and they swapped out the wooden pergola.
She has subsequently reduced her possessions and needed to provide scope of work statements to address the new buyer’s concerns.
"What we're dealing with here shouldn’t have occurred at all from the beginning," she stated.
Frasers Property stated in a release that their topmost priority was to keep completing the rectification works program for their clients.
The project's conclusion might push the council into debt.
Shell Cove has been a substantial revenue source for the council during the last three decades; however, Cr Homer indicated that finishing this project could lead to a budget shortfall.
"He mentioned that a budget deficit is anticipated. It’s uncertain whether this would be viewed as a genuine downside," he stated.
However, ultimately, the funds will be invested for the benefit of the taxpayers in this municipality.
Cr Homer said he hoped the voluntary undertaking would help end ongoing structural issues for Shell Cove home owners.
"There have certainly been many lessons learned, but would such a partnership still be feasible today with the local government of NSW or at a national level? That’s something I’m uncertain about," he stated.
It’s massive, and it comes with risks. However, the rewards are equally substantial since we’ve got this stunning marina.
Comments
Post a Comment