Potential building collapse

[Neferti]

Sydney is FULL, it has no where to expand except UP.

When I lived in Sydney (admittedly in a so-called "leafy suburb"), the population was about 2.5 million. Now it is double that and all those beautiful old houses are being demolished for Hi Rise Apartments to house everyone. What a shame.

Melbourne, where I was raised, in much the same "leafy" environment ... had, perhaps a little less population than Sydney ... now Melbourne is FULL!

Even Canberra has doubled in population since I moved here in 1981.

WE MUST STOP this IMMIGRATION blow-out.

As ALL Aussies know, there is a mass of "vacant land" in the middle of Australia .... why hasn't some Government ... Engineers ... Developers ... or whatever figured out how to USE THAT LAND?

They installed a railway line (the Ghan) up the middle of OZ ... why can't they do "something" to make it habitable ... drilling for water/wells?

Who would really want to live out there in the heat, as it is "now" .... but remember Coober Pedy ... it CAN be done! They even have a real NBN, I believe.

[Neferti]

Mr Taylor said the balconies started sagging gradually after residents moved in — some as much as 180mm.

“As a result, cracks have opened up, water runs away from the outlets and pools on the balconies,” he said.

“Such stories are being lived throughout our apartment boom-burdened major cities by owners who suspected nothing when they bought. Culprits and scapegoats for these and other defects are sometimes found but root causes are rarely identified.”


omg....I would be terrified......no just about every tower within cooee of Opal will be impacted.......

what a horror..

NEVER buy into anything that was built on a "former" site used for "dumping stuff".

[Bobby]

Sydney is FULL, it has no where to expand except UP.

When I lived in Sydney (admittedly in a so-called "leafy suburb"), the population was about 2.5 million. Now it is double that and all those beautiful old houses are being demolished for Hi Rise Apartments to house everyone. What a shame.

Melbourne, where I was raised, in much the same "leafy" environment ... had, perhaps a little less population than Sydney ... now Melbourne is FULL!

Even Canberra has doubled in population since I moved here in 1981.

WE MUST STOP this IMMIGRATION blow-out.

As ALL Aussies know, there is a mass of "vacant land" in the middle of Australia .... why hasn't some Government ... Engineers ... Developers ... or whatever figured out how to USE THAT LAND?

They installed a railway line (the Ghan) up the middle of OZ ... why can't they do "something" to make it habitable ... drilling for water/wells?

Who would really want to live out there in the heat, as it is "now" .... but remember Coober Pedy ... it CAN be done! They even have a real NBN, I believe.

Most people want to live close to the coast as the weather is a lot better.
The rest of Australia is mostly desert.

[Neferti]

Most people want to live close to the coast as the weather is a lot better.
The rest of Australia is mostly desert.

Oh course they do, especially if they are "surviving" on WELFARE .... shove them (asylum seekers) off to the desert. That's where they came from, they should LOVE it out there ....

[Bobby]

Most people want to live close to the coast as the weather is a lot better.
The rest of Australia is mostly desert.

Oh course they do, especially if they are "surviving" on WELFARE .... shove them (asylum seekers) off to the desert.
That's where they came from, they should LOVE it out there ....

Asylum seekers demand only the best - a beach front house with ocean views.

[Black Orchid]

Opal tower certifier was previously disciplined by building watchdog.

The certifier who signed off on the structural integrity of Sydney’s crumbling tower was once disciplined by the building watchdog.

A director of the company that oversaw the certification of Sydney’s crumbling Opal Tower had been disciplined by the building watchdog before, it has emerged.

Judgment records show McKenzie Group director Mark Cogo was slapped with two fines, a remprimand and three cautions by the Building Professionals Board between 2004 and 2009.

He was handed a $11,000 fine after he was found guilty of “unsatisfactory professional conduct” on January 16, 2009.

A judgment shows Mr Cogo — now based in Queensland — was an accredited certifier and principal certifying authority for a warehouse redevelopment at 56 Anzac St, Chullora, in Sydney’s west.

According to the watchdog, he authorised a “fire safety solution” that was “inadequate” and ignored advice from the NSW Fire Brigades.

“He authorised a fire safety solution for the internal space of the warehouse which was inadequate,” the judgment reads.

“Two, he failed to ensure that the perimeter access was adequate for fire brigade vehicles in the event of fire.

“And … in deciding not to follow the advice of the NSW Fire Brigades he relied on a report from an independent consultant who, contrary to the relevant rule, was not qualified as an accredited certifier at the appropriate level.”

In 2008, he also was fined $11,000 for issuing a construction certificate for a large residential development that was “inconsistent with various aspects of the plans approved by the development consent”.

Other disciplinary records show Mr Cogo was cautioned again on September 17, 2009, because he had “issued a construction certificate” for a Meadowbank restaurant in Sydney’s west that was “inconsistent with the plans approved by the development consent”.

McKenzie Group co-director Stephen Natilli has also been cautioned by the board — twice in 2005.

There is no suggestion of impropriety against Mr Natilli or Mr Cogo regarding the Opal development.

On the McKenzie Group website, it states Mr Cogo has “successfully completed numerous projects across the country and has gained unique expertise over a range of projects types”.

“Mark has been involved in the development and building surveying profession for almost 20 years, and has gained a diverse range of experience working large-scale complex projects requiring specifically tailored compliance solutions,” it reads.

Residents of Opal tower that began cracking on Christmas Eve will spend at least another 10 days away from home as engineers work to survey the building.

https://www.news.com.au/finance/busines ... 565dcbee73

The other day the news said that the parent company is Japanese and they were awaiting Japanese engineers to arrive. I have nothing against Japanese engineers, and I am sure they are quite capable, but I would think that Australian engineers would be better equipped to handle Australian problems.

[Black Orchid]

I read today that the NSW government owns $4M or $6M (can't remember which) of property in this building after doing a deal with the developer