The news article discusses the construction issues faced by the owners’ corporation of One Central Park, a high-rise building in Sydney, Australia. The Building Commission NSW issued an emergency building work rectification order due to falling planter boxes that posed a safety risk to pedestrians. The hoarding around the building was not completed, with some planter boxes still secured by ropes to the building’s roof. The investigation found defective bolts as the cause of the problem, prompting the commission to issue orders for the developer to fix the issues.
The Building Commission NSW investigators discovered that at least one bolt had a broken head, leading to the planter boxes falling. The investigation was initiated after a LinkedIn post shared the media’s reporting on the issue. The commission appointed an investigator, Michael Hall, to determine the cause of the planter boxes falling and assess the actions needed to prevent further incidents. Emergency building work rectification orders were issued due to the building being close to reaching its 10-year mark, making the developer responsible for fixing defects in the building.
In addition to the planter box issues, the owners of One Central Park had to pay special levies to comply with fire orders related to the building’s cladding. The owners’ corporation is facing legal issues regarding the cladding replacement, with high-flying corporate spinner Tim Allerton representing them in the legal matters. The Building Commission NSW spokesperson mentioned that they have been collaborating with the developer and owners’ corporation to address the defective planter boxes. The article also highlighted that the SXSW Sydney festival was not connected to the building’s problems.
Overall, the problems faced by the One Central Park owners’ corporation include defective planter boxes, issues with cladding compliance, and legal matters related to the building. The investigation into the falling planter boxes revealed defective bolts as the cause of the safety hazard. Emergency building work rectification orders were issued to the developer to rectify the defects before the building reached its 10-year mark. The owners have had to bear financial burdens due to special levies and compliance with fire orders. Collaboration between the Building Commission NSW and the owners’ corporation is ongoing to remedy the issues.
