The controversial Crownview apartment complex has been hit with another order to fix "serious defects", which could see residents waiting at least another six months to move in.
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No work on fixing these defects can begin until the stop work order issued on February 28 is lifted.
That stop work order was put into place because remediation work was being done without the relevant design documents being lodged through the NSW Planning Portal.
The Building Commissioner David Chandler has issued the latest Building Rectification Order after a surprise visit to the site on February 29 while in town to deliver a speech at a business lunch.
According to the order, the visit was for "the purposes of carrying out sample destructive testing of the bathroom and balcony areas".
The order lists four defects found in the bathrooms, balconies and roof structure.
During his surprise visit, Mr Chandler had builders take off tiling in the shower areas of several randomly-selected apartments, where he found the adhesive running vertically rather than horizontally.
The order stated this would "allow moisture to travel down the wall behind the tile into concealed spaces causing the notched channels at the base of the wall to fill with water and to corrode the structure, fittings and linings".
The builder has two months to submit a written report on the work necessary to "eliminate the serious defect" and carry out water testing in at least 10 other bathrooms.
Following the submission of that report, the builder has to complete the work within six months.
Mr Chandler also found fault with incorrectly installed roof flashings; as a result of which "steel fixings are rusting due to their location to the ocean".
There were two defects found at the balconies, one of which was the vertical height of the waterproofing of external walls "is not sufficient if subjected to the strong winds associated with being close to an ocean".
"Strong winds will blow wind-driven rain over the vertical termination height of the waterproofing," the rectification order stated.
The rectification order stated this applied to all balconies, not only those inspected by Mr Chandler, and must be fixed within six months of the lifting of the stop work order.
There was also an issue with the glass used in the balcony balustrade glass assemblies, many of which not contain markings to confirm that the glazing was compliant.
In the rectification order Mr Chandler said he was aware it would require more building work "that is likely to be costly".
"However, the cost to the developer must be balanced against the benefit to the occupiers in having the development constructed to the Building Code of Australia and Australian Standards," Mr Chandler said.
This order is the latest in a series of problems plaguing the Crownview apartments at the top end of Crown Street.
The building is now under two rectification orders, a stop work order and a prohibition order.
The defects found so far have seen buyers waiting up to seven years to move in.
Some have been making moves to reclaim their deposit, but have so far been stymied by a clause in their contract that allows developer Robert Huang to keep extending the sunset date.
Glen Humphries
I'm an award-winning senior journalist with the Illawarra Mercury and have well over two decades' worth of experience in newspapers. I cover the three local councils in the Illawarra for the Mercury, state and federal politics, as well as writing for the TV guide. If I'm not writing, I'm reading.
I'm an award-winning senior journalist with the Illawarra Mercury and have well over two decades' worth of experience in newspapers. I cover the three local councils in the Illawarra for the Mercury, state and federal politics, as well as writing for the TV guide. If I'm not writing, I'm reading.
