Government inspectors have found potential “serious defects” in a brand new apartment development in Sydney’s north-west, including an awning in danger of collapse, according to a building work rectification order.
Key points:
- Compliance officers found one retail awning was in danger of collapse
- The builder Hills Shoppingtown Pty Ltd was placed into receivership in January
- Receiver McGrathNicol said the builder has now “developed a program to rectify the issues as a matter of priority”
The 15-storey Baulkham Hills Modena complex has four towers, more than 230 apartments and over 4,500 square metres of retail space.
The $80 million development is still being completed, but a work rectification order has been issued after compliance officers found one of Modena’s retail awnings was in danger of collapse.
It’s understood the awning is on the ground-floor piazza level.
Inspectors found “anchor plate misalignment and rusted steel plates” on the steel podium retail awning that was likely to cause the “collapse or loss of support of part of the structure representing a hazard to human life”, the order states.
Hills Shoppingtown Pty Ltd, which was behind the towers, has also been ordered to fix several issues in near new apartments including bathroom tiles with “insufficient fall”, likely to lead to mould growth.
Ensuites and laundries were also listed as having potential “serious” waterproofing issues.
Inspectors found balconies didn’t have water overflows, which would likely cause water to pool on the ground and increase the “risk of slipping”.
The apartments, which were selling off the plan from 2018, are being advertised as “ideal for all buyers from first home buyers, to downsizers and savvy investors”.
The builder, Hills Shoppingtown Pty Ltd, was placed into receivership in January.
The company is a subsidiary of Dyldam, which is Australia’s third-largest apartment builder according to the Housing Institute of Australia.
Earlier this year, McGrathNicol was appointed receiver over eight property development sites connected to the Dyldam group after it ran into financial hardship, including Modena.
Developer Dyldam declined to answer questions.
A spokesperson for McGrathNicol said since taking possession of Modena they had been working “proactively with the builder on site and the Building Commissioner and the builder has now developed a program to rectify the issues as a matter of priority”.
“The issues are not structural in nature; they are able to be rectified and that work has been proceeding urgently,” the statement read.
