677 IN CITY’S CLAD BOOKS
SPECIAL REPORT: Owners to pay $2.7m in three weeks for home checks
PROPERTY owners in 677 buildings on the Gold Coast have been asked to fork out $2.7 million in three weeks to prove their homes are not about to go up in smoke.
The Queensland Building Construction Corporation (QBCC) has declared the buildings must undergo an independent audit – at an estimated cost of $4000 each – as part of its crackdown on combustible cladding. They have until May 29 or face fines of up to $20,000.
The State Government’s Safer Buildings Combustible Cladding Checklist was introduced last year to ensure buildings did not have the same cladding that turned the Grenfell Tower in London into an inferno in 2017, claiming 72 lives.
If the buildings are found to have the cladding, owners could be up for hundreds of thousands of dollars in reparation works. “It’s very frustrating – I would say it is turmoil,” said a body corporate chairman.
A building management consultant said a shortage of experts to certify buildings would lead to a bottleneck. “We don’t have the people to do all the approvals.”
The State Government said 5026 buildings statewide would take part in stage two of the review, meaning property owners will have to fork out about $20 million for inspections.
Shadow Minister for Housing and Public Works Michael Hart said the process had been a “complete mess”.
PROPERTY owners in more than 670 buildings on the Gold Coast have been asked to cough up $2.7 million in three weeks to prove their homes are not about to go up in smoke.
The Queensland Building Construction Corporation has declared 677 buildings must undergo an independent audit – at an estimated cost of $4000 each – as part of its crackdown on combustible cladding.
And they have until May 29 to do so or face fines of up to $20,000.
The State Government’s Safer Buildings Combustible Cladding Checklist was introduced last year to ensure buildings did not have the same cladding that turned a Grenfell, London tower into an inferno in 2017, claiming 72 lives.
If the Gold Coast buildings are found to have the cladding, owners could be up for hundreds of thousands of dollars in reparation works.
Coast body corporates said the process had major flaws and claimed they had not been given enough time to lock in experts. “It’s very frustrating – I would say it is turmoil,” said the body corporate chairman of a Surfers Paradise tower.
His building has been ordered to undergo the costly check. However, he claims it is concrete without cladding.
“We have no cladding yet need to fork out or risk insurance issues down the track,” he said. “We have been quoted $3500 to $5000 to have the building certified to prove there is no cladding.”
Industry experts said the checks would cost between $4000 and $6000.
A building management consultant said a shortage of experts to certify buildings would lead to a bottleneck.
“There are that many buildings left to check it would appear very hard to achieve buildings in three weeks,” he said. “We have been hearing people are unable to meet deadlines. Some have been granted extensions, others not.
“We don’t have the people to do all the approvals.”
The consultant said most of the city’s 1300 body corporates had already paid for professional advice for the first
stage of the cladding checklist.
This involved an audit by individual owners who signed statutory declarations to register their buildings. The Bulletin has been told a number of body corporate officials were unwilling to take on the personal liability and therefore sought professional help.
Mick de Brenni, the Minister for Housing and Public Works, said 5026 buildings statewide would take part in stage two of the review.
“The main issue here is that tenants deserve a right to know that the buildings they are living or working in are free from the risk presented by combustible material,” he said.
“This is about protecting people’s lives through responsible government processes that ensure buildings are safe.”
Shadow Minister for Housing and Public Works Michael Hart said the process had been a “complete mess”.
The Burleigh MP said those who missed the deadline or misunderstood the website were also moved to stage two.
“It has been disastrous for homeowners,” he said.
“We don’t want to see the tragic events of Grenfell ... here in Queensland.
“Thousands of Queenslanders are being left in limbo and their household budgets could soon cop a nasty whack, all because Labor has stuffed up a straightforward process.
“The Minister needs to give more time to homeowners.”