Tower owners meet builder

SYDNEY: The first official meeting between owners from Sydney’s cracked Opal Tower and its builder was a heated affair that lasted more than three hours, a resident says.

Angry owners have demanded answers from Icon, the builder of the new Sydney Olympic Park tower, as questions remain over whether the building is safe to be reoccupied after cracks were found on Christmas Eve.

Despite being told most people could return home, one resident said they had not received any written approval and ‘‘it’s not officially safe to move back in’’.

A fiery meeting on Saturday afternoon went on for more than three hours, as owners were given their first chance to properly question Icon since the tower was evacuated on December 24.

Icon has extended its reimbursement timeline until Wednesday, but one resident told AAP there was a good chance that would be extended again.

While two engineering experts, commissioned by the state government to investigate the tower, have said the building is structurally sound, engineers contracted by the body corporate said it was ‘‘reluctant to recommend that residents return at an early stage’’.

The building’s strata committee has urged residents not to move back in until all experts looking into the Opal issues state in writing that it is safe to do so.

Meanwhile, owners took one step closer towards mounting a class action after receiving a quote from Maurice Blackburn lawyers.

The law firm has confirmed that if the case proceeds they plan to run on a ‘‘no win no fee’’ basis, and if residents are successful they will have about $6.2 million deducted for legal costs. — AAP