‘Stunned’ by faults

Developer of evacuated highrise says builder has liability

THE developer of a Sydney highrise building evacuated on Christmas Eve says it has been “stunned” by the structural defects that led to some residents being barred from their homes.

Emergency services were called to the Opal Tower at Sydney Olympic Park on Monday after residents in the recently completed building heard and saw cracking in a wall throughout the morning.

Residents of 51 units in the 38-storey building are still unable to return to their homes after the units were deemed unsafe, and it appears unlikely they’ll be declared safe any time soon.

The developer, Ecove, yesterday released a statement defending the Opal Tower as a “high-quality building”.

It said the builder, Icon, had full liability on the design and construction.

“Ecove has delivered a project that is well above the industry standard,” Ecove director Bassam Aflak said.

“The important fact is that there is absolutely no danger for the residents. We’re confident this localised issue can be fixed. Most people are now back in their homes.”

Mr Aflak reassured residents they were covered under warranty: “Ecove will help them through that process.”

“We’ve all been stunned by what’s happened, and we’ve been heartened by the way the community has rallied to support the residents, from the emergency service crews and the Salvation Army, to the local businesses, hotels and other people who have worked through Christmas to help us through this time,” he said. “We, like the residents, are anxious that the builder defines the problem and resolves it as soon as possible.”

Residents of the 51 “unsafe” units were escorted back to their homes to gather essential belongings on Tuesday.

Fire & Rescue NSW Superintendent Adam Dewberry didn’t know when the units would be declared safe.