When Andrew and Lisa Cook moved into their new apartment in Baulkham Hills on December 12, 2020, they thought they were getting the dream: a modern unit, a sprawling balcony with views of the city skyline and access to shops at the base of their building.
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they → move → building
Just 23 days later, the dream became a nightmare: the company that developed the building collapsed.
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that → become → building
Ten months after that, the state’s building regulator identified serious defects in the development, including one that was labelled a “hazard to human life”.
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that → identify → life
The Cooks were shocked.
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Cooks → shock → ?
They didn’t know who would be responsible for fixing the defects, and what it meant for their new home.
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it → know → home
“[We were] a bit scared because they didn’t know what was going to happen at the time,” Lisa said.
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Lisa → know → time
Known then as the Modena, the four-tower project was developed by Hills Shoppingtown Pty Ltd, a subsidiary of Dyldam Group – once one of NSW’s biggest apartment builders before it collapsed with debts of half a billion dollars.
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it → know → dollars
When the receivers for the development and the building regulator visited the site, they found it was far from that vision.
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it → visit → vision
For five years, the Cooks and a handful of other residents have lived in a construction zone as millions of dollars were funnelled into rectifying defects.
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millions → live → defects
The scale of the work is so significant that the Cooks have lived in another unit since January while work on their own apartment continues.
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work → live → apartment
“There’s been a lot of noise for quite a few years, so that’s sort of a bad thing, but I keep thinking they’re doing it, they’re fixing it, it’s not costing us any money,” Andrew said.
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Andrew → ’ → money
“We’re one of the fortunate buildings in Sydney.”
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We → ’re → Sydney
Buying a home with defects is not an uncommon experience in NSW.
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Buying → buy → NSW
Building Commission NSW ordered major developer Bathla Group, which entered voluntary administration last month, to fix serious defects in two of its developments.
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which → order → developments
It’s left those who purchased off the plan uncertain if they would ever move in.
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they → leave → plan
So when developers collapse owing millions of dollars, how do you fix a defective building?
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you → collapse → building
When McGrathNicol was appointed the receiver of the Modena development in 2021, partner Jason Ireland said they were told the project was 95 per cent complete.
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project → appoint → 2021
But what was anticipated to be a quick fix soon became a mammoth project that would take years and $70 million to rectify defects – bringing the total cost of completing the development to $185 million.
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that → anticipate → million
Ireland describes the project as being a bit like an onion, “in that when you peeled back [layers], you found more problems that made you cry,” he said.
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he → describe → problems
More than 60 defects were found throughout the four buildings.
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defects → find → buildings
Fixing the overflow holes in balconies was considered a simple job.
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Fixing → fix → balconies
Then the tiles began to be removed, and a new problem appeared: No one could identify what waterproofing material had been used.
uncertain
material → begin → ?
Ireland said it was clear it was a non-compliant product.
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it → say → ?
“We eventually got to the conclusion that the only way to actually get the sign-off in the end was to rip up the balconies, replace all of the waterproofing, and replace all of the tiling, which is a lot because there’s over 200 apartments,” he said.
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he → get → tiling
Through it all, the four buildings have been partially occupied.
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buildings → occupy → it
In a Tetris-like process, residents had to be moved from their apartments to another in the development to allow for each to be rectified in turn.
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each → have → turn
When the Herald visited last month, work was continuing.
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work → visit → ?
The elevator had been replaced, the stairs to the lower level remained fenced off and some balconies – including the Cooks’ – were still under repair.
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balconies → replace → repair
Ireland said there is light at the end of the tunnel, with 90 per cent of the defects fixed.
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cent → say → defects
Building Commission NSW lifted its building work rectification and prohibition order for the development, which has been rebranded as “Alfresco Quarter”.
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which → lift → Quarter
An interim occupation certificate remains in place.
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certificate → remain → place
In May, the commission accepted a voluntary undertaking from McGrathNicol, which will provide additional independent oversight of the development.
uncertain
which → accept → development
About 50 per cent of the apartments have now been sold, and the empty retail precinct has been acquired by property services provider Mintus.
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precinct → sell → Mintus
The lower level will have a gym, and cafés and restaurants are planned for the upper level.
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cafés → have → level
Work will be completed next year.
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Work → complete → ?
Ireland said: “The silver lining to the cloud is that if you buy a property in this building, you know it’s been through the highest of verification standards by the building commissioner’s team.
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it → say → team
“Some of the people [living] here have been to hell and back, but importantly, back.”
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Some → live → hell
The lucky ones
It’s been a difficult, drawn-out process for the Cooks, but they’ve remained positive and hope to move back into their own apartment before the end of the year.
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they → draw → year
“This is our forever home,” Andrew said.
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Andrew → say → ?
“And the tiles they put down are much nicer than the old ones.”
Despite the stress it’s caused, the Cooks consider themselves lucky; unlike many other owners living in buildings with defects built by collapsed developers, the family didn’t have to fund the repairs.
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family → put → repairs
…and 2 more, not listed.
The Aporia
