Scary report here on the ABC quoting both ACTPLA and the Owners Corporation Network … but maybe it’s only scary for me, considering I’m in the market for my very first apartment!
The OCN reckons that there are widespread safety and quality problems with Canberra’s newer apartments, but I’ve heard horror stories associated with developments from well before that time, particularly for people who bought off the plan.
There was another interesting case where a car caught fire (for all I know it was set alight) in an undercroft carpark under some then-new apartments in the inner north. I know this is hearsay, but it seems that there were insufficient fire exits for the apartments directly above, and that some residents were forced to shinny down the balconies to get out. Happy to be contradicted if that’s completely untrue, but it’s a scary story nevertheless.
Apparently the ACT doesn’t have a system of independent building inspectors, meaning that Canberra’s builders are basically a self-regulating body who can put up whatever they like. That’s not so bad if they’re building stuff that’s high-quality, but it’s quite scary in the light of recent allegations allegations of 50+ kilogram chunks of glass dropping from four stories and above.
Has anybody had any horror experiences? Do I sign on the dotted line, or not?