Yet another Sydney apartment development is facing serious safety questions. The building commission says the complex of 900 units at Macquarie Park in the city's north-west is at risk of collapse.
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00:00 The statement from the Building Commission is serious in its nature and its wording.
00:07 In it, the Acting Assistant Commissioner Matt Press says he holds concerns there is serious
00:13 damage to the concrete slab at the joint locations in the building's basement.
00:18 He writes, "This is a defect in a building product or element that causes the basement
00:22 slab to fail, namely to fracture and collapse, leading to the destruction of the building
00:29 or any part, or the threat of collapse of the building or any part."
00:34 He's issued the developer, Greenland, with a work rectification order.
00:39 That means the developer is required to scan the concrete, to undertake a series of engineering
00:45 reports and to fix the defects.
00:48 These buildings hold around 900 units and at the base of those are commercial shops
00:53 and restaurants.
00:55 One of those business owners told me he hasn't been told a thing about these concerns and
01:00 says he is extremely worried about the situation.
01:03 It's a bit concerning.
01:04 I hope it's not that bad.
01:08 All I wish is that we're still here operating.
01:11 The last thing we need is to lose our businesses here or just have to walk away.
01:16 Late Wednesday, the state government said it had received strong advice from the Building
01:20 Commission that these defects don't pose a threat to safety, but they are serious and
01:26 must be repaired to avoid long-term risk.
01:29 Throughout the afternoon, it's been business as usual.
01:33 As residents have come and gone, many are not willing to speak on camera, but they've
01:37 told me they have not been informed about the situation.
01:41 One woman told me that she is concerned and that she no longer wants to stay in this building.
01:46 The ABC has reached out to the developer Greenland as well as the Building Commission.
01:51 [BLANK_AUDIO]