Posts by mitchffb
Zetland apartments abandoned in secret evacuation over ‘severe’ defects
An inner Sydney apartment building remains abandoned eight months after its occupants were evacuated over water and fire safety defects, in revelations expected to deliver a fresh blow to confidence in the city’s building standards. The Herald has confirmed that the owners and tenants moved out of 30 loft-style apartments at 19 Gadigal Avenue in…
Read MoreThe reasons why so many high-rise towers have faults
An explosive study into the poor quality of apartment buildings has found that new blocks are “plagued with defects”, with at least one found in 85 per cent of all buildings analysed. Written by Deakin University’s Nicole Johnston and Griffith University’s Sacha Reid, the report found 97 per cent of buildings in New South Wales…
Read MoreFire Sector Federation chairman acknowledges frustration at progress to prevent future fires like Grenfell Tower
Introducing a lively debate on Building a Safer Future at the Firex International event held on June 18, 2019 in the ExCel centre in London Michael Harper, who became the Federation’s chairman last year, welcomed the progress made whilst expressing the frustration professionals and residents have concerning the lack of positive actions taken to stop…
Read MoreCladding just ‘the tip of the iceberg’
Combustible cladding is just the “tip of the iceberg” of defects for high-rise apartment owners in Australia, who will also have to pay to fix widespread problems such as water penetration and incomplete fire safety systems, the author of a new report into building defects says. While the crisis of combustible cladding is making apartments…
Read MoreDozens evacuated as fire breaks out at Sunshine Coast bowls club
A RECENTLY renovated bowls club on the Sunshine Coast will likely be closed for several weeks to repair damage caused by a fire that broke out today. Dozens of people were evacuated after a fire broke out at the Mooloolaba Bowls Club this afternoon. A Queensland Fire and Emergency Services spokeswoman said seven crews were…
Read MoreFire breaks out at Brisbane pub
FIREFIGHTERS remain at the scene of a blaze at Brisbane’s Port Office Hotel. The fire broke out in the kitchen and spread to the hotel’s exhaust about midday. A Queensland Fire and Emergency Services spokesperson said the fire was contained to the building and was under control by about 1.30pm. A number of firefighters entered…
Read MoreQld govt may close cladding loopholes
Two years after London’s Grenfell Tower fire, the Queensland government says inaction on cladding loopholes is risking safety and the construction industry. Queensland may ban provisions allowing combustible cladding on high-rise buildings, with concerns the global insurance fallout from the Grenfell Tower disaster could affect the state’s construction industry. It’s been two years since 72…
Read MoreAustralia’s construction crisis spreads to Brisbane:
How thousands of buildings in the Queensland capital are at risk of turning into towering infernos because of ‘shoddy workmanship’ • New report uncovered 3227 defects in 212 apartment buildings across Australia • Alarming number of fire-protection defects were identified as the most common • Defects found in 71 per cent of inspected buildings in…
Read MoreGovernments failed to act on warnings of combustible cladding dangers
State, territory and federal governments failed to limit the use of combustible cladding of the type on Melbourne’s Lacrosse and London’s Grenfell towers, despite repeated warnings from fire authorities as early as 2010. The concerns of ACT fire authorities and their NSW counterparts were discussed at meetings of state and territory building regulators and the…
Read MoreGold Coast Fire and Emergency Services warn increase in house fires during winter
WINTER has arrived with a vengeance and with it has come increased fire risks and warnings about the dangers of electric blankets and heaters. Superintendent Greg Tomlinson, Gold Coast zone commander for Queensland Fire and Emergency Services, warned there was an increase in house fires during colder months. He said this coincided with electric blankets…
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