Sydney is no stranger to apartment defects, but the deadly drop found in this one could set a new benchmark for danger.
Key points:
- Issues with the fire stairs were first raised in April
- Developer Piety Group is responsible for 270 apartments across five buildings in the complex
- About 20 defects were listed in a report that the developer has agreed to rectify
The defects in Piety Group's One The Waterfront complex in the Western Sydney suburb of Wentworth Point have been detailed in a series of building management reports leaked to the ABC.
Among the problems with the recently completed development are a malfunctioning sewer pump and a gaping hole in the fire stairs that could be fatal if someone fell through.
Stage one of the precinct includes about 270 apartments across five separate towers which were completed in 2019.
The "critically urgent" issue with the fire stairs in Building D was detailed in a building management report issued in June, which said it was first raised in April.
It listed the issue as "Incomplete Fire Stair: Drops to certain death or disability".
The report found that while the hole was addressed in April, a gap still existed in the stairs two months later that was large enough "children may still fall through".
It also warned the existing hole could impede the stair pressurisation fans, used to protect occupants in the event of a fire.
About 20 other defects were also listed in the report that the developer has agreed to rectify.
They include water leaks throughout several levels of the basement, cracks in an exterior podium, and a sewer station which has been fixed after coming "very close to flooding multiple lower units" due to incorrectly installed pumps.
But Piety Group has declined to rectify several other issues it said were maintenance matters including water pooling outside Building D, cracked tiles at the entrance to Building E, and efflorescence (residual marks) on an exterior stairway.
'Void' in stairwell secured: developer
A Piety Group spokeswoman said the company was committed to fixing all building-related defects.
She said the "void" in the stairwell was "secured" when it was first raised and that it was addressed again after the June report warned it still posed a risk.
"There is a void at the bottom of the Building D stairwell which will serve a future stage and has been secured," she said.
"When the building manager recently notified us of an issue with the current security of the void, it was secured within 24 hours."
She also said work was still being done to determine the source of the water leaks throughout the basement.
"As with any water leak, it is a process of elimination," she said.
"We are committed to fixing all water leaks."
The spokeswoman said the company believed wet wipes were to blame for the sewer system backing up.
"A plumber advised the building manager that the issue was caused by residents flushing wet wipes down the toilet."