A 'building site': Tower residents told to stay away from their homes
Residents of Opal Tower face an indefinite period away from the "building site" which was once their home after the state government released an interim report detailing the ongoing works required to repair the building.
While the building has been declared structurally safe, independent experts investigating the cracked the western Sydney building have recommended all residents should delay moving back until further investigations have taken place by independent engineers.
The state government on Tuesday released the interim report from the independent investigation into the building's failure, with professors Mark Hoffman and John Carter stating that "significant rectification works are required" to repair the building.
In particular, they are concerned about a number of "damaged hob beams and in some cases panels that rest on them" on levels four and 10.
The report also noted a number of points on level 10 where "construction differed from design and/or standards".
Professor Hoffman said there were outstanding issues that building company Icon and design engineers WSP must ensure are "checked closely before residents re-enter the building".
"We've outlined some matters which should be checked before residents are allowed to move back in. We would recommend [Icon and WSP] have those matters investigated and checked," he said.
The professors said they agree "in principle" with the staged rectification plan proposed by Icon, but said major works should not begin until the plan receives "independent oversight and review by qualified structural engineers".
Once the major rectification works begin, Professor Hoffman estimated "it would certainly stretch over many weeks".
Planning Minister Anthony Roberts said he sympathised with residents who did not want to return.
"I completely understand the residents' reluctance, in some parts, to move back in to what is essentially going to be, for some time, a building site," he said.
Owners' corporation chairman Shady Eskander said owners were united in their opposition to Icon's efforts to get residents to return, declaring "we will not return to the site" until it is restored to the condition in which apartments were originally purchased.
"No resident wants to live on a construction site. We do not want to move into a site that is being restructured," Mr Eskander said.
"We have suffered. People are buying into the Australian dream and unfortunately this has become an Australian nightmare for us. The tree is not going to fall, but the branches are cracking."
Ecove director Bassam Aflak said in response to the government's report: “We thank the government for the preliminary findings of its independent investigation into Opal Tower. Our first thoughts are for the welfare of the residents. We need this problem to be fixed, and the residents deserve to be in their homes.”
The building firm Icon has also been contacted for comment following the release of the report.