Cracking Up: Investigating Australia's apartment building crisis | Four Corners
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- čas přidán 27. 07. 2024
- Four Corners investigates Australia's apartment building crisis -- from shoddy workmanship to lax laws -- leaving owners out of pocket and in some cases out of a home altogether.
For 20 years the nation's city skylines have been changing with the building of more than 650,000 apartments across the country.
Glossy advertising has wooed buyers away from the traditional Aussie dream of a house with promises of sophisticated apartment living and high-end finishes. But the shine has well and truly come off the apartment property boom.
The emergency evacuation of two residential apartment blocks this year has blown open the industry's secret - buildings riddled with defects.
Four Corners will take you inside buildings and apartments in multiple cities to show how entrenched the problems are.
Inside the industry are now speaking out about how this crisis has been allowed to happen. What they reveal is a litany of failure, to regulate and protect the buying public, even in the face of repeated warnings.
Those who know the scale of the problem warn that while new laws may prevent future problems, the legacy of the last 20 years will be with us for decades to come.
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I live in the uk .A builder once told me never ever buy a property that’s under 25 to 30 years old .That was many years ago.I never did and that advice has always protected me.
Although you do need to be careful of things like asbestos and lead paint/pipes.
Don't forget that interwar buildings were done at a time when you couldn't get builders, and most work you'd get a contractor for nowadays was done by people without a clue. What you need is a good building survey more than conjecture
surly thats safer than concrete cracking and plastic burning skin.
I think my dad told me to never buy a new apartment building. so I bought one that was 40+ years old. Still living here and loving it 10+years later
Yep if you can buy Victorian or Edwardian or older that is best.
23:28 "In Australia, builders don't need the insurance if the building is over three storeys high."
WTF?
It is too high to be insured. The risk is too high?
That's absolutely insane.
Should be the opposed. Like you shouldn’t need insurance until it’s three stories.
Autralian government lacking common sense
This story just breaks my heart. Central Coast, California here ... A Water-heater ... we have to get a permit, hire a licensed plumber then have it inspected. I will never complain about those things again.
As an electrician who started work in the Australian construction industry in the early 90’s, the creation of Australia’s current building crisis is due to deregulation and self regulation. In my experience new electrical work would be submitted to the supply authority, approved to commence work and when the work was finished it would be inspected and if correct it would be signed off. With self regulation in the Australian electrical contracting industry it has severely lowered install standards. This type of deregulation has infected all construction trades in Australia.
I now live in the USA and there is ridged code enforcement in the building industry. All aspects of construction work is inspected and enforced by city inspectors.
vincenzo davey Are American buildings and houses better built?
I had an American friend come down to Aus and he was shocked at the poor quality of the place he was renting in inner brisbane.
I have to say, yes I believe US standards are higher in most aspects of construction. I renovate houses for a living and I am in regular contact with city building inspectors as a part of the permit and inspection process. Every aspect of construction is inspected from the foundation, framing, insulation, to the installation of drywall ( gyprock) and the roof. Electrical ,plumbing and Hvac have a rough inspection( inspection of cables and piping prior to wall sheeting and followed by a final inspection.
Primarily being an electrician I am embarrassed of the Australian electrical standards in particular. I have mentioned to US electricians Australian standards and they are horrified.
@vincenzo davey: I assume by "ridged" you mean "rigid", not "rigged"... or "ridged".
ncooty yes rigid,I apologize for that voice to text error.
@vincenzo davey: Wow. If that post was voice-to-text, I'm really surprised that was the only error. You must have a very good app for that.
Rotten builders. Rotten loans. Rotten politicians. And we're expected to pay top dollar for all this rot.
Welcome to Australia.
Boganville
@@rasputinswalloper475 Australia is entrapment irrespective of where you look.
Rotten immigrants are all over these jobs that's the problem.
Velcome to the NWO.
I'm going to avoid all this by living in a van down by the river.
And down comes the rain..............
As the sea levels rise you can move your van. Good choice, man. The spot I'm on now will have Bayfront views with the water just down the hill in 40 years. But it'll be an island with a whole bunch of abandoned close-construction housing development on the Western side that's been built on old lowlands. Anyway, way too long a reply for such a succinct comment. I need to move. Islands are overrated.
Just make sure you don't park near the Opal Tower.
I am glad our tax dollars, spent on govt. building inspectors and their codes, certified said building all the way through the construction process.
@A S So, why do we need these needless and corrupted bureaucrats?
I am totally shocked by this documentary. I never thought Australia had such a bad problem with their construction practices and building codes.
When U show the middle finger to the Holy God of the Holy Bible as a nation this is what you get...... total chaos
It's quite recent
"Piss off!" That response from the developer said it all. They don't care. Take the money and run. Like one construction worker said to me, "It looks fine from my house!".
We don't!! It's all Chinese developers and loopholes. It's illegal. If you know anything about the industry it is rife and they curtail around our unions and our codes. Shoddy, same as the awful buildings in china. 😑 🤦♀️
@@doxasophosmoros it is not all Chinese developers tbf
Greed leads to corruption leaving victims to carry the burden. Demonstrates Govts are corrupted too. Values and integrity are long-gone ethics that no part of these participants display.
There is a Roman bridge with an inscription saying it is guaranteed to stand for 200 years, it has now stood for 2000 years. Will anything built today be standing in 200 years?
LOL ahaha) in Roman Empire they know something in building construction :)
I'd be worried about it standing for 200 days...
The ass of politicians.....
The older the better
NO chance. Inbuilt obsolescence is the way these days.
Never buy a new apartment in Australia, or anything less than 15 years old.
Residential warranty in australia: 5years
Even my IKEA kitchen has a 10 years warranty!!
My 'sticks n bricks ' house has a25 yr structural guaranty....so why do these apartment monsters only have 5 !!!
Yeah it's so crazy, how could a regular person check the foundations within 5 to 10 years and know if they are sound? This should just not have a warranty limit on structure.
@@Iflie Couldn't agree more....it's obscene how people have been treated. The average punter can't possibly be expected to know ' all things engineering'...imagine this behaviour in a neurosurgical operating theatre for example....it would be like asking the porter to perform the operation!
@@susanjacquier5358 Yeah we have strict building regulations but balconies have fallen recently and no one asked how long the warranty was on that, if they fall off at any point, 25 years whatever, it's still the builders fault. They made mistakes.
@@Iflie - call a professional, just like if you needed a plumber and didn't know how to do it yourself.
Not only do we have aluminium cladding that will make building become fire rods in minutes we also have buildings that can't stand properly... its appalling.
revolversmoke funny that the Romans and Victorians built buildings that are still standing today
She is right. I would prefer to buy an old apartment more than 20 years than a brand new one.
After the 2021 building collapse in Florida (with observed cracking spauling of concrete in their parking garage) and over 100 dead ... this gets more scary.
@@LinuxGalore It till a concern because it highlights just how risky it is to own part of a high rise without some strict regulations from groundbreaking onward. Mostly concerning for those who live in such buildings.
When you go out of town do like I'ma start doing !! Roach hotel.. or rent a house..
You said it well. This is a world wide problem. A ticking time bomb?
Keep away from Chinese and leabonese builders.
At least Officials had a sense of urgency and seriousness in this case.
That this is happening in Australia is absolutely appalling. We are per capita one of the well off countries in the world. We can afford much higher standards than this. It speaks volumes of the influence that developers have over our politicians and frankly it is unacceptable. My heart goes out to these poor people that have been so royally screwed over.
I'm a defects Inspector working on all major sites across Melbourne. I can tell you This industry is out of control. Its a joke. A bunch of post Grad Kids running projects worth 100's of millions of dollars. The projects are raced through in the quickest time possible to achieve "P.C." and then to manage the D.L.P. over the next 12 months. Handover is not completion. It means compliant for safe occupation only. It means - we are not finished, but you can live in or operate in it. Sad way to conduct business. Needless to say also, the building personnel are working 6 days a week, 12 hrs a day to meet these crazy time lines. It's no wounder quality is out the window.
Welcome to Australia. Fines may apply.
Unless you're a builder.
This is excellent reporting. Thank you so much for having our back where the government does not.
My son and daughter in-law purchased a apartment they ended up selling as water rained in their bedroom. The kitchen flooded and second bedroom had water running down the walls.
Neither the construction company nor the seller who owned the block would take responsibility for the condition or destruction of several of the apartments.
It's disgraceful as they were forced to sell at a great loss
Yes,and passed the problem on to another sucker.Treat others as we want to be treated or we get the world we have.
Well done ABC News, we need this to be seen by the public.
When I was building my free standing house in Perth I was taking photographs of every stage and every construction aspect of it and was sharing them with my parents. Both of them are from the construction industry in Europe - an architect and a construction engineer. Once they asked, if they could share my photos at their workplaces to have a GOOD LAUGH! :)
Building standards in Australia are nothing but a joke and finally it's realised not only by engineers. Not surpising that multistory apartment buildings are even worse.
YES YES YES................... Absolute RUBBISH being built here and being done by cowboys.
One wonders how long it'll be before Australia faces a Florida-style apartment collapse.
Construction defects ???
looks like they have avoided a few by evacuating the buildings and forcing work on the issues... would be better if they were built correctly in the first place though
After watching this we should be very sceptical of any politician who wants to remove so-called red tape
Nah just let everybody self regulate and she's all good :)
Red tape is not exactly the answer. Building regulators and bodies that oversee and ENFORCE building codes and specifications are what is really needed.
You know those bodies that the unions and Labor abolished.
I live in Denmark. There has never been such a case here in my lifetime. I venture to suggest that poor oversight is the root cause of the problems in Australia . There is only one way to complete a job , any job, and that is correctly.
Exactly.
The report mentions that oversight in Australia has been privatized, which is a mind-blowingly bad political decision. It's similar to how a disaster airplane such as the Boeing 737 Max was allowed to be designed; Boeing basically 'controlled' and signed off their own unsafe designs.
I also live in Denmark, in our city center we have buildings that have stood the test of time for centuries. The 'worst' new construction f-up I can recall here, is some of the new buildings at our harbor; their facade panels rust too easily from exposure to the sea. Nothing structural or vital at all.
The same thing happened in the UK with deregulation. This is why libertarians are deluded. You NEED someone in charge to enforce good practice.
Because the design and building standards in Denmark is way better, I think it's part of the culture...
Remember that most of these building are built next to the coast, therefore salt in the air and more corrosion
Why the builder wasn’t mentioned every couple minutes really strange.
Never been so happy to be a millennial that is priced out of the property market
ikr 😂
Yeah buddy, what a terrible plight, ah? Property has to be the most cleverly cultivized product on earth to make sheeple believe it will somehow, by act of god and magic, permanently anchor and secure their lives..........until cracks start to appear...... divorce, sickness, unemployment, ETC.
As long as dickheads keep voting for the coalition in this country it will only continue to get worst.
Nathan McDonald....My husband has ALWAYS said, "A house withOUT land is WORTHLESS!" Save your $ or buy land & build your own...no contractors who rip you off!
Trust me . Within your lifetime average house prices will return to the historical 2-3 X combined (household) ANNUAL incomes. There is a huge bank fuelled debt bubble over the last 30 years. It’s about to end catastrophically!!
ABC allows comments on CZcams? Wow! Well done!
Enough negative ones, they'll disable them lol
I worked more than 30 years as a construction supervisor and finaly quit, never again. Even if you want to do a good job, you cannot. Construction is a madhouse.
You cannot select a proper subcontractor because it is too expensive. With some people you cannot comunicate, because they do not speak your language. You have no time to check the daily works, because you loose endless hours in meetings and paperwork and emails. When it was agreed to start construction and do planning at the same time, it became crazy. To build a good house it takes time and money, today you do not have either, it has to be finished before it is dry, mold is guaranteed.
One advice to all people who want to buy property. Visit the construction evey day and make lots of fotos.
Plus hire a relative,friend,professional to check the works for you if you cannot do it by yourself.
Once the building is finished, you do not see all the mistakes that were made. But you will find them later, like not properly laid reinforcement that causes cracks, missing drainage, bad or non compacted ground, not connected sewers (you might have a swimming pool in your living area. There are thousands of mistakes that can be made, but you always find people who think that construction is simple.
The main problem is pre-selling, they are committed upon 50% and can guarantee the builders and developers going to cut corners. Make them sell after it gets built. They will be more careful as defects will show before sales and during selling. Not good for business.
The laws have to be redone to protect buyers. This kind of shady business should follow the PEOPLE not the business.
Attention to every Australian who wants their roof repair or restoration done by Modern Group: No word and work of Modern Group can be trusted. Modern ruined my roof that is leaking and since then my life has been devastated. Modern denies any responsibility for performing such a bad job. The job is so bad that an Australian insurance company NRMA will not insure the work done by Modern. A victim - Josephine Seyfried
You be careful putting this up on here Josephine, it sounds like the last thing you need is a defamation case on your hands on top of everything else. Even if what you say is the truth you can still be sued for defamation.
Duly noted, thanks for the heads up. I will make sure people know.
Didn't know Australia infrastructure system is so bad and the gov is so corrupted ....
So all you got from this is that gov is somehow to blame, even though these are the “brilliant” results of a deregulated and ruthless private sector putting profits above human lives 😂
Really?
@@giolag5593 "deregulated"... is deregulation not the government's fault?
@@giolag5593 , rubbish.
If they are not corrupted then it's a breaking news.
I almost bought an apartment in Sydney 2 years ago. Glad I didn't and will never consider buying one
Even if they dont fall apart, the design is ugly. I feel bad for people that buy these ugly designed apartments for millions.
It looks like public housing accomodation.
I’ve looked at apartments several times over the years as well and each time it ended the same way: the presentation looks good but when you look closely at the building itself, you quickly lose interest. I’ve also stayed in a few AirB&Bs in the Danks St area and each time the quality has also been just as bad. Now I’d rather rent an apartment than buy one so that someone else can worry about the long term value of the apartment.
Massive strata titles mean you end up spending significant amounts on insurance and strata fees.
@@Cheepchipsable you're god damn right. Invest in a house not an apartment.
@@spillbill73 - i agree, when the building has to be condemned, your credit score doesn't get wasted when you cant sell the sucker.
That private certifier made a great case for how useless he and his profession is: “I did the bare minimum as required by legislation, so it’s not my fault...LOOK OVER THERE! It’s the system”
Most in the building sector are doing the bare minimum to maximize profit. From the developer down most will construct as cheap as possible to increase margins. At least in Qld the bare minimum is an ok standard.
Pretty much stock standard attitude by builders, developers and certifiers. As our builder said when asking about outstanding building defects - "I have done what was legally required of me, I will only do what is legally required". In other words, "regulations are the only thing stopping me from selling you a $500k apartment built put of paper mache and gaffa tape"
Well said, where the fuck is the mans integrity?
okay lets say he does more than the bare minimum of 10%. Lets say he does 50% inspections and so he has to spend more time inspecting therefore instead of $1000 for his services it now becomes $5000.
What are the chances the builder will accept his quote of $5000 when others who are inspecting %10 are only charging $1000.
It is a problem with the "system" because its designed to maximize profit
Yeah bare minimum, and they r in it too, some r given the $ to look the other way.
And here we are, still wondering how the Egyptians built the pyramids that could stand for thousands of years... 🙄
Do you want to live in a pyramid.
Neither did the Egyptians
@@tonypavko1968 do you want to live in a cracking, non-pyramid, building? Neither the Egyptians.
@@andrewkristanto3517 I'm just saying Egyptians didn't live in pyramids
Because there weren't any pyramid bubble during their time, if there was, they probably won't last as well LOL!
@@andrewkristanto3517 they most certainly did.
I can't trust the new buildings. It's a patern all over the world to be honest.
With the cost of the new apartments, I might as well just buy land and hire my own engineers and construction workers.
My girlfriends apartment in Osaka Japan is 40 years old. It looks like it was built last year or just yesterday. No excuse.
Japanese building regulations are highly enforced for years. In Japan reputation is everything.
This is about australia not Japan, remove your comment.
@@jasonswift7098 Are you talking to me or the original commenter?
@@jasonswift7098 His comment was reasonable as it draws a contrast to differing standards. If the Japanese enforce regulations in such way that avoids the current Australian example, I would much rather you demand that they remove the inferior Australian model.
It's not surprising since EAST ASIANS have high IQ. According to Forbes. China has the second highest AVERAGE IQ while Singapore ranks number 1 in it.
Thanks you to the ABC for this report.
The commercial stations wouldn't touch it with a barge pole.
Tell u a joke:
Skyscraper Warranty: Six years
KIA Motor Warranty: Seven years
Absurd&Pathetic.
Now thats funny :)
did u buy an apartment?
Brilliant.
So true
Is Kia considered as good car in Aus?
I'm a builder and there are so many issues. From greed, to regulations, to processes, to materials, to people that work around the property industry that are like leaches forcing prices up - the list is simply endless. As buyers, it would be a minefield.
Privatisation of certification. When all that matters is money, this is what you get. The whole system rewards scumbags.
Corruption with the NSW politicians is obvious
It’s like the old saying play stupid games win stupid prizes
Why should buyers have to pay for repairs because of crooked builders etc, what a joke.
they OWN the unit and part of the building, the builder long gone or bankrupt... you cant just walk away when you owe a mortgage on the unit.
This isn't just limited to apartments - new tract homes aren't built well either!
We have serious ,long term issues in the UK as well...not just the cladding scandal and not even just new builds. Poor /outdated building standards and a building industry heavily reliant on profit speculation& corner-cutting...oh and developer firms linked to the governing Conservative Party as "donors". It s insane
I like that comment, "Commercial imperatives have overtaken public interest". Let's hope the airline industries are overseen more thoroughly.
They're held to higher account and scrutiny by the public, mostly due to news media. Docs like this ought to have the effect of that same scrutiny being applied to the building sector.
It amazes me here in Australia when something is clearly a legal area for gov, police or lawyers to step in to resolve an issue, they are nowhere to be found. But fast to give you a ticket for speeding or how to cross the street, or dictate to you how to raise a child and rule almost all aspects of our lives, and yet, they can't get builders/architects/engineers to be accountable for their products. It is not the consumer's fault, and this should not be major news, with no response from anyone.
I own 2 buildings in queensland with major cracks. Reports just said "oh it is because of active soil", not the builder's fault and it is past 10 years of construction. Other building's cracking is unkown, and I found out the balcony sagged, after I purchased the unit, because previous owner replaced the tilework on the balcony.
When you read publications from the ATO they are quick to tell you, that we can only write off the buildings over a 40 year time, when in other countries it is 27 years or less.
Yet, the builders' so called warrantee is only for 7 to 10 years depending on state?
In South Africa in standard contractual law, there is such a thing as latent defects, where the buyer can sue the seller for any defect which is revealed or come into being after sale, if the buyer did not explicitly notified the buyer of the defect, regardless of the product, over the expected time of the product. This is especially true in cases of buildings, and things like cars, where the buyer can't verify condition of all parts or areas.
Where is such laws in Australia? You want to tell me buyers has no recourse at all?
If ATO tells me a building's lifetime is 40 years, then I expect the builder to build a building to last for 40 years, with NO cracking at all. And if they sold a product which can't last that long, then surely the likes of ACCC under normal consumer law would dictate that the seller would be liable for repairs or loss of use of the product.
Since there are also multiple consumers here affected, I would even think things like a class action would be in order, and where are the so called mandatory insurance we has bodycorps have to take out? We can't claim damage against insurance also.
the reason is easy pickings for the bean counters less effort (money) to gain more
I agree. Shameful lack of proper conduct by the lack of appropriate protection against defects. Seems borderline neanderthal to me🤷🏼♀️
I also would like to blame the government for not placing minimum standards and as a result you have architects that draw up these plans and call a 2 bedroom apartment as being spacious, since when is a large bedroom 2.2 x 3.2.
Give me a break.
Government and developers are working in tandem to screw uninformed sheeples, each appartment sold is millions earned by developers and tens of thousands (stamp duty) for the government.
C I the regulations are in place but are not enforced.
Hang on, the architect was sacked as soon as the ink was dry then HIS WORK farmed out to a draftsman to finish it, the architect is appalled at this!
And with his name on it!!!!!!
espen forfen and the government does nothing about it. This should be highly illegal but obviously not regarded so by our politicians. What about the poor architect whose name is on the plans. When we built our own house years ago (owner builder) we had to have inspections at every stage and we couldn’t proceed until the inspections were done. Also where are the quality controls of building materials? Obviously none just use cheap and low grade materials. Get it up fast, make as much money as possible and get out with no responsibility at all. Wonderful system we have isn’t it.
And the governments first home buyers grant applies ONLY to new buildings.
That speaks for itself lol
It a grant for the construction industry not to help first home buyers
Never buy new-builds during a boom.
It’s the government fault! What has happened with building laws and inspections
Why aren't the banks getting involved? Until the mortgage is paid off, it's their asset. There's something about this I don't understand. So the mortgage is for a home. If the homeowner declares bankruptcy, the bank is stuck with a home that has no value.
Great point !
The banks take insurance on the asset and mitigate risks that way, the amount of deposits they collect cover them as well. i.e $600k apartment $120k deposit + 10 years of interest approx 120k they're not going to be that bad off. also remember the bank will take first dibs at all the owners other assets. its the owner who loses the most everyone else is protected
@@timtchev Wait a second. There is insurance for the bank on the asset, but not insurance for the buyer against bad construction?
dont worry, the bank always wins, they have ways of creating mortgage backed securities and selling them off to investors, they have ways to hedge their risk.
@@pixelmasque Even in a case like this where the home has devalued SO greatly?
I was taught as an apprentise bricky back in the 80's that it takes 24 days for concrete to cure properly, these days because of time penalties imposed on builders ( not taking into account shoddy builders, there are plenty out there) they are three floors up before the foundations are able to properly take the weight imposed on them..
Just understand the people in power get kick backs and their palms greased to not chase the corrupt builders.
The government should seize 100% of every builders assets until they make it right. They should be the first ones homeless.
100% agreed. How they get away with it is gob smacking...
no way perhaps the govt are in cahoots as well...
Agree
Well surprise, surprise. Didn't have to wait many years for this to rise to the surface.
Spinecode Wovn did you predict something happening earlier?
@@jenno0o Been well known for many years that the Australian building industry is a Lego and superglue affair. Even your modern homes show evidence of shortcuts in every corner. Watch a whole apartment block such as this thrown up in practically a matter of weeks.
Yeah I’m no expert but it’s crazy how fast they’re built! They’re an eyesore and completely overpriced. These construction companies surely know?? Are they just greedy psychopaths or is is ignorance/laziness?
A lot of it is just overseas companies in it for a buck. Throw up as many concrete monstrosities as possible. Then they just pee off back home with their pockets loaded. Our leaders, who just happily let them go ahead with it can't see past the dollar signs either. It all just trickles down the line of pockets from there. So, yeah. "Greed" pretty much.
Soon, Australia will experience it's own Surfside Florida disaster if it hasn't already. Buildings/towers/condominiums all built in the last 45/50 years need to be looked at for structural deficiencies and compare them with site plans as to accuracy. Also, concrete mixes used should be checked chemically to see that no corners were cut, especially in garage support columns and sub basement walls/floors.......
They aren't having issues with old buildings, it is the new ones, but yes, that will be a Surfside Florida disaster, Australian style.
Champlain Towers💔🙏🏻
1950s ,60s,70,house frames have joints the new frames made now are from cheap pine and are nailed together with no jointing at all in 5 to 10 years most frames begin to buckle or separate. The new houses u see about wount last 20 years without needing extensive repair or remodeling
Well this must be comforting for everyone living in an apartment in Australia.
I live in a unit and a sewer pipe needs excavation, a inspector was sent and took pictures
THANKYOU ABC for allowing comments on your videos.
I live in Los Angeles Ca. I am a intellectual property attorney. This was an interesting video until the guy said “anyone can be an engineer.” Absolute shock. In the US, it takes years of experience, a professional exam and a license to be a structural engineer. This engineer is legally responsible for everything.
I hope you do not have earthquakes.
this is an ABC report though, not really known for their reporting accuracy. It is controlled by left wing activists and unions despite being federally funded. This is a union pr piece.
@@onoyoudont Oh, it’s just a cold sore
@ABC News (Australia), you need to send a reporting unit around some new building sites...Ones that are very young in their development. Check the MESH!!
The steel (what percentage?) mesh, commonly called "reo" used to reinforce concrete slabs is usually rusting before it is even installed.
I can't comment on the state of this these days as I've been out of the building industry for close to 40 years. But back then (most likely when most of these building were constructed?) the mesh we had delivered to site was a rusted mess. And then we install it in "wet" concrete...go figure....
As you can imagine, when rusted things age, they expand..What happens to the concrete casing??
stump469
Aka concrete cancer...
these new buildings probably won’t be standing long enough.
Some metal products are designed to get surface rust but not deep corrosive rust. On the San Francisco Bay Bridge they used sand from the bay without washing all the salt water out of it, now that’s a big issue !
And yet the govt. tells me that burying shipping containers to start an underground post apocalyptic city is "illegal"
Who do I have to buy dinner for to fast track my development approval?
Simple Nick, just find 6 people to vote for you at next council elections. Once in there you can get your plans approved. This goes on all over Australia.
I worked for a major insurer managing builders warranty claims emanating from Sydney apartments some 10 years go. The problem was systemic back then. Apartments were constructed to such a poor standard with a common example being that even showers were not waterproofed and water would leak down through the ceiling into apartments below and infest them with mould. Private certifiers had signed off on the water proofing yet were not held accountable. At the completion of construction the builders would simply wind up their company and move on leaving the owners to refer to the builder's warranty insurer only if the building was not out of its six year warranty. Clearly this issue is the result of a government nots enforcing regulations and allowing standards to decline.
Amazing that this was produced 2 years before the Florida apartment collapse.
Amazing how even with demonstrable risk, developers/owners don't learn. This is no better than the mindset which caused the Sampoong mall to collapse
My apartment building was built just over a year ago and they’ve been fixing cracks in the car park. I’m always expecting to have to move with no notice.
Is it in Australia too?
I have noticed a year later inspection engineers are now refusing to give out occupancy certificates to new buildings that don't come up to spec.
That is good news ...really sad for all those people who lost their homes..hope they are all well and have put this awful experience behind them
It's something my parents have always said, never buy a unit or apartment. Simple. If you can't afford a house, don't buy. I think they might have been on something.
Tamara Fletcher yeah I have to agree that this is the main point. I bought an apartment in a building that was built in 1997. It’s so solid it’ll last at least a century. My mum bought our family house in Melbourne that was built in 1950 and again, it will last forever. It’s just that the quality of building materials in general have nosedived over the past 2 decades.
What is the purpose of the certifier if their work is actually meaningless?
How about conveyancer? What is the use of spending so much money when we can read through the clause ourselves?
money for no reason just another loop to the courts
We've had all this in NZ in Auckland apartment buildings. So badly constructed that big cracks appeared and water got in, causing toxic mould everywhere. Residents had to move out, some committed suicide because they couldn't sell their apartments, couldn't pay towards repairs, couldn't live in them and had nowhere else to go - they couldn't afford to pay rent and pay their mortgages as well. It especially hit older retired people hard. They had lost everything. I personally wouldn't pay another cent on the mortgage nor pay for the repairs.
This is so sad
The building fall apart because of dodgy deals. When a developer buys lands, they're supposed to allow for 7 years before building to make sure the foundation is solid. When was the last time you saw a piece of land bought up by Stocklands over here that actually waited more than 2 months before construction? The government have been making dirty deals for decades. We try and tell people and we get dismissed as crazy. Not until someone finally looks into that people get it, then act like they knew all along.. you knew because we told you and you laughed at us...
Khaan Sulu yup. exactly this. iv been tinfoil hat man for years. now all of a sudden its like everyone knew. lucky i prepared financially the last couple of years. down debt up gold. hold on
Haha, what the actual fuck
Our appartments in Croydon melbourne, are under fire safety issue, where fire sprinklers need to be installed. As its currently in court.. discusting
Skilled craftsman are a thing of the past, all we have now are cheaply paid labourers!
I have to agree with you its the same the world over im in the uk when I started 40 years ago firms had their own quality control if you were not up to scratch you would be fired now its quantity over quality
it's because the bosses want to save money so they have more profit in their pocket! they buy cheap materials too.
They build a 10 story apartment block on top of moving trains?
Seems to be a lot of that going on. Near where I live there’s a new building with more floors than that being built on to of the railway line at Box Hill. Not sure how secure the foundations are.
That's normal. One of the twin towers was above a subway. JR West does this on purpose to monetize their stations. But then the Japanese know a thing or two about structural integrity.
if the award winning architect was replaced, why did he kept silent if not corrupt as well
Got to say it is not obvious? They say anything what work would they get in future
@@kevinwong3722 Then corruption breeds corruption, no end in sight
Absolute gold on that certifier guy. "Well, the law only says I have to check 1 per floor, so I don't check the other 299". I mean, ever heard of doing above the absolute absolute minimum? Ever heard of having pride in your work?
This is simply what happens when big business, governments, cronyism and bribery are tolerated to co exist to shape policy.
I had the Qld BSA come out to my home to discuss with builder some defects I had concerns with. The framework was lifting off the slab and make the framework around a bedroom door go out of alignment with the door, so when the door closed there was a 10mm gap between the door and the door jam . Also tiles were loose in the main bathroom. I knew I had no hope of anything being done when I saw how chummy the BSA inspector was with the builder. They were even talking about going to the pub for lunch. Anyway, a few weeks later the BSA informed me that everything the builder had done was within spec. I eventually got a proper tradesmen in to fix the problems at my own cost. $1000.
What a disaster! The fallout from this is going to be huge!
Do you really believe that? All this is a result of Liberal governments cutting red tape, privatising everything and gagging the unions. What's the bet most will keep voting for the Liberals because either the "refugees are scary" or Murdoch's media scaremongering about "Labor union thugs taxing your granny and your ute".
By the next round of elections, you lot will have forgotten all this and will vote the LNP mongrels back in again.
Fallout76 :)
this awful NEW quickly made apartment /cheap building is all BECAUSE OF CHINA. All Chinese owned and made, look it up. It's all Chinese developers and loopholes. It's illegal. If you know anything about the industry it is rife and they curtail around our unions and our codes. Shoddy, same as the awful buildings in china. 😑 🤦♀️ China and Japan are NOT THE SAME!! mortal enemies, actually!! Huge difference and lack of morals in one.. the communist one. Go learn your basics!!;
@@doxasophosmoros Easy to blame CHINA for you aint it ......Best YOU go learn a thing or two about this Industry ......How do I know? 35yrs in this exact industry ...."LET's CUT RED TAPE AND LET THE FREE MARKET DECIDE" gee I wonder who says that? LNP
There's only one way to fix the industry: Get politicians out of the pocket of developers.
I come from Japan now I’m working in building in Sydney. And I realized how low level of professionals work in building in Australia, but they seems like they know everything, to me, that’s whats hidden in the foundation of this problem, builders and construction workers are lack of care for detail, knowledge and the whole society has no idea of the level of profession works are being done in any field.
I worked as a builder in my country Japan for 12years before coming to AU .
Sho Dai rubbish. We have a plethora of high level professionals in the building industry. You’re just hearing about the shit ones atm because of all the issues plaguing high-rise buildings atm due to poor regulations at government level. Our government is corrupt.
All buildings should be made by Honda ... and then there would be no problems.
@@Gino_567 You're shit builders, and you know you are!
Rasputin's Walloper im not a builder dip shit.
China has some of the largest and multiple tallest bridgest in the world. This isn't lack of caring or knowledge, it is lack of liability. In china you are resposable for your work for basically a life time ignoring natural disasters like sinkholes. Australia has lots of high level professionals, it is just that many businesses are greedy. If you want to talk about high level professionals, infrastructures like high speed rail demonstrate this. China has 11 times more high speed rail than Japan and it is more stable. Stable enough to balance a coin at 350kmh for a long duration. In Japan you can't do that for such a period. Don't talk about levels of professionals when many exceed you.
Truly sad here in the United States the way we do things is much different the plans and blue print once finalize are double and triple check by civil architects and engineers before the permits and construction even starts if problems are found they are corrected it's not a full proof system but every step of the way in the construction is checked by inspectors and all builder's are required to carry insurance on any building that's being built Australia should revise there system to are building standards and require all contractors and sub contractor to carry insurance and not have statues of limitations on any construction period
Australia's residential sector is like that up to a certain dollar value. everything inspected to code. therfore our commercial construction sector needs an overhaul and timelines need to be allowed some flex as alot of structural concrete is poured in conditions that should not be happening.
That's what it's like for the ordinary person. But if you are a developer, it's different somehow.
And I bet not one builder, inspector, politician will go to jail over this.
Builders keep building poor quality crappy apartment buildings and the Australian government does NOTHING for years and years. Soon, Australia will have Tofu-Dreg construction. The builders should be put in prison, not out building more bad buildings.
how safe are the prisons builders might protest say ing building not safe.
I wouldn't want to be living in any of those apartments, especially during an earthquake!
You know there’s a problem with your building standards when living in a caravan is safer than living in a skyscraper.
yes sir i live in a caravan 1953 iv replaced the roof 3 times changed the outer clading to be more fire proof i helped my mate put wiring in every 25 years im still here and very safe.
After Surfside collapse in the US all countries should reevaluate how condos are built and subsequent inspections.
The Tender process. The race to the bottom takes no prisoners.
gravity is the winner shes on duty all the time. like electric it strikes quicker then you realise.
Just wondering if mining workforce shifted to construction and then to infrastructure work?
The woman said she never expected to not have any support from the government and that the builders could just walk away, well this is the biggest wake up call.
There need to be more regulation and protection for buyers not the company.
corruption starts from the top, the government down to the real estate agent all knowing this and selling crap to buyers...This will trigger the property collapse
More like starts at the lobbyists and works its way downwards..
We don't need more regulation.
We need better regulation with accountability from builders.
Regulation is literally all that matters
People only do what they have to do to get paid unless the house is being bought by a multi millionaire who wants it to stand for the next 300 years the builders are only going to spec to the easiest, lowest, cheapest specifications
Councils are fundamentally liable for this, they failed to ensure standards are met, they and the certifying companies should be dragged through courts as they signed off.
Councils do not check and enforce any building standards. That's the responsibility of the structural engineers and finally enforced by the building certifiers. Councils only approve the development of the site ie. whether it will be a single or multi-story building. It is obvious that the defects are really a matter of construction quality which is not being monitored.
Bring back "Clerk of Works" as we had years ago?
I can't help but be reminded of British Columbia's 'leaky condo' crisis, although the two are not quite parallel...
It is disgrace housing situation in Australia, old building/houses are full of asbestos, the new building are literally falling down and they have the audacity to cost $2MM per unit
And with that apartment blocks ceased to appear on RE sales boards and appeared on garage sale signs or cheap long term storage, slightly leaky.
Used to look after the fire systems in mascot towers, they had more then just structural problems, not the only shitty building around that area either
Thank you 4 corners for continuing to bring us this story keep it up.Just wanted to point something out I noticed.There was a State by State defect percentage Mentioned, NSW being the worst with 97 %.Victoria 74% and Queensland 71%.Later in the program we hear about the Job that QBCC are doing.Comparing the defects percentage Queensland isn't much better than Victoria, shouldn't it be so much better?and why isn't it?
surely someone sign the tower building inspections off before people bought the apartments? That company should be forced to put right the defects
You would be mad to buy anything built in the last 20 years in Australia.
They didn't even touch on all the Chinese Glass used in these apartments
The power points and light switches which are cheap clones, none pass AU regulations
The dodgy imported light fittings that don't pass AS3000 regs
Who knows what else is slipped through just to save construction spending and increase profits....
Let alone the "Per Meter" workers where quality means nothing, just get it done.
Dam ,and thought its just me,I just replace all power points and light switches,in my apartment,wonder what else.
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The Great Leap Backwards
Cheap garbage from China ?
Spot on. Been in electrical industry for 40+ years. It starts at the engineering, which is rubbish and goes downwards from there. The price is the only important thing nowadays. Things are built to a price NOT to a standard. It's a bloody disgrace. ENGINEERS AUSTRALIA???? What a joke.
Very sad for families that are affected, I thought Australia was a country with very high standard.
I recently looked for apartments and it's horrifying. I ruled out any building built after 2000. Every one I went in had at least minor plaster damage (falling skirt boards, large cracks, crooked plaster). All has some level of water damage, things leaking around sinks, signs of water damages on walls around sinks. Linoleum is always a red flag. Off kilter, mold, linoleum is a big red flag.
I'd chalk a lot of it up to landlords too, black mold. The worst one I saw had black mold on every wall in the house, paint peeling off due to some chemical reaction, rusted off cupboards, mold that had actually dissolved about a 30cm square patch of kitchen wall. Couldn't stay in there for longer than 5 mins for health reasons. They had Frankensteined the pictures on the real estate site from other apartments in the building. Which I noticed after realising the photos on the real-estate didn't match the floor plan I saw in the house (extra corridors, different room shapes, missing walls). In other spots I could find mold in cupboards and bathrooms. That's the most common issue uni students deal with. I managed to find a good place. It's an older building with a fair land Lord so far, which I'm really lucky to find.
You can see water damage and cracking on a whole bunch of apartments from 2010 as you drive past. And these apartments are going up fast. You can see where the water is messing with the paint and where balconeys/porches are getting damaged. It's insane it's almost every building.
Even the non apartment sector is abyssmal. Phoenix builders who state bankruptcy then go somewhere else as pagers pay the cost. My mum bought a new unit, nice area, looked solid, two storeys. One issue, they didn't water proof any of the bathrooms. The wood had completely decomposed underneath and was being held by the tiles. I'm just glad it didn't collapse. But she had to crush her life savings on it because she couldn't get her 5 year warranty from a developer that had claimed bankruptcy. That's even with a building below 3 storeys.
I would never touch a newer building. They just don't last, I haven't heard of ANY that hasn't had problems in a year or two. It's a disgrace, and I worry for people caught up in dangerous homes.
This is still going on though.