Podcast: Chandler army’s 90% defects hit rate
Jimmy and Sue take time off from sunning themselves in Fiji to interview Building Commission Policy Director Angus Abadee about the war on defects
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Call to ban strata insurance commissions
Strata managers are incapable of effectively self-regulating insurance commissions in strata schemes and the payments should be completely banned, says a consumer lobby group. The Australian Consumers Insurance Lobby Inc (ACIL) says failed…
Forum: Can an unseen screen alter ‘appearance’?
Having spent years trying to answer readers’ questions or, more to the point, allowing Flatchatters to answer each other’s, I have a question for you. I have recently bought an…
‘Reno Queen’ to transform trendy burb’s tiny studio
Cherie Barber, known as Australia’s “Reno Queen”, (you could probably put TV in there too) has acquired one of Sydney’s smallest apartments. It’s one of those moves that the less confident…
Serious defects in half of NSW strata buildings
If Building Commissioner David Chandler needed validation for supersizing his department from 40 to 400 defects detectors, it didn’t take long to arrive. A new report issued this week reveals…
‘Accident’ reveals high-rise plans for rail hubs
Someone in the NSW government’s planning department – or maybe IT section – may be packing their “You don’t have to be mad to work here but it helps” coffee…
Lock up and Leave: The first (not last) resort?
In recent weeks we’ve been sending readers off to India, Spain, Fiji and Japan but this week we’re going somewhere much more familiar and closer to home. As you can…
Podcast: Chandler’s army ready for inspections
Don’t know if Building Commissioner David Chandler has a hotline to Santa but with the Building Commission being boosted from 40 to 400 inspectors, you’d have to think all his Christmas…
E-bike battery by-law and webinar on the way
Out walking the other day we passed a backpacker hostel in Sydney’s Kings Cross where, on a Sunday morning there were no fewer that eight food delivery e-bikes chained to…
Seller beware! Building Commission supersized
Dodgy developers watch out – the NSW Building Commission has just been boosted from 40 officers to 400. This much needed confidence boost for building quality has arrived for NSW…
Forum: Would you let an American staffy in?
We have all become used to the idea that you can’t ban all pets or even all dogs from your strata block, but can you ban them selectively? The theory…
Lock up and leave: Sue wins travel writing award
We’re celebrating in Flat Chat central this week as our very own Sue Williams has won the Australian Society of Travel Writers award for the best travel news story of…