I’ve asked the fair trading minister to urgently introduce laws to protect apartment owners after the High Court found that an owners corporation has no right to sue a builder or developer for defects in common areas. Negligence action has been a backup for owners corporations pursuing redress for defects and this blow follows recent government moves to the reduce warranty for most defects from six to two years – which I opposed in Parliament. Without the threat of negligence claims, I am concerned developers and builders could be more likely to cut costs.

The law must protect people’s investment and promote well-constructed homes that don’t need repairs.
 
Apartment buildings use 40 per cent of water in the City of Sydney area. There are resources and incentives to improve water efficiency and you can learn about them at the Smart Green Apartments seminar Wednesday 5 November 5.30-7.30pm. Details HERE.