The NSW Government has recently established a Cladding Taskforce known as ‘Project Remediate’.

This Taskforce will:

• Identify residential buildings with potential combustible cladding issues
• Address the use of non-compliant cladding materials with local councils

As of February 2021, 185,000 building records have been audited by the Taskforce with 4,127 buildings inspected.

It is important to note that not all cladding is dangerous. Fire + Rescue NSW (FRNSW) have been engaged to assist the Taskforce in determining building risk. Those buildings considered a higher risk will be further referred to consent authorities such as their Local Council or the Department of Planning, Industry and Environment (DPIE) for further investigation.

Register your interest in ‘Project Remediate’ here.

What is ‘Project Remediate’?

‘Project Remediate’ is a 3 year program designed to help remove combustible cladding from eligible residential buildings who will receive:

• Interest free loans over a 10 year period with loan payments commencing after the completion of work
• Assurance and project management services offering technical, risk and practical support to owners corporations and strata managers
• A free 2-hour course on Project Remediate (free until 30 September 2021, following a fee of $140.00 will apply). This course is designed for strata managers and committee members of affected buildings to help them explain ‘Project Remediate’ to lot owners, to enable lot owners to make informed decisions.

Who is Eligible for ‘Project Remediate’?

To be eligible for ‘Project Remediate’ support, the building must be either:

• A residential apartment building (Class 2) located in NSW approved by the Taskforce to have a high-risk combustible cladding façade which requires remediation
• A multi-use building which has part commercial/residential located in NSW approved by the Taskforce to have a high-risk combustible cladding façade which requires remediation

Do you need More Information on ‘Project Remediate’?

For more specific information please visit:

• Strata, Building, Property and Maintenance Managers
• Lot Owners and Landlords
• Real Estate and Property Managers
• Register your interest in ‘Project Remediate’ here.

Do You Need Further Assistance with Combustible Cladding Issues?

Combustible cladding (and building defects) is a complex area of the law.

The team at JS Mueller & Co Lawyers has unparalleled knowledge and experience dealing with many cases in this complex area of the law.

JS Mueller & Co Lawyers published flammable cladding cases:

• Muellers Win First Cladding Case in NSW
• Apartment Owners Win Legal Victory Over Combustible Cladding
• Faiyaaz Shafiq, Wins Landmark Ruling On Apartment Building Risk
• Builder Loses Lawsuit and Must Replace Flammable Laminates on the Exterior Walls of Residential Building
• Apartment Owners Face Millions of Dollars in Re-cladding Bills in Landmark Ruling
• Undue Fire Risk: Wood Cladding Used on Hundreds Of Buildings Including McDonalds Ruled ‘Combustible’
• NCAT Confirms Biowood is Combustible
• NCAT Rules Biowood Cladding is Combustible
• The Combustible Cladding – You Don’t Know About

If you would like assistance with flammable cladding (and/or building defect) issues, please contact us now, we are here to help you.

The NSW Building Commissioner, David Chandler, is asking for people to come forward with legitimate complaints about building defects – inclusive of waterproofing and structural issues.

His aim is to clean up the building and construction industry getting rid of dodgy builders. The more people that file legitimate building defect complaints the quicker this will be addressed.

Common Apartment Building Defects

•  Internal Water Leaks
• Cracking to Internal Structures
• Cracking to External structures
• Water Penetration from Outside
• Guttering Faults
• Tiling Problems
• Defective Plumbing
• Inappropriately Installed Materials
• Combustible Cladding

To lodge your building defect complaint please click here Building Commissioner

Take Your Building Defect Stress Away

Our strata lawyers have extensive experience resolving strata building defect disputes relating to work within strata and community schemes.

We firmly believe that timely and effective advice takes the stress out of strata building defect claims and will achieve the best possible result for you.

If you need assistance with any of the following please contact us now.

• Submitting Building Defect Complaints and/or Claims
• Resolving and Managing Building Defect Complaints and/or Claims
• Security of Payment Claims
• Building and Construction Litigation
• Advice on Statutory Warranty Periods
• Home Building Compensation Fund Insurance Claims
• 10-year Retrospective Building Defects Law Advice
• Assistance with Alternative Dispute Resolution
• Expert Determination
• Drafting Building and Remedial Works Contracts
• Building Bond Advice
• Cladding Defect Advice
• Home Building Act 1989 Advice

For all NSW strata legal, by-laws, building defect and levy recovery advice please contact us here or call 02 9562 1266, we’re happy to assist.

A recent New South Wales District Court defamation case highlighted the dangers that lurk in communications (especially emails) passing between strata managers, strata committee members and strata residents.

The perennial problem of burdensome email communications also plagues many strata schemes and as the case highlighted can escalate into a defamation case. However, owners corporations do have the power to regulate communications to prevent his happening.

We look at this case and what owners corporations can do to stop unreasonable communications Strata Communications and Defamation

Is it time to review, or implement a by-law for dealing with unreasonable communications?

For NSW strata legal or levy collection advice please contact us here or call 02 9562 1266, we’re happy to assist.

In a recent NSW Supreme Court case the builder brought an application to the Court seeking an order that the owners corporation provide security for costs to protect the costs of the builder in the litigation in the event the builder was successful and unable to recover his costs from the owners corporation.

So, did the court grant with the builder’s application? Owners Corporation Litigation Security for Costs

For NSW strata legal or levy collection advice contact us here or call 02 9562 1266, we’re happy to assist.