The NSW government "will hold everybody to account" once the root cause of ongoing and persistent cracking in a Sydney apartment complex is identified, Premier Gladys Berejiklian says.
Roughly half the residents of a Sydney apartment complex will not even be able to return home to collect personal
items for at least a week.
Mascot Towers was vacated on Friday night after engineers became increasingly concerned about cracks in the primary support structure and facade masonry of the decade-old building in the inner-southern suburb of Mascot.
A consulting engineer has since determined different "access zones" to be in place for the next five to seven days, according to an update provided to owners and occupiers.
Sixty-four of the 122 units are in the partly-accessible zone and tenants have been told they "may be accessed for a short period of time to collect personal effects only with escort by the building manager" by appointment from Monday.
All of the other units fall in the non-accessible zone and cannot be entered at any time, along with car parks and recreational areas including a Thai restaurant, IGA Express and a cafe.
Residents need to seek alternate accommodation and have been provided with prompts to Fair Trading NSW - including entitlements for strata owners and renters - and for those experiencing financial hardship as a result.
The premier on Sunday told reporters the government wants to "get to the root cause" and find out what has occurred.
Engineers say the Mascot Towers situation was evidence change was needed in the construction sector. Source: AAP
"There was some speculation it could have been from things that happened in the near vicinity but we need to find out the cause before we know how to act," she said.
When asked if the NSW government would help displaced residents in the meantime, Ms Berejiklian replied: "We're getting to the bottom of what happened".
"The NSW government will hold everybody to account, that's our role," she said.
While the cause of the cracks has not been determined, local MP and former mayor Ron Hoenig noted another apartment tower was recently built next door.
Mr Hoenig said he'd been advised there was no chance the evacuated complex would collapse.
Renters have been informed their temporary accommodation won't be covered by insurance while owners' alternate housing may also not be covered.
"It's a bit annoying to not really know what is going on and move at short notice but we'll deal with it," Mascot Towers tenant Jade told reporters on Saturday.
Another tenant, now living nearby with a friend, said he was effectively homeless after being given 75 minutes to leave on Friday.
Transport for NSW confirmed there was no impact on the airport rail line or Mascot train station, which sits underneath the complex.
In December, the Opal Tower apartment complex in Sydney Olympic Park was completely evacuated due to cracking and reports of movement.
Peak body Engineers Australia said Saturday the state "has been slow to move, but it is not too late if we start now".
"The Mascot Towers situation is further evidence that we need changes in the building and construction sector," Engineers Australia's Jonathan Russell said in a statement.
"It shouldn't take a crisis for government to act in the interests of community safety and consumer protection."
Ms Berejiklian on Sunday said she anticipated the government's new Building Commissioner would be announced in the "very near future".
Master Builders Association executive director Brian Seidler told SBS News it's yet to be seen whether the problem "is a question of building or design or under-design".
“The structural integrity will be assessed firstly by the engineer, who played a role in the design of the building and the architect, the other thing is who built the building, who was the developer, there’s a whole host of pieces that have to be worked out," he said.
“The building is 10 years old, is another issue, maintenance issues, there’s a whole host of things we have to be mindful of before a proper call can be made."
Mascot Towers' building manager and strata company have been contacted for comment.
