A building surveyors group has denounced the NSW government's reaction to the Opal Tower faults that have stopped hundreds of residents returning to their homes.
Cracks in one of the towers' prefabricated concrete panels and the turmoil that followed saw the NSW government announce a crackdown on building certifiers.
NSW Minister for Better Regulation Matt Kean said the crackdown on "cowboy" certifiers is aimed at addressing public concern about the building certification process.
But the Australian Institute of Building Surveyors has labelled the decision a "shameful" move that will do nothing to help those residents forced from their apartments.
"The Minister is using the Opal Tower scenario to grandstand and appear to be doing something useful," the surveyors group said in a statement.
"Why is he not announcing a crackdown on everyone in the supply chain?"
The Australian Institute of Building Surveyors claims the government already has the means to make certifiers accountable but these measures have not been "effectively implemented".
"The Minister's proposed solutions simply do not make sense, are piecemeal, [and] will do nothing to protect the NSW public," the group stated.
Structural engineers investigating cracks in Sydney's Opal Tower reportedly think a prefabricated concrete panel was not inherently faulty.
Investigators, who were sent in by the state government, think the damage was caused by how it was installed or problems in the design or construction of the building.
The Australian newspaper cites a source close to one of four investigations currently underway as saying "it's not the precast panels" that caused the cracking in the residential high-rise that was evacuated on Christmas Eve.
About 300 residents remain in temporary accommodations since their removal was requested by developer Ecove and builder Icon.
The construction firm has been given 48-hours to hand over a list of the materials used in the high-rise apartment block, according to News Corp.
Around 230 of the prefabricated concrete panels were installed in the 34-story building, located at Sydney's Olympic Park.
