World · East Asia & Pacific · 2 hrs ago
Sydney apartment project barred from occupation after 13 serious defects found
NSW inspectors found 13 serious defects at The Rathbone, a six-storey apartment development in Surry Hills, Sydney.
The findings include structural cracking and damaged concrete, water leaks and failures in fire safety systems.
The Building Commission NSW has ordered repairs and barred occupation, so future buyers cannot move in until the prohibition order is formally lifted.
The project is being developed by Murfield, owned by Avid Property Group, and is on the site of a former petrol station.
The defects could threaten safety and damage the building over time if they are not fixed.
Avid says its current builder, Buildcorp, is correcting unfinished work left by a previous contractor.
The developer has 240 days to complete repairs and must submit technical reports and repair designs by January 31; the sources do not specify the year.
Building Commission NSW has barred occupation of The Rathbone, a Sydney apartment development, until serious defects are repaired.
Inspectors identified 13 serious defects, including structural cracking, fire safety failures and waterproofing problems.
The six-storey building is at 23-47 Flinders Street in Surry Hills.
The commission gave developer Murfield Pty Ltd 240 days to complete remediation works.
Avid Property Group says its current builder, Buildcorp, is repairing defects left by a previous contractor.
- Who
- Building Commission NSW issued the orders to developer Murfield Pty Ltd, owned by Avid Property Group.
- What
- The commission issued rectification and prohibition orders after inspectors found 13 serious defects, preventing occupation until repairs are completed.
- When
- The inspection took place on August 18. The article was published on November 6, 2026.
- Where
- The Rathbone, a six-storey development at 23-47 Flinders Street in Surry Hills, Sydney.
- Why
- Inspectors found defects affecting structural integrity, fire safety and waterproofing, which the commission said posed risks to future occupants.
Building Commission NSW
Avid Property Group
Assessment of the building
Building Commission NSW
The commission identified 13 serious defects and said the combined issues presented an unacceptable risk to future occupants.
Avid Property Group
Avid said the defects related to unfinished work by a previous builder.
Response to the defects
Building Commission NSW
The commission ordered rectification and prohibited occupation until the orders are formally revoked.
Avid Property Group
Avid said Buildcorp had been engaged to rectify the defects and complete the project.
The City of Sydney approved the $24.1 million development.
Building inspectors visited the site and identified significant concerns.
The article reported that Building Commission NSW had issued rectification and prohibition orders.
Technical reports and rectification designs must be submitted by this date.
- Serious defects
- 13
- Building
- The Rathbone, a six-storey development
- Address
- 23-47 Flinders Street, Surry Hills
- Remediation period
- 240 days
- Development cost
- $24.1 million
What people are saying
The penetration of water has led to water ingress and caused unhealthy or dangerous conditions, loss of amenity [and] undue dampness or deterioration of building elements,
The combined defects presented an unacceptable risk to future occupants,
The defects relate to unfinished work by a previous builder [and] Buildcorp are now engaged to rectify all existing defects and complete the project,
The quality has improved, but there’s more room for improvement,