Solutions proposed by the major parties for the defect-plagued Mascot Towers do not go far enough and the government needs to step in to fix it, owners say.
The apartment complex in Sydney's inner-south remains uninhabitable more than three years after residents were forced to evacuate after cracks were found in the basement.
NSW Liberals and the opposition have announced policies to help residents, with both committing to extending rental relief payments beyond June. More than $16 million has been provided to date.
Labor is also offering to assist with low-interest loans to remediate the 10-storey building, and overhaul the industry. The government will set up an expert panel to explore viable options.
Owner Rachel Williams welcomes the major parties' pre-election focus but says it is long overdue.
"Owners are completely and utterly broken, and our strata committee are so severely health-affected, they actually have no fight in them," she said.
"Thank God we have got Liberal and Labor governments onboard now showing interest in our situation, but three-and-a-half, almost four years down the track is completely too long."
Ms Williams says numerous investigations into the engineering defaults have been undertaken, but "nothing has actually been remediated".
"Government set building regulations, certifies builders … they've got to step in and fix this problem.
"This is their policy, their regulations — step up, government, and actually fix what you've created."
According to the government, the expert panel will now provide a "clear pathway" for owners.
Headed by NSW Building Commissioner David Chandler, it is to be formed "immediately", with a report expected in April to whoever wins next month's election.
Minister for Fair Trading Victor Dominello called it a "breakthrough", saying he wished he had thought about it before.
"Simply saying that we will continue discussions is not good enough," he said.
"Whatever the outcome, whether it is remediation, whether it is a buyback, whether it is ongoing rent, we need to have an expert report to frame up a solution.
"David Chandler is highly regarded, once we have that report it will be made public and people can see the options on the table."
Ms Williams says regardless of the "options", Mascot Towers owner-residents do not want to live there, they just want to be paid out.
"They're maxed out with their mortgages. There's no money that they can now continue to borrow. There's approximately 14 families that are now looking down the bankruptcy path.
"We need government to step in and actually end this nightmare so people can actually move on with their lives."
Labor's Courtney Houssos said the government has repeatedly put the onus on the owners, forcing them to "beg and plead for help at every opportunity".
"This is a cynical stunt on the eve of an election, they have had three-and-half years to act and they have failed to do so," the shadow minister for better regulation said.
"The government actually asked the building commissioner to report on the building three years ago, but then failed to provide the owners the interim or final report."
Ms Williams wants leaders to reflect on what they would expect from government if they were in a similar situation as the residents.
"They would expect government to step up and come to a commitment and a solution," she said.
"Support Australians in your own backyard. We're here working hard and buying the great Australian dream — a beautiful brand new apartment block that you can't live in."
The 2019 evacuation of Mascot Towers, and that of Opal Towers at Olympic Park just six months before, prompted a parliamentary inquiry that resulted in regulatory changes in the construction industry which took effect in June 2020.
