Alarming statistics published in November 2019 lay bare true of extent of Australia’s building defects crisis.In a study involving 212 buildings, Deakin University’s Nicole Johnston and Griffith University’s Sacha Reid found that 85% of new buildings in the multi-residential sector have at least one defect.

Of the states surveyed, the worst performer was New South Wales, where that average ballooned to 97%. 50% to 60% of defects are also said to be attributable to design issues or would have been preventable with better design.

Based on these statistics, Australians buying into new buildings can reasonably assume it will have defects. The unanswered question however – one which has the potential to impact owners even further – is how many of those defects are exacerbated by owners corporations (OC) and bodies corporate (BC) as a result of poor issue-management?