Mascot Towers unit owner breaks down during evidence at NSW building standards inquiry

An apartment owner in the cracked Mascot Towers building has broken down while giving evidence to an inquiry into NSW building standards, saying owners "should not be accountable" for structural faults. Key points: The inquiry was set up after a series of faults emerged in buildings across Sydney Minister for Better Regulation Kevin Anderson has been criticised for not attending The inquiry heard only 30 per cent of the state's high-risk certifiers will be audited The inquiry, set up last month after major faults appeared in residential buildings such as Mascot Towers and Opal Tower, is investigating the regulation of building standards, building quality and building disputes. In the first day of evidence at the inquiry, Vijay Vital, a resident in Mascot Towers — which was evacuated in June — told the committee of NSW MPs of his dismay that owners were recently handed a $10 million repair bill "which I am pretty sure not all of us can pay". Alton Chen, who also owns an apartment in the Mascot Towers building, told the inquiry before purchasing in the building, he read through the property's records and "nothing really flagged" as an issue.