Development Secretary Bernadette Linn said the Buildings Department had largely completed its investigation into a house at One Stanley and found some wire mesh and steel configurations differed from approved plans. The discrepancies had not been reported to the department.
The investigation followed an allegation that the house had been built with fewer steel bars than approved. The department has also ordered checks of 15 other houses and 12 units in six residential blocks at the estate.
Linn said the developer had been told to appoint independent, accredited laboratories to test the other properties under official supervision. Assessment and testing reports were arriving. The department would take enforcement action if it found violations and was to consult the Department of Justice about possible prosecution.
The government is also proposing checks at two stages of construction. Before concrete is poured, contractors would photograph or film reinforcement in inspected structural components. Technical staff under the project’s registered structural engineer would review all the records, which would be sent to the Buildings Department for spot checks. After the pour, an accredited laboratory would sample the reinforcement; the engineer would review the results before a report went to the department for spot checks.
Linn said the Construction Industry Council would establish a taskforce to examine factors affecting construction quality, including technology, subcontracting, how responsibilities are divided and workers’ competency standards. The department was consulting the industry on the proposed inspection process and planned to implement it by January 2027 or earlier.