FEATURE
HOUSING
The Power of Influencing Change – By David Solomon
At Master Builders NSW, we strive to service our Members’ needs. It’s one of the pillars or core values that we stand by. Why wouldn’t we? If we didn’t, we would be an Association without them.
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arlier this month, I was put into contact with a member who has a very innovative business model whereby you can hire a fully fitted out portable bathroom as a substitute during a house renovation. The business is called Backyard Bathrooms and is operated by a husband-and-wife team, Melissa and Alex. Melissa’s sister Wendy suffered a stroke some years ago and needed a more accessible needs-based living arrangement. Wendy bought an apartment in a suitable complex. The kitchen required replacing to suit Wendy’s mobility needs yet required to comply with the relevant codes, Standards and regulations. Melissa and Wendy engaged an Occupational Therapist prior to submitting what they thought were compliant concept drawings to the strata that managed the complex for subsequent approval. A slow and drawn-out trail of correspondence ensued for almost six months.
or moves out. Furthermore, enforcing that the scope of works, to form an attachment to the by-law in that it sufficiently describes the works in enough detail so that those works will be identifiable for future purposes of rectification to reinstate what was originally there.
They were advised that Stata legal requirements included a by-law to be drafted for the works. They engaged a lawyer to draft the by-law as required and submitted this to the strata manager. They were met with correspondence from the strata’s lawyer condemning their submission.
When I heard this for the first time, I was immediately angered and wanted to help our member in any way possible. When I advised Melissa and Wendy that I completed my trade as a furniture maker in Tasmania many years ago and was familiar with kitchen dimensions, they were slightly relieved. When I added that I was the chairman of a strata block of apartments and relatively au fait with the strata laws, you could hear their sigh of relief in their voices. I went on to add that in a former life, I used to be a General Foreman and a Site Manager before moving into a pure safety role and immersing myself in numerous Standards Australia committees; both Melissa and Wendy were delighted.
The strata lawyer suggested an amendment to the newly drafted by-law, which required the current owner (Wendy) to reinstate the kitchen works and return the kitchen cupboards to their original height, etc, if Wendy passes away
After much research and consultation with a private certifier, I contacted a furniture testing facility in Launceston Tasmania (FurntechAFRDI), which is an old contact of mine spanning some 30 years, for assurance that
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MBA NSW | Issue Three | July-September 2021
the information I was about to provide was accurate. An examination of the relevant Standard1 while on the phone with my old colleague led me to identify, in particular, Appendix A Ergonomics (informative) and a section of the Standard A2 Working heights and A2.1 Standing a) for food preparation, that clearly articulated 850mm to 1000mm, as a suitable working height and that our interpretation was accurate. Bingo! This was the detail in print that I needed, coupled with all the other information, that would help our member form a response to submit to their strata in an attempt to overturn their decision not to approve Wendy’s renovation application. Upon contacting Melissa to let her know of the excellent news, Melissa advised me that her sister Wendy had broken her arm AGAIN, yes, for a second time, trying to reach beyond capability due to the kitchen not being userfriendly to her mobility needs. Spurred on to get a win for our member, I offered to proofread their application ahead of their submission. A few technical additions bolstered their plight, one I’d hoped they would win.
