Once a defect is located, what guidance should owners expect from their strata manager to put the CoO on the right track?
Owners are not experts on defects and remedial works. The first person contacted after the potential defect is found would probably be the strata manager. What guidance should owners expect from their strata manager to put the CoO on the right track?
I would expect they would get the right technical experts involved first up.
Bruce McKenzie, Sedgwick:
I guess from my perspective as a technical expert, what we would normally expect is that getting the right technical experts involved first up, I think and that's that's the key again, that's the key to all of these things.
If it's a small issue, an example could be a burst pipe or some sort of water issue, is it reasonable to get an expert involved or is it a simple fix by a plumber that you can get on with? Everything needs to be put in proportion and something like that, yes, I agree, wouldn't necessarily need to get an expert involved.
But if it's something that's happened multiple times over, or it's a significant issue, then definitely I would be getting someone in because you really need to understand if there's any other connected issues to that. It might not be isolated, there could be two or three things that are all linked together, and unless they're all fixed, you might you might not actually properly rectify the problem. So, that's certainly what I'd be looking for.
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Bruce McKenzie is National Manager for Commercial Services and Major Projects at Sedgwick's Building Consulting Division, the largest claims management corporation in the world. With over 36 years' experience as a licenced building contractor, Bruce has received multiple state building excellence awards and a National Building Award through Master Builders Australia.
Since joining Sedgwick a decade ago, Bruce has led the growth of its Commercial Services Division, managing major building projects nationally across the insurance and private sectors — including property damage, catastrophe events and large-scale remediation. He has acted as expert witness on high-profile litigation matters, most notably the Lacrosse Tower combustible cladding case, and served as Program Director for Cladding Safety Victoria, overseeing the recladding of over 40 buildings as part of the Victorian Government's $600 million rectification program. In 2022 he commenced a secondment as Program Director for Project Intervene with the NSW Office of the Building Commissioner, addressing serious defects in recently constructed buildings.
Bruce is a licensed builder in NSW, QLD, VIC and ACT, and holds an Advanced Diploma in Building & Construction Management and a Diploma of Project Management.
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