Buyers have been blocked from moving into new Sydney apartments after “extensive signs of cracking” were revealed. 

The NSW Building Commissioner has intervened to stop an occupation certificate from being issued for the Castle Hill Skyview apartment complex, built by Sydney developer Toplace. 

Recent reports say fair trading inspectors found “structural issues” at the development.

Officers from NSW Fair Trading allegedly found “basement ground slabs show extensive signs of cracking”, and that basement slabs were “not constructed in accordance with the approved structural engineers approved plans” and had no ‘saw joints’, otherwise known as contraction points, installed in some sections. 

The basement slabs were also found to be “missing expansion joints in numerous locations causing significant concrete spalling”. 

Castle Hill is set to include more than 900 apartments across five high-rise residential buildings above a shared basement. Two of the buildings are still under construction.

NSW Building Commissioner David Chandler has now issued a Prohibition Order to prevent an occupation certificate from being issued, barring people who have purchased apartments in the building from moving in.

“We have been assured by the company that they intend to stand by their building and that they will address the matters raised,” a spokesperson for the NSW Building Commissioner said.

“The Office of the Building Commissioner and NSW Fair Trading will work with Toplace to formalise their undertaking and we will then review the prohibition order.

“We remain optimistic about a positive outcome.”

Toplace has 30 days to lodge an appeal of the order to the Land and Environment Court. 

The Hills Shire Council, which approved the development, has been informed.