Australia's 'she'll be right' building culture a worry, says expert

A residential building was evacuated at Sydney Olympic Park after residents reported hearing cracking. Photo / Supplied

Safety fears over a Sydney high-rise apartment have prompted a builders' group to air their concerns about Australia's regulation and compliance.

The Builders Collective of Australia told SBS News it was worried regulation and compliance are not strong enough.

Concerns were raised when residents of the newly-built Opal Tower at Sydney Olympic Park said they saw and heard cracking in the 38-storey complex.

Residetns of 51 units in the building remain barred from returning while engineering assessments are carried out, reports SBS News.

"The actual regulation and compliance of the industry is nowhere near strong enough and that is the core issue of why we exist and why we are concerned. It is too early to say what the issues are with the Sydney high-rise but most certainly we are not terribly surprised that something like this could happen," Phillip Dwyer, national president of Builders Collective of Australia, said.

Dwyer said a 'she'll be right' culture of regulation in the building industry was a major concern.