Building Managers Annual Report January 2010 December 2010 EDGEWOOD COMMUNITY Building Manager: Joshua Earl 1 Edgewood Crescent Cabarita NSW 2137 Mobile: 0408 649 554 Telephone: 9743 4800 24/7 Number: 1300 761 610 Email: edgewood@pacificbmg.com.au
Introduction to EDGEWOOD COMMUNITY Pacific building Management Group has been managing the Edgewood Community scheme since stage 1 was first constructed and occupied along with the Bayside Apartments. Originally the office for the Building Manager was located in the basement of the Bayside Apartment block. The Building Manager now operates from the Community Correy s House in a central location for all residents to access from the 3 apartment blocks and the houses within the scheme. The Community Scheme currently receives a number of services from Pacific Building Management Group, which include; Building Management Cleaning Gardening Pool maintenance Security The Building Manager is currently available onsite 45 hours per week between the hours of 8am 4pm Monday to Friday. The cleaners are available for the Community 8hours per week to look after the bins and also complete the required cleaning tasks particularly with the gym and Correy s House. While the gardener s hours are seasonal, they are usually available for 2 days per week with a number of working attending each day. The pools are tested and cleaned once per week to make sure they are kept to a high standard and ready for use by the residents at any moment. A random security patrol is organised for twice per night to patrol the area and report any suspicious activity. Josh Earl is the current Building Manager who began working for Pacific Building Management in June 2008 at the site at Cabarita and has become familiar with all operations during this time. Generally we have found the residents within the Community to be helpful and co operative by assisted the Building Manager pick up on any issues and faults around the area. Due to these good relationships that have been established the Community has been able to benefit in a functional way and continue to operate to the highest standards. 2 P age SP68715 BAYSIDE
Maintenance Performance There have been a number of issues which have been tackled over the year to keep the peace and harmony of the building and have everything operating correctly for the residents. A few of the main issues that were raised were: Tree trimming and management plan Correy s House rising damp Pool Renovations Roofing Around Correy s House Damaged stone sign Water leak outside 2 Regatta Way By Law Breaches Approvals Change of gardeners Tree Trimming and Management Plan It was raised that a number of the trees within the estate have very invasive root systems and these should be investigated before they cause any issues and cost to the Community. An arborist was contracted and conducted a site survey and provided a report particularly on the trees that will cause an issue for the Community. Along with this report a detailed 6 year plan was submitted to the council with the proposed changes and replacements based upon the arborist s report. Council approved the plan and a number of trees were removed and a number trimmed. Replacement trees have been ordered and are due to be planted in the early stages of 2011. Correy s House Rising Damp A number of consultants have attended throughout this year to suggest improvements that can be done to reduce the dampness under Correy s House. One item raised for an immediate fix was the down pipes were fixed to stop additional water around the base of the building as they had been damaged from the gardeners. The Committee is continuing to pursue Mirvac to participate in the repairs for the house and contribute and this will continue into 2011. It has been decided that it is better to begin some action while we are still waiting ona final agreement with Mirvac. Pool Renovations It was noted the surface of the pool was beginning to fade away in sections, particularly where there was high traffic areas. This was the fibre glass coating being worn away. Quotes were obtained and the it was decided to proceed with the pool renovations to get the pool recoated in fibreglass. The options were raised to either paint or tile the pool, but it was decided best to remain with the current finish which is considered a mid range finish. Once all the quotes had come through and the work scheduled it was decided that it was getting too close to the peak summer season. It was therefore arranged to delay the commencement of shutting the pool for renovations until mid 2011 once the peak summer season was over. 3 P age SP68715 BAYSIDE
Roofing around Correy s House A section of roofing was installed on the frame on the Eastern side of Correy s House. This greatly improved this area and prevented water getting in under the door which had previously caused a real issue with mould on the carpet. Due to the success in keeping the water away from the building, it was decide that the current entire frame should be covered in the same sheeting to keep the water away from the building. This has helped improve the situation for the building and also provide shelter for residents around the exterior during the rain. Ity has also made the area much more usable for the residents that book the house for functions. Damaged Stone Sign It was found that a truck had reversed into the stone sign at the end of Bayside Terrace. It was arranged for the stone pieces to be replaced and get the stone back into a correct form as an insurance claim. Water leak outside 2 Regatta Way The garden bed outside 2 Regatta Way was found to be very wet with water overflowing down the drain. It was investigated and found that the piping outside the property line had broken and was leaking. Sydney Water were called and attended to fix the problem. They had some real issues finding the fault. When they did it turned out to be a connection between 2 different types of pipe which had broken most likely due to ground movement. Once it was repaired they replaced the previous dirt and garden, but the plants did not fair so well. This garden and a number of others in the street were upgraded to improve the appearance. By Law Breaches Approvals The Building Manager and Approvals Committee have continued to check on residents throughout the year and keep them in check with the current by laws. A number of areas have greatly improved, although a number have continued to ignore the letters causing applications to the tribunal late in the year. This will be an ongoing issue to keep on top of the arising issues and keep the estate in a uniform and presentable manner. The Approvals Committee have also provided advise to a number of applicants throughout the year and there are more people recognising the fact that they live within a Community Estate and have to abide by the by laws and apply before making changes. Change of gardeners In August 2010 Pacific changed the gardening contractors to employees who work directly for Pacific. This has improved the accountability and the standard of work completed around the sites. With the new gardeners as would be expected there were some teething issues, but overall many residents have been happy with the improved quality of work. 4 P age SP68715 BAYSIDE
DP270282 COMMUNITY BUDGET Pacific Building Management Group endeavours to provide the best services at the best available rate to keep within the budget for the Community Scheme. A number of contracts have been set in place for the preventative maintenance of service items. This ensures serviceable items are operating at their peak and should be less likely to break down. Some new agreements and items were considered this year along with some additional once off services. These include: Garden upgrades Termite inspection New Years Eve Security Park seats re coated Foxtel Upgrades Garden Upgrades A number of sections of the gardens have continued to be upgraded to improve the appearance. The garden committee now assists the Building Manager regularly helping to identify areas which need attention and suggestions of replacement plants. Areas have been chosen and works are continuing around the entire site to improve areas and make the garden more manageable. This will continue in years to come. Termite inspection It was noted that there were no regular termite inspections being carried out for Correy s House. Particularly with the rising damp creating a great atmosphere for termites to grow and breed it had been thought best to have this annually checked. A thermal inspection was carried out this year along with the regular tap test. There weren t any termites identified in any areas of the building. A number of wooden exterior fences were also checked this year as these are common fences. No termite activity was found in these areas either which is good news for the Community. These areas will need to be continued to be checked on an annual basis. New Years Eve Security It was decided to have it set to have Security guards for every New Years Eve, to help control vehicles entering the estate and patrol later in the night in case of any mischievous people hanging around. It was discovered this year that a number of people became quite abusive to the Security Guards. As a future note it is thought best for a notice to go to all residents within the estate advising them of the upcoming guards and what this means for their residence. 5 P age SP68715 BAYSIDE
Park Seats recoated A schedule has been put in place to make sure the park seats get oiled on an annual basis. If they are not oiled this will cost the scheme more in the long run as the timber will deteriorate and require replacement. This year they were sanded and oiled twice over a 6 month period to get them ready for the summer months. Foxtel Upgrades A number of additional Foxtel Channels were released this year. To receive the additional channels it was required for an upgrade of the TDT Head End system. After much debate with Foxtel an agreement was reached and the upgrade was completed bringing the full package back online for the Community residents. Security There have been a number of security concerns throughout the year. Some of which are addressed below. ISSUE A number of break ins have been reported to the Community Manager with a number of different methods of entry being used A group of boys entering the pool area unauthorised RECTIFICATION Residents were notified through notices about the break ins and to be wary. As residents are improving the security of their own residence it is noted that these places are no longer targeted and the thieves generally move onto a nearby easier target. Residents were advised that they should contact the Police if they see unauthorised entry and use of the pool out of hours. During hours the Building Manager noted the same thing a few times and confronted the group of boys. The boys left the area once the threat of Police was raised. 6 P age SP68715 BAYSIDE
Occupational Health & Safety Safety Issues A couple of safety issues in particular have arisen this year and been addressed accordingly. ISSUE Parking incorrectly on gardens and grass areas causing an issue for cars driving past. The residents in 41 Edgewood Crescent made a complaint that they could not access their front door of path due to plants and vehicles parking over the path. Limited visibility in Correy s Square from the southern entry Council footpath along Cabarita Road towards the park had lifted Traffic management issues after an incident at the Bayside car park exit A number of areas along the path were lifting and could cause trip hazards Loose cords in the gym could cause a trip hazard A number of pavers have worked their way loose on Regatta Way, the cobblestone road RECTIFICATION A number of Bollards or trees have been installed to help prevent these breaches and keep cars parking where they are supposed to. This is an ongoing issue, as it may improve in one area and then become an issue in another area. This will be an ongoing challenge for the estate. It was arranged that an extension of the path be laid out so there was more access points to their front path. The residents were very happy with this improvement. It was arranged to have the end tree removed to improve the visibility around this corner. Vehicles still speed around the corner but the improved visibility has greatly improved the safety for the pedestrians. The building manager contacted the council and within the week the council had removed the lifted section and arranged for it s prompt replacement. A quote was obtained for a traffic management report to be completed for the site. This is still pending a decision and further discussion with the Committee. Quotes were obtained to replace the peth sections, but it thought best to have the raised edges ground down to save on cost. If the paths sections raise again down the track it will be worth considering the replacement, as there is a limit to the depth of the concrete as to how much can be ground down. The Building Manager arranged to purchase and place down safety cord covers. These Velcro to the carpet and blend with the colour to prevent these remaining as a trip hazard. The Handyman was arranged and the stones were glued back down. This time the area was coned off to prevent vehicles driving over the wet stones. Once set these have help firm. 7 P age SP68715 BAYSIDE
Environmental Management Improving the Community Scheme to be more environmentally friendly and more cost effective is an aim of Pacific Building Management Group. A number of things have been considered throughout the year to keep the Community performing for the residents within and improve the environmental impact the community has. Some additional tasks that were performed this year were: Consideration for Pool changed to salt water Ventilation for the sub floor under Correy s House Leaking taps Lawn Care Program reduced watering Consideration for pool change to salt water It was raised by some residents to change the pool to salt water chlorine. The committee considered the costs and benefits and decided that the current system with the automatic feeder was more appropriate for this commercial type setting. Ventilation for the sub floor under Correy s House As the rising damp continues at Correy s House, it was thought best that the committee start to act on this matter. Ventilation was installed in the form of 2 x ducted fans under the floor. The dampness in the timber has been measured and will be monitored through the electrician who has a dampness meter. This is the start of the repairs needing to be completed to Corry s House. Mirvac is still being negotiated with to contribute to the repairs. Pool area tap It was noted that the pool area tap was leaking and wasting a lot of water. This tap was changed to save on the wasted water. Lawn Care Program Reduced Watering It was decided to engage a professional to come and treat the lawn every 3 months. The correct measure of fertilizers, weed treatment and pest control is used to get the lawns in the best healthy state as possible. After the first visit the lawn improved greatly with the weed infestation being heavily reduced. This will be an ongoing preventative maintenance put in place to keep the lawns looking healthy. Once the weeds have died off and the lawn is in a much healthier state, the rate of watering should reduce as the lawn will be maintained as a healthy lawn. This will save on the watering costs for the Community. 8 P age SP68715 BAYSIDE
Summary Overall the Community Scheme has been running effectively for the past year. Correy s House will be a focus next year with works to continue around the house and hopefully find closure for a long ongoing issue, along with focus on the traffic management of the estate. Theft in the area reduced greatly but unfortunately there were a few big hits towards the end of this year. The tree management plan being put in place has given some focus and direction for the ongoing maintenance of the larger trees within the estate and a basic plan is set out for the next few years. Pacific Building Management Group look forward to a continued relationship with the residents and building on the good foundations that are already in place to make the Edgewood Community a desirable place to reside. 9 P age SP68715 BAYSIDE