SYDNEY, June 24 (Xinhua) -- Residents of Sydney's Mascot Towers, which were evacuated earlier this month due to suspected structural damage, will receive financial support from the New South Wales State Government to cover the costs of temporary accommodation.
State government officials said on Sunday that residents of the around 10-year-old building will be able to apply for the costs of daily accommodation for a period up to three months.
Owners Corporation Network chairperson and strata solicitor, Stephen Goddard told Xinhua that he welcomed the government stepping in to address the immediate needs of residents.
"The people who were removed from Mascot Towers nine days ago left without even a toothbrush and they have only been allowed to go back to get some personal effects yesterday," Goddard said.
Both renters and owner occupiers are eligible for the payments which are capped at 152 U.S. dollars per night for one bedroom apartments, 208 U.S. dollars for two bedrooms and 277 U.S. dollars for three bedroom dwellings.
"Ultimately, we've got to do the right thing by them, they've been in a terrible situation," Minister for Better Regulation and Innovation Kevin Anderson told reporters outside Mascot Towers.
Both Anderson and Goddard agreed that the construction process in Sydney is in need of reform and will meet later in the week to discuss the issue.
"None of us know how many buildings are out there like Mascot - there could be more," Goddard said.
"We've been living in a community where the building industry has been operating literally unsupervised. The focus now must be how to prevent these buildings from continuing," Goddard said.
