This week’s Flat Chat Wrap has a look at something we predicted a few weeks ago – that the knives would soon be out for Building Commissioner David Chandler, just as they were all those years ago for Police Commissioner Peter Ryan.Why? Maybe because he's been a bit too successful at doing exactly what he was asked to do - get rid of of a crooks and shonks in the property development industry. Those crooks and shonks didn't get where they are today without having friends in high places ... and the media.We also take a quick squiz at some new statistics that show that more and more Australians are moving into apartment blocks.And Jimmy has a bit of a rant about Airbnb (what, again???) and passes on a brilliant suggestion from a reader that could fix the issue of residential properties being switched to holiday rentals when there’s a dire housing shortage.And then we look at the block where someone got themselves elected to their strata committee than promptly gave their vote to a mate and took off for a year’s holiday. There’s all that and more on the Flat Chat Wrap this week.TRANSCRIPTION IN FULLJimmy 00:00You got over your post-COVID brain fog?Sue 00:03I don't think I ever had any.Jimmy 00:04Well, I had it.Sue 00:05Did you?Jimmy 00:05Yes, last week. I did the newsletter and got it all ready and then decided at the last minute to change just one line. I went back in, edited it and then forgot to resend. It was only that I got an email on Friday morning from a reader saying "oh, have you stopped doing your newsletter, because I really look forward to it," that I thought "oh god, it hasn't gone out!"Sue 00:29Wow, because I actually got the newsletter the other day, and I thought "oh, this is a bit weird. Why am I getting it today?"Jimmy 00:35Because of brain fog! Okay, right. We'd better crack on. I'm Jimmy Thomson. I write the Flat Chat column for the Australian Financial Review.Sue 00:44And I'm Sue Williams and I write about property for Domain.Jimmy 00:47This is the Flat Chat Wrap. Remember a few weeks ago, we were talking about David Chandler, and how he was in danger of moving into Peter Ryan territory?Sue 01:12Oh right; being white-anted?Jimmy 01:13Yes, and it's started. There's an article you pointed out in The Australian newspaper, that he is being investigated by the Fair Trading Department; his boss, Eleni Petinos, the Fair Trading and Small Business... Sorry, I should correct myself... She's Small Business first and then a bit of Fair Trading, added on. Yes, because of a speech that he made, where he said he'd provided a list to the banks of all the dodgy certifiers...Sue 01:49Right. It's probably beyond his remit, is it?Jimmy 01:53Well, he was saying at the time, that these are people who will probably never work again, because they've been shown to be dodgy. And of course, this has set off alarms, because it's much more important for dodgy certifiers to be protected, than it is for people who buy apartments to be protected from dodgy certifiers.Sue 02:18Well, dodgy certifiers have more access to the funds that you need to go to court...Jimmy 02:24Dodgy certifiers are employed by dodgy developers. And so this is where somebody (I don't e
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Recorded by Jimmy Thomson & Sue Williams; Transcribed by Otter.ai.
Find out more about Sue Williams and Jimmy Thomson on their websites.
