Housing chiefs have said sorry after the state of neglect at Canberra Towers

Councillor Warwick Payne said he will make sure Canberra Tower is given an urgent facelift after hundreds of complaints from residents who say their homes are not safe.

But residents say it is not enough as they’ve been told they will have to wait until 2017 before any major work can be done.

It comes after he visited the tower to meet with those who live in the 144 high-rise flats who had launched a petition, signed by nearly 500 people, after being plagued by mould, flooding and lift dilemmas.

They fear the 24-storey building is falling apart and sinking as they have watched cracks appear in the walls and ceilings.

But Cllr Payne, pictured, said he believes the block is safe but has vowed to look into the matter to put residents’ fears to bed.

He apologised to residents for the state of the flats and vowed to ensure the most urgent repairs are carried out as soon as possible – including fixing broken toilets and removing mould inside homes.

But he says the makeover the block needs will have to wait until 2017 when the council has finished modernising other tower blocks.

He says once work to the other blocks is finished he will urge to council to ensure Canberra Tower is next.

Cllr Payne, pictured above, said: “The council is obviously sorry if any residents feel that their property doesn’t come up to the good standards that we set ourselves and that’s why we’re so serious about modernising our homes.

“We can’t do them all at once but the investment we have put in in recent years outstretches what we have done in past decades.

“We want our residents to have better homes.

“Canberra Tower is one of the more tired buildings that we have, which in my opinion is why it should be a top priority.

“The main thing that the residents seem to want to have is to know that their building has a clean bill of health.

“There is nothing that I saw today that gave me any feeling that the block wasn’t safe but obviously if there are residents who feel it’s not safe something should be done about that.

"It’s an upmost priority that residents are safe and feel safe.

“I don’t see any reason why the residents can’t see paperwork that their building is safe.”

Mum-of-one Nikki Donnaruma, 26, who lives in the block, said: “The meeting has given me a bit of hope but not a lot because they’re still saying it’s going to be 2017 before they even look at fixing this block.

"I’m gutted because we have done a lot of hard work to just be told ‘we will consider it next year’.

“We want to see a safety report because we don’t feel safe living here with so many cracks everywhere.

"We have also been asking for access to the sheds and they still won’t give it to us.

"We want to see how much damage is down there.

“I still don’t think we’re being taken seriously. I feel Cllr Payne is trying but not the council.”

Martyn Drew, 27, who works at Sainsburys, said: “They just need to sort it out. Why should we pay rent when they don’t do anyting. I don’t think the meeting will make a difference – they’re just doing what they already planned in 2017.”

Fairshta Naseer, 30, a mum-of-two, said: “I wish they would just fix my window and my door and do something to get rid of the smell in the building. Everyone just wants a clean home.”

John Swanborough, 62, retired, said: “I would like to see them put in more disabled parking bays – we only have three but there are seven disabled families here. I hope the meeting with help. I really would like to see it repaired and brought back up to scratch.”

Matt Birch, 32, a yard marshal, said: “I hope the meeting does help. I just want them to come up with solutions to all the problems – the cracks, the mould and the broken lifts.”

Shannen Bridle, 21, a mum-of-one, said: “I just hate living here. I want them to make it decent or knock the building down. It’s not fair on the kids. Them coming out doesn’t make a difference – they even cleaned the place before they came.”

Lawrence Jury, 29, who works at Lidl, said: “I don’t know if the meeting with make a difference. I’ve been here three years and I have mould coming through my windows. All the other buildings are being done just not this one.”