Commercial landlords who have allowed older buildings to fall into a state of disrepair will be targeted with new penalties and incentives which are part of South Australia Deputy Premier John Rau’s plans to improve the profile of Adelaide’s central business district.
Adelaide had the oldest commercial property stock of all the mainland capitals. Mr. Rau, who is also the Planning Minister, stated recently that he had become annoyed with landlords who were happy to collect rent from their tenants but did not undertake “smart retro-fitting of the interior of older buildings.”
Mr. Rau conceded that he had some sympathy for the landlords due to the complexity of building regulations as the codes make it more challenging for owners of older buildings to comply with laws on fire and disability access. But Mr. Rau is determined to see action on this issue, nevertheless.
He referred to his approach as “carrot and stick” when he talked about incentives needed to encourage the building owners to take the required actions and the penalties that would be meted out to those who do not comply.
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