A major Perth building company is under fire from hundreds of customers in what the state opposition claims is an “unfolding disaster”.
The Western Australian government today vowed to meet with Nicheliving to demand answers for customers who say they have been locked into seemingly never-ending builds.
“I’m financially ruined because of this,” customer Kathy Ellis said.
“So I’m living the happy life in a camper trailer with two teenagers. It’s no heating, no air conditioning.”
“They promise you so much but give you nothing in return,” another customer, Adam Mostert, said.
Some disgruntled customers of the state’s biggest medium-sized property developer wanted to confront Nicheliving managing director Ronnie Michel-Elhaj today.
Tracey Bishop said she had been “hoping to be able to speak to Ronnie and find out what the hell is going on”.
“We need something done. We can’t do it any longer,” she said.
9News Perth attempted to speak to Michel-Elhaj but was escorted off the premises.
The company said it was committed to delivering all of the builds and called on the state government to do more.
Opposition Leader Shane Love said it was “an unfolding disaster” that demanded urgent action.
“This is a dire situation for people who are caught in a stalemate,” Love said.
“This isn’t one or two people, this is hundreds of people.”
Ellis said she wrote to Commerce Minister Sue Ellery “pleading for help” in November.
“She wrote back to me and told me to call Lifelong if I need help,” Ellis said.
The government responded immediately today after the opposition raised issues in parliament.
Ellery said she would meet with Nicheliving next week, promising to get answers from the company over the delays.
Premier Roger Cook said “Nicheliving is a big builder and they need to do the right thing by their customers”.
Nicheliving said it had not received any government-backed builder support and called for more to be done to assist established builders in what they describe as challenging economic times.
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