Emergency and Evacuation

The Observatory Living Complex is a residential complex consisting of seven separate buildings interconnected through the beautiful gardens. As a residential complex of separate buildings it isn't of the size and nature to require specific emergency and evacuation procedures. Nevertheless to assist our residents some key features of dealing with an emergency are set out below.

What Constitutes an Emergency?

Emergencies require immediate action to prevent injury, financial loss or require an immediate response to restore habitation and/or amenity to a resident.

Personal Emergencies

Life Threatening or Time Critical Emergency

In a life threatening emergency, at any time, day or night, you should dial Triple Zero (000) for Police, Fire or Ambulance. It is extremely important to only use this service in a real emergency, for example:

• Is someone seriously injured or in need or urgent medical help?
• Is your life or property being threatened?
• Have you just witnessed a serious accident or crime?

Emergency services will ensure that the situation is put under control and, if required, minimise the effect on all residents.

For further information on the Triple Zero Service

Non-Life Threatening or Non-Time Critical Emergency

If you are a victim of a crime, other than life threatening or time critical emergency situations, you should call 131 444 for police assistance.

For emergency assistance in times of natural disaster (such as bushfires or storms) you should call the ACT State Emergency Service on 132 500.

In most cases these will not require urgent or immediate action from the Observatory Living Strata and Building Managers.

Evacuation Procedures

As Observatory Living is zoned as a residential complex with no commercial premises or serviced apartments (for short term residents or holiday arrangements), no formal evacuation procedures exist for emergencies. Fire alarm systems exist separately for each of the seven buildings and when these alarms sound residents are to vacate the buildings and take direction from the ACT fire protection officers, police or other relevant authorities.

Property Related Emergencies

Resident Related

As owners or tenants each resident has responsibility for their own or rented property and as such they are the responsibility of the individual owner or tenant to maintain and where necessary repair or replace. Some examples are:

• Toilet cistern not flushing or leaking
• Stoves/fridge not working
• Dishwasher/washing machine/Dryer not working
• Electricity/water within your Unit
• Lost Unit Key or Key Cards/Fobs.

It is important to check your electrical panel to see if a circuit breaker has been triggered. If so turn the electricity back on and re-check the equipment not working.

A list of contractors to assist owners is available from the Building Manager. This list is updated from time to time.

These items are not common property and are therefore not the responsibility of the Owners Corporation to repair or maintain. Where an incident occurs within a Unit but is affecting other residents, e.g. water leaking into a hallway, the Building Manager should be contacted immediately.

Lost Key Cards/Fobs

Access to the buildings and the car park area is controlled via a designated key card or fob.

These cards or fobs are numbered, specifically assigned to each apartment and registered in a central computer system. For building security this system can track all movement in the buildings. This provides a total record of key card use for each user. The key cards only provide access to the front door entrances, the level where the apartment is located as well as the public areas, i.e. car park. The Owners Corporation keeps a record on the number of key cards that have been issued by the Building Manager and conduct regular key card audits when additional access devices are requested. It should also be noted:

• residents are advised to keep a record of the number of key cards/fobs that have been issued
• if a key card/fob is lost it should immediately be reported to the Building Manager so that it can be cancelled
• when key audits are carried out residents must provide the building manager with a list of key cards/fobs in their possession. Failure to do so will result in the cancellation of unreported key cards/fobs, and
• in the interests of building securing safety, residents renting or leasing their apartment directly from owners or through an external agency are required to ensure that all issued key cards/fobs are registered only in the name of the person's name on the lease or rental agreement.

The after-hours service may provide after-hours access to your level at a significant cost. It is recommended that you attempt to contact your fellow residents to provide access up to your level.

Note: Unit keys are the responsibility of the owner and it is their responsibility to arrange a locksmith if they are unable to access their unit. There is no backup master-key system.

Common Property

There are a number of emergencies that may relate to the common property of the Complex and impact individual residents, such as:

• Failure of the Complex electricity supply
• Failure of water supply
• Lift stoppage
• Basement garage doors failure
• Break or enter damage to entry/exit doors.

For any electricity or water issues it is important to check whether they are problems affecting outside the Complex, e.g. the whole of Wright, before seeking assistance from our Building Manager. In these instances the issue should be referred to the relevant company, for example:

• in the case of a general electricity supply failure please call ACTEW’s emergency number 131093 or check the ACTEW website, or
• in the case of a general water supply failure please call ICON Water on 131193 or check the ICON Water website.

Common Property issues are to be referred to the Building Manager if within business hours. If these issues occur out of business hours they should be referred to Grady Strata and Facilities After Hours Contact on 6251 1214.

Where a common property problem is identified Grady Strata and Facilities will seek rectification and keep affected residents informed.

Note: If you have in your unit any working life support equipment, please call the emergency numbers given by the equipment supplier or medical team responsible for monitoring the patient's condition.