RESIDENTS complaining about damage and noise have been dismissed as “a pain in the arse” by a Mosman Park developer.

Gary Dempsey, who is developing the luxury Taskers apartment complex in McCabe Street, says claims his project is causing damage are “garbage”.

He and neighbouring residents have endured an unhappy relationship throughout the five-year development, and there is another five to go.

An elderly woman who last year lost her prized orchids when a fence fell on her greenhouse says her garage ceiling has now partially collapsed. Her insurance company blamed deterioration as well as “constant vibrations”.

• A Mosman Park resident says nearby vibrations caused this damage to her garage ceiling. Photo by Emmie Dowling

She says construction manager Drew Gillespie verbally promised, in front of two neighbours, to fix the damage but he and Mr Dempsey have since reneged.

And she claims at least six other families on Riversea View woke up to rattling windows caused by a compactor being used on ANZAC Day, as early as 7am.

Mr Dempsey denies any responsibility for ceiling damage and says his workers have not used the compactor near residents’ back fences.

“It’s all garbage,” he told the Herald. “The compactor just parks there. We haven’t even started construction in that area. These people have been a pain in the arse for five years … I have no time for them.” He’d sent a worker to look at the woman’s garage, but says the damage looked like it had happened “quite some time ago”.

The first stage of the Taskers development—the construction of apartments closest to McCabe Street—is expected to be ready in a fortnight, with new residents moving in immediately. The next stage is to build three-storey homes near the houses on Riversea View.

Michael, a neighbour who did not leave a surname, wrote to the Herald saying residents had endured dust and noise pollution from the “monstrous” development for years.

“It has not been smooth sailing.”

by EMMIE DOWLING