Opal Tower declared defect-free eight years after evacuations

Key points

• Opal Tower in Sydney's west has been declared defect-free, almost eight years after cracks appeared on level 10 on Christmas Eve in 2018. Thousands of people were evacuated, and nearby roads and the Sydney Olympic Park train station were shut.
• Owners corporation chairman Shady Eskander says the building is now the safest residential tower in Australia. An engineer's report found the defects were caused by design and construction matters.
• The 392-unit building is now covered by a 20-year structural warranty.