NBN installation for existing multi-unit lot

LPorker on 25/03/2019 - 13:56

Hi All,

I've had NBN infrastructure installed in my existing home and I do have a few concerns about the cable placement process. Just hoping if anyone can provide insight on my situation.

I'm the thrid house in a row of four within a multi-unit development site. All properties are ground level and in a row along the eastern side of the block with a common driveway running along the western side of the block. All four houses are aligned in a north-south direction and all share a common wall with each other.

Where my concern lays is when the NBN infrastructure was installed for the site, a new telecomms pit was installed on the driveway (common land) in front of Unit 2. A junction box (not sure of all the terms) was installed on the external wall of Unit 2 and from there, the connections for Unit 3 (mine) and Unit 4 were made.

As my unit connects directly to Unit 2, the cable connection simply went into my property via a conduit. However, that conduit also includes the cable connection for Unit 4, and that cable runs through my roof cavity into the Unit 4 roof and then presumably down to some internal connection point.

I went into the roof to inspect and the cable is just hanging from the roof trusses and is inserted through a gap between the fire protection wall between my unit and Unit 4.

Now as far as I know, all existing power, water, etc connection for each unit connects to common property (driveway or open space). Presumably there would be some form of easement which controls this aspect too. However, to willy-nilly hang a cable through my roof seems a bit dodge but also I expect causes a few issues in terms of easements and responsibilities.

I'll be raising the concern with NBN and also via my owners corporation, but just initially wanted to see if others had experienced this or had knowledge to share about this matter.

Coincidentally, I am just building a multi-unit development at another site and I asked the builder the question about NBN connection for all rear properties, and I've had a conduit laid in the driveway for their connections. He indicated that had I not done that, then should the rear owners wish to have NBN installed, that they would need to trench the along the driveway.

Thanks in advance for any constructive replies :)

Internet Broadband nbn

Comments

  • spackbace on 25/03/2019 - 14:24
    +1

    I'm the thrid house in a row of four within a multi-unit development site. All properties are ground level and in a row along the eastern side of the block with a common driveway running along the western side of the block. All four houses are aligned in a north-south direction and all share a common wall with each other.

    Needs MS Paint diagram

    • extract on 25/03/2019 - 14:49
      +1

      Seems pretty straightforward to me.

  • Seraphin7 on 25/03/2019 - 15:29

    You need to think laterally … just splice a splitter into next door's cable and bada bing … free internet for life! Whatever you do, don't raise this at the owner's corporation.

  • pjetson on 25/03/2019 - 16:16

    and is inserted through a gap between the fire protection wall

    If there's gaps, it's no longer a fire protection wall. And the cable running through the gap just makes it worse.

    • foolsgold on 25/03/2019 - 16:29

      What makes you say it's not a 'fire protection wall'? the fact that the cavity is there? or the fact that the cable is bridging the cavity? theres not enough information here to say either here.
      many 'fire' walls, have cavities between layers in them, and many of them relate to sound insulation rather than fire protection.

      • pjetson on 26/03/2019 - 08:25

        What makes you say it's not a 'fire protection wall'?

        Because there's apparently at least one gap.

        many of them relate to sound insulation rather than fire protection

        Hence they are not fire protection walls.

        • foolsgold on 26/03/2019 - 11:41

          they can be both, a wall or any material can have two objectives, acoustic and fire performance, almost every material whether intended primarily will provide either.
          Good wall systems would provide good acoustic barrier to code, while also providing good fire performance, small penetrations in these walls, ie network cable is also permitted, it just depends on the system that was used.

          Example of a system, with cavities, acoustic, fire performance, and allows for penetrations;
          https://www.wallwarehouse.com.au/images/hebel-power.jpg

          What I'm getting at is, that there is a very good chance that nothing really 'wrong' here, and without any pictures or plans we don't really know if the installation is unsafe

          • brad1-8tsi on 26/03/2019 - 12:22

            @foolsgold: If it's supposed to be a fire wall then it can't have gaps. Even your link shows that.

          • pjetson on 26/03/2019 - 16:07

            @foolsgold: I think your misunderstanding might be that the OP was talking about a fire protection wall in a shared roof cavity in a row of units, not a simple internal house wall.

            • foolsgold on 27/03/2019 - 20:47

              @pjetson: There is confusion been penetrating and a gap. A cap a cavity between skins of a wall is perfectly acceptable most of the time to install cables through it. It all depends on the partition system installed, if your getting into the technical laws. But with out even a photo we can’t identify this.

  • emibel19 on 25/03/2019 - 19:37

    I may be missing something here, but if this is a Strata Corporation, the space between the roof and the ceiling belongs to the corporation not to any unit owner, so I see nothing wrong with this setup.

    I own my unit in a two-storey block of 10, and cables, including Telstra HFC (we don't have NBN yet) and electricity, run through the roof space.

    • Porker on 26/03/2019 - 11:53

      Will look into this situation - may very well be the reason for the situation

  • whooah1979 on 25/03/2019 - 19:48

    The internal wiring has been pulled through the roof cavity. Who owns the roof cavity?

    • Porker on 26/03/2019 - 11:53

      Will look into this situation - I assumed me, but will check.

  • hawkeye on 25/03/2019 - 20:05

    You would have had to let NBN guy access into the roof cavity. What did he say when you asked him?

    • Porker on 26/03/2019 - 11:52

      He said he needed access to connect my house - it wasn't until some time later that I went into the roof for another reason did I see that cable running from the conduit to the Unit 4 site. The conduit was installed by the NBN contractors and didn't exist prior, nor did the cable. The conduit forms the connection from the NBN box on the Unit 2 external wall over my garage and into my ceiling

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