Bathla is more than a collapse, it is a warning: a developer’s perspective

David Besser, a second-generation property developer, uses the Bathla apartment collapse in Melbourne as a case study to examine the broader challenges facing mid-rise apartment development in Australia. Beyond the immediate structural failure, Besser argues the collapse reflects systemic issues that have made it increasingly difficult for developers to deliver viable mid-rise projects. His perspective from the development side offers context about how building defects, regulatory burdens, and project economics intersect—suggesting that collapses like Bathla don't occur in isolation but emerge from a combination of pressures affecting the sector. The piece provides a developer's lens on why major building failures happen and what conditions enable them to occur.

For remedial building professionals and strata managers, this article offers valuable context about the economic and regulatory pressures developers face, which can influence decision-making around construction quality, material selection, and compliance shortcuts. Understanding the developer's viewpoint—and the financial constraints they navigate—helps consultants and certifiers anticipate where corners might be cut and where extra scrutiny during inspection and certification may be warranted.