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Leaky home moves
Owners worried about the weathertightness of their homes will
have been reading with interest about recent moves by the
Government and industry groups. In the last week or so the Government has announced a new
service to help owners who believe their buildings may be at risk
from what is being called “leaky building syndrome”. It has set up a toll-free number to provide information and a
confidential service which would allow a free check of their homes
and a system to resolve disputes about who will pay to remedy
problems caused by leaking. The Christchurch City Council, through the national organisation
Local Government New Zealand (LGNZ), is also watching
developments and has made a submission to Parliament’s Government
Administration Select Committee, whose members have begun
hearings in the North Island.They are expected to be in Christchurch
on 22 November. The venue for that hearing is still to be announced. The weathertightness issue gained national attention after the
release in September of the Building Industry Authority overview
group’s Report on the Weathertightness of Buildings. Popularly
known as the Hunn report, after its chairman Don Hunn, it made
several recommendations which are now being followed up by the
Government and others involved in the building industry.The report
noted that it did not consider councils and building certifiers to be
the fundamental cause of weathertightness problems. As well as working on the system to help homeowners with their
immediate problems, the Government is also investigating changes to
regulations and the Building Act and the possible registration of builders.
Deputy Prime Minister Michael Cullen has said none of the issues
has a single or simple solution. “It is important that we take the time
to ensure that our response is as well-considered, robust and
effective as possible,” Dr Cullen said. Still not known is the number of leaky building cases in
Christchurch or what role the City Council could have in any
resolution of disputes about them. City Council staff report they
have had only a small number of calls about the issue, however, and
this suggests it will not be as widespread a problem as it appears
to be in the north. Council’s role in building control The 1991 Building Act brought in the current system of building
control. Under that law local bodies were no longer able to make
bylaws that required stricter standards than those set out in the law
or the Building Code. The 1991 law also took away local bodies’
monopoly on building inspection and set up the Building Industry
Authority (BIA). The BIA is an independent Crown entity funded by a levy on
building consents. Among its jobs is to review the Building Code and
produce specifications for complying with the Code. The BIA audits
the work done by local authorities and their inspectors and also
approves private building certifiers. Local bodies like the City Council administer the Act in their areas,
issuing consents and keeping records. Either councils or BIAapproved
private certifiers can check plans, inspect building work
and issue code compliance certificates. The building owner decides
if they will use a council or private certifier. More information:
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