Eastcliffe Retirement Village units will cost $29.7m to fix: Project 'unfeasible'

The entrance to Eastcliffe where the 33 apartments and townhouses are. Photo/Doug Sherring

Part of a big Auckland retirement village will cost an estimated $29.7 million to fix, making repairs "unfeasible".

Ngarimu Blair, a director of Ngati Whatua Orakei's Whai Rawa, said new estimates showed the cost to fix 33 units at Eastcliffe Retirement Village at 217 Kupe St had risen and the board found the costs unfeasible.

Two years ago, Ngati Whatua's annual report showed an estimated $12m repair costs to repair serious weathertightness issues.

But Blair said today that an engineering report estimated remedial costs to be $29.7 million including $9.25 million for contingencies due to construction and cost escalations, equating to a median cost of $5068/sq m.

The report from Hampton Jones was written following invasive testing on six blocks. That showed the 33 units do not comply with the Building Code on structure, fire, external moisture or durability requirements, Blair said.

No issues exist with the remainder of buildings at the 143-residence complex and Blair stressed it was only the 33 apartments and townhouses which were affected.

All residents left those 33 places during winter and are now either in other parts of Eastcliffe or in private rental accommodation elsewhere.

The engineer's report shows the situation is far worse than predicted at the time of the first phase of investigation, he said.

"The report's author noted that the structural and fire defects are sufficiently serious that it is not considered advisable for re-occupation to take place. This is not unexpected, but it's really tough for the affected residents," Blair said.

"But this isn't just about numbers: it's about the complexity of remedial works, the specialist skill required and the difficulty in finding builders with the right skills to take on the project in the face of the liability issues and additional risks work of this nature entails and unfortunately, the stigma of the original poor construction will remain," he said.

The Whai Rawa board considers the extent, volume and seriousness of the defects - coupled with the complexity and highly probable escalation of the final cost of construction - renders remediation of the six Eastcliffe blocks unfeasible, a statement said.

"This obviously has serious implications for affected residents. We have chosen to share all the information we have with them so they have the full picture. Over the next couple of weeks, we will continue consulting with them and seeking their feedback," he said.

The board anticipates making a final decision on the future of the six affected buildings in early December.

Geotechnical, fire safety, weathertightness and structural defects uncovered include the failure of the exterior wall claddings, poorly installed and aged flat roof membranes, non-compliant fire-rated construction in townhouses, timber decay in balcony junctions, inadequate support of floor joists, inadequate wall bracings and fixings, gaps between concrete block walls, poor placement of steel in concrete panel walls in apartments, missing bars in floor-to-wall junctions, insulation placed over downlights and inadequate fire separation and fire stopping to apartments.

Cost rises at Eastcliffe mirror increases at other leaky building sites such as Parnell Terraces on The Strand in the Quay Park/Parnell area. Repairs at that 81-unit complex shot from $11.7m two years ago to $24m now and now two owners say it is too much and one wants his unit demolished.