Auckland Council issues notices to fix work on shoddy-building

A $50 million-plus housing project at Albany identified as the site of a shoddy-building video has been issued with four notices by Auckland Council to fix work.

Developer George Hunter said he had done everything within his power and more, including employing a new builder, to remedy the issues raised by the council at Silvermoon Park.

In October, the council posted a video of the large, multi-unit terrace development on its news website showing structural issues with concrete block work, foundation issues and a lack of reinforcing steel.

At the time, the council refused to identify the developer or the site, which was identified as Silvermoon Park by a property investor and later confirmed by Mr Hunter.

Following an Official Information Act request by the Herald, the council has released inspection records for the site and four 'notices to fix' work issued on October 2 and October 3, two weeks before the video was posted.

The council said 34 of the units in stage one had been signed off with code of compliance but there were still 11 units in stage one with a notice to fix.

The 11 units had multiple issues not in accordance with the Building Act. They include the installation of cedar cladding, wet area fixtures, garage door trims, water supply, wastewater pipes, ground levels, passive fire protection, external and internal moisture.

Building control manager Ian McCormick said these were being fixed and would progress for final code of compliance by the expiry date of the notice on December 31. A dedicated council inspector had been closely monitoring the work.

The other three notices to fix were for 45 units in stage two of the project. The notices identified particular problems with structure, durability and protection from fire.

Mr McCormick said remedial work, engineering design and construction methodology for stage two work had been reviewed and approved by council, but work had not begun.

Mr Hunter, who told the Herald in October that he would not "adhere to any shoddy work", said he had got rid of the builder and subcontractors and hired a new building firm to fix the problems.

He was 100 per cent confident the issues identified by the council would be fixed.

Mr McCormick said it was not rare for the council to issue notices to fix work, saying they were commonly used where works failed to comply with a site instruction notice, or where someone was contravening or failing to comply with the Building Act or regulations.

If the notice was not complied with, a second notice might be issued.

Mr McCormick said it was an offence under the Building Act not to comply with a notice to fix.

The maximum penalty is a fine of up to $200,000 and a further $20,000 a day for each day that work is not completed after the expiry date.

Shoddy building work

• Council releases video of shoddy building work

• Site identified as Silvermoon Park in Albany

• Council later says site is subject to four notices to fix work

• Developer George Hunter pledges to fix problems