Apartment owner 'disgusted' that controversial cladding hasn't yet been removed

An apartment owner is "disgusted" that controversial cladding found on the complex he's in hasn't been urgently removed.

City Garden Apartments on Albert St is one of 25 buildings that Auckland Council's revealed have exterior aluminium composite cladding like the Grenfell Tower in London, where a fire last year killed more than 70 people.

Other buildings affected with the ACP PE cladding include: Waitakere Stadium at Henderson, Spark's four-building campus in Victoria St, large residential blocks in the Viaduct and CBD, the huge PwC building on the city's waterfront, TVNZ's headquarters on Victoria St and Auckland University's Owen Glenn Building.

The council's building consents general manager Ian McCormick today told a media conference that those living and working in the sites affected can be assured that they are safe. He says the flammable polyethylene cores in their claddings are not necessarily dangerous because they have other means of fire protection.

That however provides little comfort to Daniel Young, who owns an apartment at City Garden Apartments.

He says he doesn't feel safe in the slightest.

"I've got two children so yeah, it makes me sick." His daughters are 10 and 12 years old.

Young bought the apartment off the plans back in 2003 - a decision he now regrets.

"It was one of those ones where like a lot of Kiwis ... I bought it as an investment, I never intended to live here."

Among other issues with the building, he says he and other owners in the complex have been trying to get the cladding ripped out for the last two years.

He says it's ridiculous.

"I'm scared to think it's going to take some deaths before something gets done about it."

The Herald interviewed several other residents coming in and out of the complex.

Most of them were not worried, while some expressed shock and a desire to move out at the news.

The Herald has contacted the Body Corporate for comment.

McCormick said it was up to the affected building owner to replace the cladding.

"Some are already considering options," he says.