More than 40 councils are scrambling to check if buildings are structurally safe. Photo / Sylvie Whinray
Auckland Council is urgently reviewing a list of 13 building projects where structural designs and specifications were solely done by a Taupō man who allegedly forged the signatures of qualified engineers to sign off buildings around New Zealand.
Taupō-based engineering technologist Jonathan (Jon) Beau Hall, director of Kodiak Consulting Ltd, allegedly completed and signed documents using the identities and credentials of chartered professional engineers “without their permission”, said Engineering New Zealand (ENZ) chief executive Richard Templer.
More than 40 Auckland building projects are now “potentially compromised” after the Taupō man allegedly forged chartered engineers’ signatures to sign off more than 1000 buildings around New Zealand.
At least 40 councils are scrambling to check if any properties in their regions are structurally at risk.
A police investigation is also under way but no charges have been laid. The matter has also been referred to the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE).
Auckland Council general manager of regulatory engineering Daniel Sansbury today said since receiving a list of potentially compromised projects involving Hall last Wednesday, the council had been working quickly to implement a review of all affected projects.
“Our first priority for review is a list of 13 projects where structural design and specifications were solely undertaken by Mr Hall, followed by 29 projects which have been partially signed off by Mr Hall, along with named chartered professional engineers.
The council has not named any of the 42 potentially compromised properties.
Sansbury said some buildings may be complete while others were still in the consenting phase (more likely to be building consent, not resource consent), but the council did not have that level of detail at this stage.
“The engineers’ names used by Mr Hall are only authorised in the Auckland area to undertake low-to-medium complexity work, so we believe that the affected projects are largely residential and lower-risk buildings,” he said.
Sanbury said Hall had previously been registered on Auckland Council’s producer statement register (expiring March 2022) under his own name and signed off on lower complexity works in his capacity as a chartered member of Engineering New Zealand (engineering technologist) with no falsification of documentation.
The council would be looking into these projects in the third phase of its review and advising all property owners on its list about the results of its investigation.
Sansbury earlier told the Herald it received a list last week from Hall’s lawyer of about 100 Auckland building projects Hall claimed to have been involved in between 2017 and 2023.
“We are working with Engineering New Zealand to ensure our information and findings are shared.”
Templer said concerns about building consents having been allegedly improperly signed off were raised with the organisation on May 20.
At least 40 councils from the Far North to Queenstown could be affected.
“This is a tough time for councils and their communities, and I feel for the many owners who are anxious to know if their properties are impacted,” Templer said.
“I understand over 1000 properties may be impacted by the alleged [misrepresentations], and it’s extremely disappointing to see allegations of such scale.”
Templer said many engineers had readily taken on “a huge amount of extra work” to help councils fully understand the potential implications for owners.
“Exactly how a given property [may have been] impacted is likely to be specific, so Engineering New Zealand is also working with councils to develop guidance to classify the likelihood and types of risk to [potentially] impacted properties,” he said.
“This is a significant task and complex situation. Our goal is to help councils provide certainty for owners as soon as we can, although it will likely take some time to work things through.”
Templer said owners with concerns about their properties should contact their council first.
“‘Chartered professional engineer’ is a protected title and quality mark for engineers who have undergone a competency assessment, and one that councils should be able to trust,” Templer said.
“As such, we take the matter of alleged misrepresentation very seriously, and are passing on any relevant information to the police and relevant authorities.”
ENZ spokesman Lachlan McKenzie told the Herald Hall was an engineering technologist, which meant he did not have the same level of qualifications as a chartered professional engineer.
Asked if any buildings were at structural risk as a result of the alleged ruse, McKenzie believes “it’s possible”.
“That’s something that the councils will be looking at.”
The Herald has sought comment from Hall.
NZME reported last week a team of Taupō District Council staff and contracted engineers were poring over hundreds of building consents to try to unravel the extent of potential problems as a result of the alleged misrepresentations.
The council had already been in touch with some property owners who may be affected but believes the number of projects potentially affected was expected to be “several hundred”.
Council chief executive Julie Gardyne said the council recognised the concern this would cause across the community.
“We have a special project team working as quickly as possible to confirm which buildings are affected and what actions are needed going forward and we will be in direct contact with affected property owners as we work through this process.”
Building Minister Megan Woods has been briefed on the situation but would not comment as police were involved.
Bernard Orsman is an Auckland-based reporter who has been covering local government and transport since 1998. He joined the Herald in 1990 and worked in the Parliamentary press gallery for six years.