Author of leaky homes report has to stop his own rot

The author of a report on the leaky building crisis, Don Hunn, has become a casualty of the problem.

Mr Hunn, a former State Services commissioner whose report last August sparked an overhaul of the building industry, said it was not a big deal.

"There's no great shakes ... just a small bit of rot in one part of the deck."

The property is understood to be one of several in a Tinakori Rd, Wellington, complex affected, but Mr Hunn said that was the "personal business" of those living there.

"It's not a big deal, I tell you. It's just a small bit of rot where the overflow from the deck goes down."

A weathertight homes resolution service was established by the Government to help home owners affected by water damage blamed on building practices and materials.

Mr Hunn said he was not sure about using the resolution service, which has attracted 910 applications to date. "It's so minor I'm not sure we need to.

"It's a personal thing for the people there. They're all affected differently by it and it's not something we particularly wish to discuss publicly. It's our own business."

Meanwhile the timber industry claims tens of millions of dollars will be wiped off South Island forestry plantation values if a proposed solution to the leaky home problem goes ahead.

The Building Industry Authority has suggested requiring all new homes to be built with treated timber. It is feared the move will hit the value of more than 100,000ha planted in douglas fir trees, the second most common forestry species after pinus radiata.

Douglas fir, also known as New Zealand oregon, is naturally resistant to borer and rot but that natural durability also makes it difficult to treat with chemical preservatives.

And that could affect demand for Douglas fir.

- NZPA