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'They can run, but they can't hide." That's the view of Auckland Mayor John Banks, who wants a name-and-shame campaign against developers, builders and contractors responsible for building leaky homes.
Banks said he wanted Auckland City Council to expose those who had shirked their responsibilities.
"It's the intention
of the council to put up in lights those people responsible for this shame. We think there are people out there still building, taking money from people and lining their own pockets with no conscience whatsoever about their delinquent behaviour in the past."
He said details had yet to be worked out, but names could even appear on the council's website.
Banks admitted there was little likelihood of getting any money from developers, many of whom had put their companies into liquidation. He said the council, which signs off new homes, was prepared to take its share of the blame, but repeated his call for the Government to help financially.
Banks and Wellington Mayor Kerry Prendergast have been pushing to discuss the issue with the Prime Minister, but Banks said he was losing faith in that possibility. "This Government isn't interested in engaging with us on the issue. The next Government, in three months, will engage with us."
Labour has repeatedly said it would make no further financial contribution to the crisis, estimated by Homeowners and Buyers Association president John Gray to affect up to 80,000 homes. National has said it may chip in for repair costs, but has not revealed details of its policy.
Bill Duval, of the Stop Leaky Building Group, doubted the idea would help solve the problem. "It's great for publicity and political mileage but I don't believe in beating up on builders. The ones getting caught are ordinary people getting in over their heads, making the same mistakes as the architects and councils did."
One builder with 35 years of experience, who asked not want to be named, blamed past Government tampering with apprenticeship schemes.
"Nobody took them [apprentices] on for nearly 10 years," he said. "Nobody got taught properly in that time. People were just passing on bad habits. "
Standards had slipped because of the lack of training, but builders had been unfairly blamed for the crisis, he said. He had to pay a six-figure sum on five apartments after their cladding failed, and faces a similar payout on five more units.
"The builder gets done for everything because we're the last man standing. I'm gutted... Half a million dollars - where do I get that from?"
Registered Master Builders Federation chief executive Pieter Burghout said the number of people enrolled in carpentry apprenticeships jumped from 800 in 1992 to about 11,000 today.
He said the Licensed Building Practitioner Scheme would "lock in" improvements. "Most of my members would be absolutely comfortable that we don't build leaky buildings any more."