Building group accused of costly 'butt-covering'

By FRANCESCA MOLD

The Building Industry Authority spent $65,000 in six months on advice from public relations consultants about how to deal with the media over the leaky buildings crisis.

The Government-appointed authority has been under intense pressure for months over its handling of a problem that could cost the country up to $240 million in repair bills.

The authority apologised last week for failing to inform Internal Affairs Minister George Hawkins about the crisis until April, despite having worked on weathertightness concerns for several years.

Prime Minister Helen Clark yesterday defended Mr Hawkins from criticism that he had failed to ask questions after receiving letters raising concern and despite dozens of newspaper reports about the potential crisis.

She said he had been put in a difficult position.

"If a minister had a trail of official advice that there was a serious problem and did nothing, didn't alert his colleagues, took no action, then yes, the minister would swing," she said.

"If, on the other hand, the allegation is that a minister should swing because he received two letters and didn't react to a series of articles in a newspaper, I think that's ridiculous."

Details about the authority's spending on communications, public relations and media advice were provided to the National Party by Mr Hawkins in response to Parliamentary questions.

The figures showed the authority paid Consultus NZ $64,495 between May and last month for assistance with media inquiries related to the report by former State Services Commissioner Don Hunn on weathertightness.

The money also paid for media training and for help in setting up and running a Building Industry Summit.

National's housing spokesman, Wayne Mapp, said the money had been spent on trying to cover up the rotting homes crisis. "The public have not been fooled by this $65,000 PR exercise," he said.

"What homeowners want is solutions, not the butt-covering that we are seeing."

There has previously been concern about a meeting the authority attended where industry representatives appeared to be trying to conceal their slow response to the crisis.

Confidential minutes from the Weathertight Buildings Steering Group - the top-level body the industry set up to handle the crisis - show members spent large parts of their meetings debating how to put a positive spin on the story.

Authority chief executive Bill Porteous told a select committee inquiry into weathertightness concerns last week that he had felt uncomfortable with the suggested media strategy but had made no attempt to exempt the authority from the discussions.

The Prime Minister yesterday repeated her concerns that the media had exaggerated the leaky building issue.

She has previously criticised the Herald's coverage, saying the newspaper often "banged on" about issues of no substance.

"I think the impression one would gain from certain media coverage is that the scale of the problem is of vast dimensions," she said yesterday.

"That is unproven."

She said leaky building syndrome was a serious problem for householders affected. But it was a question of magnitude.

* If you have information about leaking buildings,
email the Herald or fax (09) 373-6421.

Herald feature: Leaky buildings

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