The woman is living in this house, with no electricity or running water. Photo / supplied
Officials have changed their tune on a "derelict" Mokihinui house where a pregnant woman had been living.
A week ago, the Buller District Council said it had no role to play. It now says it has spoken to the parties concerned.
Granity police constable Greg Sherie wrote to the council
with his concerns about the "derelict" house. He said it had no electricity connection or running water, and wasn't weather-tight. A pregnant woman was squatting there and her father, who owned the house, stayed there off and on.
The Westport News recently asked the council whether it had inspected the house, whether the house was safe to live in and what role the council had in such situations. Community and environmental services manager Craig Scanlon responded that the council did not intend to involve itself in such civil matters.
However, when asked more recently whether council believed it had acted within its policy on dangerous, earthquake-prone and insanitary buildings he said it had done so as it had spoken to the relevant parties.
