Unlock all articles by subscribing to this international offer

All-Access + BusinessDesk Weekly

Herald Premium, Viva Premium, The Listener & BusinessDesk
Pay just
$10
$2
per week
See all offers
Already a subscriber? Sign in here
Or
Whanganui Chronicle
  • Whanganui Chronicle home
  • Latest news
  • Sport
  • Business
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Property
  • Death notices
  • Classifieds

Subscriptions

  • Herald Premium
  • Viva Premium
  • The Listener
  • BusinessDesk

Sections

  • Latest news
  • On The Up
  • Sport
  • Business
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Property
    • All Property
    • Residential property listings
  • Rural
    • All Rural
    • Dairy farming
    • Sheep & beef farming
    • Horticulture
    • Animal health
    • Rural business
    • Rural life
    • Rural technology

Locations

  • Taranaki
  • National Park
  • Whakapapa
  • Ohakune
  • Raetihi
  • Taihape
  • Marton
  • Feilding
  • Palmerston North

Media

  • Video
  • Photo galleries
  • Today's Paper - E-Editions
  • Photo sales
  • Classifieds

Weather

  • New Plymouth
  • Whanganui
  • Palmertson North
  • Levin

NZME Network

  • Advertise with NZME
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • BusinessDesk
  • Newstalk ZB
  • Sunlive
  • ZM
  • The Hits
  • Coast
  • Radio Hauraki
  • The Alternative Commentary Collective
  • Gold
  • Flava
  • iHeart Radio
  • Hokonui
  • Radio Wanaka
  • iHeartCountry New Zealand
  • Restaurant Hub
  • NZME Events

SubscribeSign In

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Home / Whanganui Chronicle

Traces of P in HNZ house

Melissa Wishart
Whanganui Chronicle·
20 Mar, 2014 05:26 PM3 mins to read

Subscribe to listen

Access to Herald Premium articles require a Premium subscription. Subscribe now to listen.
Already a subscriber?  

Listening to articles is free for open-access content—explore other articles or learn more about text-to-speech.
‌
Save
    Share this article
The contaminated house on Titoki St was undergoing "independent testing" by the Housing New Zealand Corporation. Photo/Stuart Munro
The contaminated house on Titoki St was undergoing "independent testing" by the Housing New Zealand Corporation. Photo/Stuart Munro

The contaminated house on Titoki St was undergoing "independent testing" by the Housing New Zealand Corporation. Photo/Stuart Munro

A Housing New Zealand (HNZ) property has been taken off the market after a private check, earlier this month, showed the house was contaminated with methamphetamine.

The Titoki St house was tested by Envirocheck Forensics after a prospective buyer asked for a drug residue test.

Envirocheck chief executive Todd Sheppard said they were so concerned about drug contamination in state houses they offered free testing to any HNZ tenant.

Mr Sheppard said they contacted HNZ offering free testing on their houses but got no feedback.

HNZ general manager of property service Marcus Bosch said they had taken the house in question off the market while they carried out "comprehensive, independent testing".

Unlock all articles by subscribing to this international offer

All-Access + BusinessDesk Weekly

Herald Premium, Viva Premium, The Listener & BusinessDesk
Pay just
$10
$2
per week
See all offers
Already a subscriber? Sign in here
Or
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

"We believe at this stage that the drug may have been smoked in the property, rather than manufactured, which means levels are likely to be quite low," he said.

"We expect final results in the next fortnight and will then make a decision on next steps - for example, cleaning and repairing the property."

Mr Bosch said they were working closely with potential buyers throughout the process.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

HNZ manages about 69,000 properties, and .009 per cent of their total housing stock was found to have been used in methamphetamine production, he said.

"Our staff are trained to spot the signs of methamphetamine manufacture and work closely with police if a laboratory is suspected," said Mr Bosch.

Envirocheck office manager Jasmine Pruden said telltale signs that meth had been manufactured or used in a house include a "chemical smell" or "chemical discolouring" in places like the laundry or down window sills where chemicals have been tipped out.

Other signs to watch out for were dodgy wiring and plumbing, fire alarms that had been removed or missing light bulbs.

However, she said some cooks and smokers were "smart enough to clean up after themselves". "Sometimes you can walk into a property and it can look amazing, but it can be fully contaminated," she said.

"People are starting to be more aware that people know of these usual signs."

Real estate and property management companies around Wanganui said they did not have an issue with contaminated houses.

Manager of The Watsons in Marton, Phillip Mullins said: "I've never come across that in 15 years."

Chemicals from meth residue can be inhaled, ingested, or absorbed through the skin.

Acute exposure can cause shortness of breath, cough, chest pain, dizziness, lack of co-ordination, chemical irritation, or burns to the skin, eyes, nose and mouth. Death was possible if the chemical was particularly toxic or the person was vulnerable.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Less severe exposures can bring about headaches, nausea, dizziness, fatigue or lethargy.

Childhood exposure could damage organs and bring about violent behaviour as well as seizures and hypertension.

Save
    Share this article

Latest from Whanganui Chronicle

Whanganui Chronicle

Council vote keeps Native Land Court project afloat

18 Sep 06:19 PM
Sport

'Biggest event': Whanganui Marist takes on challenge of hosting football tournament

18 Sep 06:00 PM
Whanganui Chronicle

‘Exciting new development’: Marton buildings demolished for upgrade

18 Sep 05:00 PM

Sponsored

Kiwi campaign keeps on giving

07 Sep 12:00 PM
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Recommended for you

Experts say deaths from wildfire smoke to surge
World

Experts say deaths from wildfire smoke to surge

18 Sep 09:41 PM
Opinion: Kimmel’s suspension confirms what many suspected after Colbert’s cancellation
Opinion

Opinion: Kimmel’s suspension confirms what many suspected after Colbert’s cancellation

18 Sep 09:40 PM
What expiry dates really mean – and other simple tricks to save money on groceries
Lifestyle

What expiry dates really mean – and other simple tricks to save money on groceries

18 Sep 09:39 PM
Watch: Luxon speaks to media as pressure mounts around state of the economy
New Zealand

Watch: Luxon speaks to media as pressure mounts around state of the economy

18 Sep 09:29 PM
Dog owner faces charges after attack left one person needing surgery
Gisborne Herald

Dog owner faces charges after attack left one person needing surgery

18 Sep 09:20 PM
NZ Herald comments: The stories open for discussion today
New Zealand

NZ Herald comments: The stories open for discussion today

18 Sep 09:16 PM


Latest from Whanganui Chronicle

Council vote keeps Native Land Court project afloat
Whanganui Chronicle

Council vote keeps Native Land Court project afloat

Councillor Kate Joblin says the council needs to 'keep our eye the prize'.

18 Sep 06:19 PM
'Biggest event': Whanganui Marist takes on challenge of hosting football tournament
Sport

'Biggest event': Whanganui Marist takes on challenge of hosting football tournament

18 Sep 06:00 PM
‘Exciting new development’: Marton buildings demolished for upgrade
Whanganui Chronicle

‘Exciting new development’: Marton buildings demolished for upgrade

18 Sep 05:00 PM


Kiwi campaign keeps on giving
Sponsored

Kiwi campaign keeps on giving

07 Sep 12:00 PM

NZ Herald
  • About NZ Herald
  • Meet the journalists
  • Newsletters
  • Classifieds
  • Help & support
  • Contact us
  • House rules
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of use
  • Competition terms & conditions
  • Our use of AI
Subscriber Services
  • Whanganui Chronicle e-edition
  • Manage your print subscription
  • Manage your digital subscription
  • Subscribe to Herald Premium
  • Subscribe to the Whanganui Chronicle
  • Gift a subscription
  • Subscriber FAQs
  • Subscription terms & conditions
  • Promotions and subscriber benefits
NZME Network
  • Whanganui Chronicle
  • The New Zealand Herald
  • The Northland Age
  • The Northern Advocate
  • Waikato Herald
  • Bay of Plenty Times
  • Rotorua Daily Post
  • Hawke's Bay Today
  • Viva
  • NZ Listener
  • Newstalk ZB
  • BusinessDesk
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • iHeart Radio
  • Restaurant Hub
NZME
  • NZME Events
  • About NZME
  • NZME careers
  • Advertise with NZME
  • Digital self-service advertising
  • Book your classified ad
  • Photo sales
  • © Copyright 2025 NZME Publishing Limited
Unlock all articles by subscribing to this international offer

All-Access + BusinessDesk Weekly

Herald Premium, Viva Premium, The Listener & BusinessDesk
Pay just
$10
$2
per week
See all offers
Already a subscriber? Sign in here
Or
TOP
search by queryly Advanced Search