Leaky building risks plaguing an upmarket Auckland retirement village remain unfixed 14 years after they came to light.
Eastcliffe Retirement Village Photo: RNZ / Laura Tupou
Inspections at Eastcliffe Retirement Village in Ōrākei have revealed structural and fire protection failings in a vacated block.
Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei Whai Rawa, which owns the retirement complex, has since decided to relocate 34 of its 160 residents from five other blocks, built by the same construction company, as a precaution.
But director, Ngarimu Blair, said the relocation was not happening as quickly as hoped because some of the residents had resisted being shifted.
"We...took the affected residents through a unit that had just undergone invasive investigation so they could see and appreciate how extensive this work is," he said.
As a result, the vast majority of residents were now comfortable with the decision to relocate them, including some who originally said they would not move, he said.
Weathertightness work on one of the six blocks uncovered other deficiencies - in steel framing and fire protection measures.
Mr Blair said they had to do more tests before deciding whether to demolish any of the blocks.
Blocks still awaiting final sign-off
The Auckland Council said the blocks had failed eight final inspections between 2003 and 2006 due to cladding problems.
It's understood the blocks were actually leaking for years into the walls, while people lived in the building, but that interim repairs stopped up the leaks possibly about 2012.
Ngāti Whātua took full ownership of the village in 2010 and tried to get a Code Compliance Certificate but failed yet another final inspection, and the council issued what is called a 'Notice to Fix'.
Yet seven years later, the blocks have still not been fixed and do not have final sign-off.
During that time there had been "extensive consultation" with two sets of consultants hired by the owners, said the council.
A repair job suggested by the original consultants Babbage was rejected, and Babbage was replaced by consultancy firm Hampton Jones.
"It should be noted that unless a building is considered dangerous or insanitary, the council has no ability to evict occupants from their homes," said council building control manager Ian McCormick.
"We had not seen any evidence that would have suggested that these structures at Eastcliffe posed any immediate threat to occupant safety."
The council said it had now been agreed that the blocks would be fully re-clad. However, that did not take account of the invasive tests now going on, which still left open the possibility of demolition.
The main Eastcliffe block, that includes the high-care facilities, does have a Code Compliance Certificate.
It is an offence for a commercial on-seller to transfer a household unit without a code compliance certificate. But at a retirement village like Eastcliffe, that does not apply as people have a licence to occupy rather than freehold ownership.
Before 2005, there was no specified timeframe for a compliance certificate to be applied for. Since then, a law change sets a two-year deadline after a building consent is issued, to get a Code Compliance Certificate.
