From: chris
Sent: Wednesday, 23 December 2009 10:59 a.m.
To: no_reply@mailout.radioworks.co.nz
Subject: leaky homes

Ultimatley the blame must rest with the government and in particular the Department of Building and Housing. They alone are responcable for delivering a building code and compliance documents showing how a home is to be constructed. All council inspectors and Architects etc can only work inside the infrastructure delivered to them by the DBH. I personally have been lobbying the DBH and Minister to conduct a review of our out dated and totally insuficent building code for the last three years with very little concern shown towards my evidence that leaky showers alone cost the country over 30 million dollars a year. This huge figure has been quantified by the Insurance Council of New Zealand and simply because the DBH will not include a standard clause asking that penetrations in shower walls be sealed. Williamsons response to this is that he has no appetite for change and that he is looking to reduce red tape in the building industry This is typical of the present and past government stance toward fixing and making sure that we do not repeat the failures of the past. Without a review and an update of our building code and compliance documents we will continue to build leaky homes and ordinary New Zealanders will end up having to foot the bill.

Thanks
Chris Withers