Local authorities are calling for a mandatory warranty to protect home owners
and councils against shoddy building work and leaky homes.
Christchurch and Wellington city councils are have told a parliamentary
select committee the warranty is needed to avoid another leaky homes crisis,
Radio New Zealand reported on Monday.
The Labour Party is backing them and says "meaningful protections" must be
introduced.
Many thousands of homes and apartments built between 1994 and 2005 leaked and
rotted.
A report prepared for the government in 2008 estimated 42,000 buildings were
affected and put the cost of repairing them at about $11.3 billion.
In 2009 the government announced a rescue scheme, offering to pay 25 per cent
of repair costs with local authorities paying the same amount.
Home owners have to pay the other 50 per cent and can try to recover it
through insurance or from builders.
The select committee has been hearing submissions on the Building Amendment
Bill which will make builders prove their qualifications when they are
contracted.
Labour's building and construction spokesman, Raymond Huo, says manufacturers
of building materials should also be made accountable for their products.
The leaky homes crisis was blamed on inadequate checking by local
authorities, poor building standards and defective materials like wall
cladding.
NZN