Wayne Mapp National Housing Spokesperson

Richard Worth MP for Epsom

22 September 2002

Building meeting calls for wider inquiry

A public meeting on the leaky building crisis held in Auckland this afternoon was told that a wider inquiry is the only way affected homeowners will get action.

More than 200 people attended the meeting, organised by the National Party and chaired by Epsom MP, Richard Worth. Several National MPs spoke, including Housing spokesman Dr Wayne Mapp, Local Government spokesman Gerry Brownlee and Auckland MPs Judith Collins and Pansy Wong.

Building expert, Greg O'Sullivan, lawyer, John Carter, and toxic mould specialist, Neil Hamilton also addressed the meeting.

"We are urging homeowners affected by the problem of leaky buildings to make submissions for a much wider select committee inquiry. The inquiry ordered last week will not deliver the answers they want unless it deal with issues of liability, compensation and health concerns," said Wayne Mapp.

"We also want people to make submissions for any inquiry to heard on their own turf. At the very least, National is calling for the select committee to sit in all main centres, so that all submitters can be heard.

"The Government's proved it is clearly on the back foot with this issue. The depth of feeling at today's meeting showed that homeowners and those in the building industry want this matter dealt with, and quickly.

"Telling people to go their lawyer and sue in court, as George Hawkins did last week, is not going to give people the answers they want, and prevent this crisis happening again in the future. People want to know there will be a quick and effective dispute resolution procedure that will deal with the real problems.

"It is time the Government stopped ducking and started thinking of real solutions.

"Homeowners who want to be heard need to make submissions quickly for a wider inquiry. Submission forms can be obtained at www.leakyhomes.co.nz," said Dr Mapp.

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