Call for leaky homes bill submissions

Building and Construction Minister Williamson calls for public submissions on 'Leaky Homes Bill'

11th Feb 11, 10:48am by Alex Tarrant

See the release from Building and Construction Minister Maurice Williamson:

A Bill set to provide a financial assistance package for owners of leaky homes is a step closer with the Bill’s progress through the select committee process, Building and Construction Minister Maurice Williamson says.

The Weathertight Homes Resolution Service (Financial Assistance Package) Amendment Bill had its first reading in the House on December 9 before being referred to the Local Government and Environment Select Committee.

Now submissions to the Bill are due to close next Friday 18 February.

Under the Bill, the Government will contribute 25% of the cost of repairing a leaky home and local authorities will also pay 25% if they had signed off the original work.

“The Government’s Weathertight Homes Financial Assistance Package will reduce the time and money wasted in disputes so that more money goes to actually repairing leaky homes,” Mr Williamson says.

The proposed package is voluntary and in addition to the current disputes and litigation process.

Submissions on the Weathertight Homes Resolution Services (Financial Assistance Package) Amendment Bill can be made online at www.parliament.nz or in writing to:

Committee Secretariat

Local Government and Environment Select Committee

Parliament Buildings

Wellington

For more information on the financial assistance package visit www.dbh.govt.nz

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2 Comments

by Doug | 11th Feb 11, 1:11pm 1297383110

Finally, the Government has dangled the election pork. FAPAB will have as much relationship to leaky homes as TARP had to do with purchasing bad assets. TARP bailed out the banks and FAPAB will be the vehicle that backstops assets for the rich at the expense of the poor.

I have said on many occassions in this space that a Leaky Homes fund would be the wink directed at National's core group of funders. All is well, Big Blue.

by hamrod | 11th Feb 11, 2:30pm 1297387804

awesome, as a non home owner i will now be bailing out greedy idiots that bought cheap dodgy houses. despite the fact that i have university level education on building and construction and would never be so stupid as to buy a house without eaves and gaps for the water to run down between the inside of the cladding and the framework i actually end up paying for thier mistakes anyway.

people relying on government building regulation to protect their housing investments without having a scrap of personal knowledge about how houses should be built deserve to lose out and so do their financiers. i cant see how anyone can justify the rest of the country losing out for the greed and incompetence of the few. and as if this legislation isn't designed to bail out the lenders just as much as it is the borrowers.

i will soon leave this country and i refuse to pay a cent of tax towards this BS. the sad thing is that if i come back in the next 10 years any tax paid then will still probably go towards paying for this BS.