Auckland Council has built its very own leaky building - a new community hall in Barry Curtis Park.
Beside an impressive skatepark packed with kids and parents on this sunny afternoon, the $585,000 hall is a comparatively disappointing addition to the vast green space in Flat Bush.
Roy Bootle and Mahendra Patel are president and vice-president of the area's residents' association, one group that hopes to use the new hall. The pair shows The Aucklander into the concrete-block building, crinkling their noses at the musty odour.
"You can smell it. It feels damp," says Mr Patel, pointing out dark patches on the walls, sodden from water.
Several years ago Mr Bootle lobbied the then-Manukau City Council for a place for community groups to meet. But when the long-awaited hall was completed last August, the leaky walls soon rendered power points useless and forced the group to find another home.
Auckland Council's manager of sports' parks, Mark Bowater, says a code of compliance was issued when the building was completed, but there is a problem with water permeating the blocks.
He says this doesn't affect safe use of the hall. But Mr Bootle and Mr Patel disagree, as does Howick Local Board member Steve Udy, who attended a meeting in the hall last September.
"I went to do a presentation and the plug to my laptop fused when I plugged it in. It's a brand new building - that shouldn't happen.
"I think they've got egg on their face with this one. They've built this hall on Barry Curtis Park with the good intention that the blocks they used were supposed to be waterproof. Over the winter, the water just hosed straight through."
Mr Udy says the council's inspection was obviously inadequate.
"This is a building where the plans were drawn up and approved by the former Manukau City Council, and one would assume [they were] inspected and signed off.
"The real irony is, here's a council being caught out building its own leaky building. I'm astounded that the council inspector didn't pick this up. It's a major blunder, somebody's mucked up somewhere."
Repairing the hall by removing the exterior coating from the blockwork and replacing it with a waterproof coating will cost $15,900.
Auckland Council says the company contracted to build the hall, Watts and Hughes Construction, will pay.
The firm is negotiating with sub-contractors to recover the costs. Watts and Hughes' general manager, Rob Murphy, who says they are still in discussions, refused to comment on whether the company is challenging the bill.
Mr Bootle says he has written to the council about the hall but has not had a response.
"I'm very disappointed that they can get away with this when they complain about everyone else not doing the right thing and going through all the consents."
Mr Bowater told The Aucklander repairs would proceed "this summer".
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