Sadly, a Hinemoa Street Body Corporate was blighted in 2017 by the discovery that targeted repairs carried out nearly 10 years earlier had not proved successful in stemming water ingress into the building.

Being outside of the 10-year time limit from the original build, the Body Corporate had no-one to sue for the repair costs.  It was however buoyed slightly by BBCL succeeding in securing a Financial Assistance Package (FAP) from the Government’s weathertight scheme, based on the failure of the targeted repairs.  The FAP scheme, now closed to new claimants, gives a Government contribution of up to 25% of any weathertightness repairs.

Disappointingly upon removing the cladding and failing roof, significant major deficiencies were identified in relation to both structural and passive fire issues.  The findings caused both delays in re-occupation and added repair costs.

Notwithstanding the additional stress the extra scope and cost imposed, the Body Corporate, driven by its Chairperson and Committee, were able to complete the project largely within the intended time-frames, albeit well over the original budget.  The remedial work was carried out in three overlapping stages and April 9^th 2019 saw the keys handed back to the last of the third stage owners. The complex is now weathertight, structurally sound and up to current code standards from a passive fire perspective – most importantly is the hugely enhanced aesthetics.

Apart from the FAP contribution, the other silver lining has been the upgrade in the complex’s appearance.  The Insight Architecture inspired design, coupled with excellent product choices by owners, has converted a tired stigma driven 1999 building into a new building for 2020 and beyond!!

Whilst one of the more challenging of the over 100 projects BBCL director Craig Leishman has found himself involved with over the last 16 years, he believes it is an end result to be proud of!

A brief before and after photo montage compiled by the hardworking Clerk of Works, Kevin Ahern, follows.