Why is Tauranga City Council going to smash down our perfectly usable administration building?

I believe it happened like this. Tauranga City Council staff did not replace the window seals in the administration building and it leaked.

They then told the TCC councillors that the damp had caused ‘toxic mould' and one staff member had become ill. A councillor told me they could not confirm the illness because of the Privacy Act. But I believe no mould was sited during inspection.

Then the councillors let the staff move out of the building, into rented buildings, costing about $2 million in rental charges per year.

I know TCC has a very expensive report, by consultants, that states the administration building is sound and requires a few minor repairs and is perfectly usable now.

Intelligent TCC councillors have, in my opinion, bowed to the biggest deception plan ever.

This will cost millions on rates, unless we citizens demand a binding referendum and stop them.

K Evans, Tauranga City.

Tauranga Mayor Greg Brownless responds:

Thank you for your email regarding the deconstruction of the existing administration building.

Council has received extensive advice on the issues regarding the existing administration building. Testing was undertaken in November 2014 as a result of discovering mould growing in various parts of the building. The results identified various degrees of contamination across the campus including Stachybotrys.

Stachybotrys was identified in several locations in the ground, and first floor of the administration building; other types of bacterial contamination were also detected in the second floor of the administration building.

All reports received state the most cost-effective option is to replace the building. The reports from Prendos in particular cite weathertight and seismic issues with the administration building that may only be resolved by taking the building back to its most basic shell; financials indicate that should this be done the building would still have a negative net equity i.e. be worth less than the cost of the repairs.

All the reports received detailing the issues with the buildings are available on our website at: www.tauranga.govt.nz/projects/civic-space-options/civic-space-documents.aspx

The council meeting on September 6, 2016, provided further evidence to elected members about the financial viability and risks of repairing the buildings.

The link to the agenda and reports is here: www.tauranga.govt.nz/documents-reports/council-committee-meetings/council-committee-meeting-detail/tabid/1116/aid/44958/tctl/2380_ViewAnnouncement/Default.aspx

The current leasing arrangements for council's alternative office space in the city centre is $1,492,000 per annum, including operational expenditure. This is across three buildings at Durham St, Spring St and Devonport Rd.