Serious complaints against council

An independent review into Tauranga City Council’s building consents process has revealed some serious complaints against the Building Services department. File photo.

Serious complaints have been levelled against Tauranga City Council over their handling of a developer's building consents.

Three consents issued to Bella Vista Homes required amendments leading to more than 200 requests for further information from the council.

One Bella Vista consent had 81 requests for information attached to it.

These figures are part of the findings of an independent review into the council's building consents process, carried out by BDO.

Interviewing ‘key staff' at Bella Vista, BDO found a stop work notice was placed on a number of the developer's sites in The Lakes subdivision.

The staff members believe the requirement to stop work was ‘unsubstantiated', and suggest it was motivated by vindictiveness on the part of Tauranga City Council Building Services.

During the time of the stop work, Bella Vista obtained a ‘sworn affidavit' from a Building Services staff member who alleges inspectors were specifically instructed to recheck Bella Vista inspections.

He also alleges Building Services staff members were ‘deliberately delaying' Bella Vista sites in order to place the company under commercial stress.

The staff member who provided the affidavit also claims he was harassed as a result of his refusal to be a party to these attitudes and actions by the council.

However, BDO's review found ‘no evidence to suggest a deliberate obstruction on the part of TCC Building Services in relation to its dealings with Bella Vista Homes'.

BDO did caution, though, that they did not review ‘every aspect' of the allegations or evidence provided by Bella Vista.

Tauranga City Council chief executive Garry Poole is satisfied with BDO's review of the situation.

'We are pleased that the report has not found any evidence of deliberate actions or slowing of consents related to Bella Vista or any other developer.”

BUILDING SERVICES UNDER PRESSURE

BDO's review also found issues within the Building Services department, which has had a near 100 per cent turnover of staff in the last two years.

BDO risk advisory partner Andrew Sloman, who spoke to elected members about the review today, says external stakeholders (builders, developers) found the council's Building Services to be ‘isolationist and authoritarian'.

He recommends a better customer engagement plan is needed.

Building services staff also report being unhappy with the ‘inadequate personnel resourcing of the department', ‘lack of time for training', and ‘an overall lack of necessary technical skill in the department'.

Outsourcing of consent processing was also highlighted in the review, with around 50 per cent of consents sent to external service providers in March 2017.

Among these is Holmes Farsight, who have received over $1.286 million from the council since September 2015 to process consents, despite not being an approved building consents authority.

Garry says the council will be looking further into the issue of procurement of services by external suppliers as a result.

'Ratepayers should be able to have confidence in the council's processes, so we have engaged respected forensic accountants Beattie Varley Limited to look into this further.

'We want to assure everyone that this does not cast any doubt on the work undertaken by Holmes Farsight or the consents they were part of assessing.”

He stresses that the council is the building consents authority, and has the final say on all work done by external providers.

No final invoice has been received by council for the review, but it is expected to cost around $60,000.

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10 comments

So, $60 k for the review

Posted on 12-06-2017 18:33 | By nerak

and now Garry Poole has plans to farm out yet another business to look into the fact the council is not functioning correctly. The above report raises some serious issues, and concerns. I believe the CEO is responsible for the smooth, EFFICIENT, and CORRECT running of the council, Garry? Consent processing outsourced to the tune of $1.286m to a Wellington firm, isn't that where you hail from Garry? When is enough, enough, ratepayers?


golly gosh

Posted on 12-06-2017 20:01 | By old trucker

Just wondering if (BDO)


The review?

Posted on 12-06-2017 20:23 | By MISS ADVENTURE

So no evidence of "slow" but the law says 20 working days and BDO report says 41 days, that sounds really "slow" to me. Reality is the total time is a lot longer than that as TCC Building services can stop and start the dates on a desired reason basis it seems. Watch thsi space folks.


Just wondering

Posted on 12-06-2017 20:29 | By old trucker

Is BDO a (CON tractor to TCC,if so of cause they would find nothing wrong,the BS these builders are up against these SHINY suits, it says that so called inspectors were instructed to recheck this builder,the staff member was harrassed for speaking out, THIS IS BULLYING,Mr poole should be bought to TASK over this,TCC is VINDICTIVE and TOXIC, people who speak up are victimized, This council is run by a bunch of kids(over 600)of them with not a BRAIN between them that is why they work for TCC, this BUILDER must be beside themselves with this BS,i can see why people have had enough and do silly things when STRESSED,gosh Sunlive this is AWEFULL whats going on here,my thoughts only,No1 is Sunlive for News,Thankyou,10-4 out.


Garry Poole

Posted on 12-06-2017 21:32 | By waiknot

How can you be satisfied when "BDO did caution, though, that they did not review every aspect' of the allegations or evidence provided by Bella Vista."I would suggest that statement suggests more investigation is urgently required.


Serious 'bias' against Council?

Posted on 13-06-2017 09:08 | By JBGood

Actually, a personal reading of the 55 page report does not elicit quite the same response as the author's conclusions and certainly calls into question the thoroughness of Sunlive journalism when the figure of a "near 100 per cent turnover of staff in the last two years" turns out to be patently false. The article, lacking balance and understanding, appears to be more motivated in promoting another agenda other than the reporting of the facts.


The buck does not stop anywhere for TCC

Posted on 13-06-2017 09:36 | By The author of this comment has been removed.

TCC's managers must have been very aware of a problem in this department over the 2 years. They clearly did not want to know. When they were forced to take action the best they could come up with was to get an independent party to take a look to cover their butt, (at ratepayers expense). Why are these so called managers being paid in TCC when they do not do their job? Furthermore the buck should stop at the top, as in the real world, and questions about senior leadership should be asked, and heads should roll.


@ waiknot

Posted on 15-06-2017 10:54 | By MISS ADVENTURE

More investigations? I would suggest that it is well past that, the end-game herre is that TCC will be taken to task legally and dragged through the courts. In the end ratepayers will be handed the bills for it all willingly or not, knowning of or not. The costs here will be millions, will that be swept under the carpet also?


@ JBGood

Posted on 15-06-2017 10:56 | By MISS ADVENTURE

It is a simple case of not "biting the hand that feeds ...". They had to write something to try and appease teh complaint issues but also to self preserve also (the first and only priority really).


@ JBGood

Posted on 15-06-2017 11:00 | By MISS ADVENTURE

There are a few gaps, even "ol trucker" would barrel though at spped and heaps of margin .... this is simply window dressing to try and mitigate the real deal going on within. Never forget that TCC will use all and any ratespayers money to do anything and everything to preserve itself and the current way of how "THEY" want to do all and everything. God even can not help anyone who gets in the way of that. Even BDO must be careful to avoid treading on toes ... else then be subject to the rath of the master, the elephant in the room. They possible fear where and when the elephant will sit down. Will it be them ... quish...?


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