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A builder has been fined tens of thousands of dollars for illegally converting a warehouse into a building with offices, parking lots and apartments in the central Auckland suburb of Eden Terrace.
Construction site. (file image) Source: istock.com
John Liong Kiat Wong was fined $ 80,750 in connection with four charges including illegal construction work, failure to comply with notice to stop work, continued offense related to fire safety systems, and conversion without the consent of resources.
Illegal construction work on Exmouth Street was discovered in 2018 when a large block of concrete fell from the top level of the converted building and onto the neighbor’s roof, with hardly a skylight.
In addition to illegally converting the building, people were living in the apartments and basic safety features, such as smoke detectors and fire sprinklers, were not in compliance.
He was sentenced in Auckland District Court last week.
Judge David Kirkpatrick said that Wong was an experienced developer, so there was no explanation as to why he didn’t follow the rules. He said the crime required a substantial penalty.
“In particular, the purposes of the Building Act include ensuring the safety of building occupants. The defendant’s deliberate behavior by failing to obtain the necessary consents and by failing to verify and approve specified systems requires a deterrent sentence.” Judge Kirkpatrick said in his decision.
Mayor Phil Goff said the penalty reflected the seriousness of the infraction and would send a strong message to anyone who deliberately fails to meet their obligations under the Building Act.
“Those who break the rules in that way need to know that they will be caught and face the consequences of their actions.”
Kerri Fergusson, Auckland Council compliance response and investigations manager, said the violation in this case was calculated and deliberate, for commercial purposes, and put occupants and neighbors at risk.
She said the ruling should act as a deterrent for others who want to avoid the legal process of obtaining the required consents and inspections.
