It has cost former Auckland Mayor Phil Goff $160,000 to renovate his rental property, which was used as a gang meth lab.

The lab in Goff’s Clevedon rental property was discovered in April 2024 during the hunt for a fugitive Ralph Park, who was allegedly involved in a kidnapping on Auckland’s Beach Haven.

Speaking about the topic of methamphetamine use in New Zealand on Herald NOW, Goff said: “It’s hard to know why New Zealand probably has the worst statistics for methamphetamine. It’s easy to manufacture. You’re talking about somebody whose house was used as a meth lab, when he was overseas, by a gang.

“It’s just cost me $160,000 in renovation for tenants that were there for nine weeks, just outrageous.”

The home tested for a methamphetamine level of 200 micrograms [per 100 square centimetres], he said.

The safe level of 15 micrograms per 100 square centimetres, according to Settled.govt.nz.

The Herald understands Goff is taking legal action against the rental property management.

Goff said what really worried him about the situation was that the tenants had children living in the home while it was doubling as a clandestine lab.

“Now what’s going to happen to those kids? How are those kids going to grow up? That’s what really worries me.

“I can deal with the financial side, but what do we do with those kids?”

He said that helping children in drug-affected homes should be a priority for the Government.

“What do we do with the kids in Northland that are growing up in those families where drug abuse is rife, they’re neglected, their mental development’s being affected by drugs.

“That’s got to be, you know, a focus of government to the utmost extent because real damage is being done.”

Goff was serving as New Zealand’s High Commissioner to the United Kingdom when the lab was discovered by police.

He was sacked from the diplomatic position by Foreign Minister Winston Peters in March this year for comments he made questioning US President Donald Trump’s knowledge of history.

The Herald NOW panel got on the subject of methamphetamine by talking about the high number of alleged homicides in Northland this year.

Goff told host Ryan Bridge that methamphetamine has “got to be a factor”.