ZB ZB
Live now
Start time
Playing for
End time
Listen live
Listen to NAME OF STATION
Up next
Listen live on
ZB

Kate Hawkesby: What a relief for Bella Vista homeowners

Author
Kate Hawkesby ,
Publish Date
Fri, 2 Nov 2018, 6:44AM
The City Council has finally done the right thing and agreed to take ownership of the homes.. at a price at last acceptable to the owners. Photo / John Borren.

Kate Hawkesby: What a relief for Bella Vista homeowners

Author
Kate Hawkesby ,
Publish Date
Fri, 2 Nov 2018, 6:44AM

What a relief for the Bella Vista homeowners in Tauranga. I’m stoked for them.
What a stressful and hideous eight months they’ve had.

The City Council has finally done the right thing and agreed to take ownership of the homes at a price at last acceptable to the owners.

We don’t know what that price is because it’s a confidential settlement but it’s been a long time in the making and I hope it gives the homeowners some sense of closure.
There is nothing more sapping than a drawn out legal stoush where really the only winners are the lawyers.

The task in front of them now is to find new homes, and hopefully put this all behind them.

It was back in June that the council recognised its’ failures and voted to purchase the homes.
But then debate ensued over price. The argy bargy got ugly, lawyers were hired, people’s lives were wrecked.

A report was damning of the Council’s role in all this, and the Mayor has at least said he wants to ensure this never happens again, that the Council learns from the saga.

Theories abound as to how this all happened in the first place, but investigations by both the Council and MBIE will hopefully throw up some solid answers in that regard.

So what’s this whole thing cost? Well we won’t know the final figure of the buyout, but what we do know is that for ratepayers, just under 3 million dollars was spent on lawyers fees, security and other costs.

But for many homeowners, it’s them cost everything. Their peace of mind, their health, their lifestyle, their relationships. Not to mention, their home.

Many were pushed to the brink by this, their lives put under immeasurable strain, all because of something that was no fault of their own. It will no doubt take a while for the angst of these past few months to wash through and for time to heal those wounds.

I hope for their sake they’re able to move on and put this behind them, I hope the Council learns from this and no other families have to suffer.

But I also hope for justice for these families, that those responsible for the shoddy workmanship and defects in these buildings are held accountable for their botched job.

Those fingered have all pled not guilty, the case gets heard in February next year.

I hope the Bella Vista homeowners will be able to watch that unfold from the comfort of a new, better, well-built home.

Take your Radio, Podcasts and Music with you