Building safety check weaknesses in Auckland, Christchurch

Newly released information shows that weaknesses in building safety checks extend even to those with Grenfell Tower-type cladding. Auckland and Christchurch together have 54 buildings with varying amounts of the polyethylene type of aluminium composite panels. Responses under the Official Information Act show just nine of these 54 have had an on-site audit by the council of the warrant of fitness issued by private inspectors. Wellington City Council refused to release its figures of onsite audits of this type of building, saying it would take too much time to collate. Of the 16 safety systems, sprinklers and alarms get close attention, but the checks done on walls and ceilings to ensure they don't have unsealed holes in them are typically woeful. Eddy Saul issues warrants of fitness as an independent qualified person - before that he was a top building officer at Wellington city council. He talks to RNZ reporter Phil Pennington.