Roof collapse report a timely reminder

The disturbing state of New Zealand’s building and construction industry has been brought to the fore with the release today of the report into the collapse of the Stadium Southland roof, Labour’s Building and Construction spokesperson Raymond Huo says.

“The report serves as a timely reminder about the safety issues surrounding the building industry.

“I have noted with considerable concern the warnings from some of New Zealand’s top structural engineers about building defects and design problems which have plagued the construction industry for the past two decades.

“The report released today by Hyland and StructureSmith substantiated their view that construction defects and design problems were a telling factor in the collapse of Stadium Southland’s roof,” Raymond Huo said.

“Interestingly the 1999 report that was written when the stadium was being erected found that not only was it failing under its self-weight, it had wind and seismic defects as well - in precast concrete wall panels and in the seating supports.

“Building and Construction Minister Maurice Williamson says that ‘New Zealand’s building standards are among the best in the world’. That implies a problem with the codes, when engineering is the main concern. 

“As raised by Structural Engineer John Scarry, in the last decade in Europe, with a population of about 100 times ours, they lost three stadia (all in one year), under heavy snow loads.

“We nearly lost two without any snow, lost one with light snow, and at least two other large roofs without snow failed (one in Australia). The Europeans have an excuse that Southland Stadium does not. Snow weighs only about 28% of what ice does. 

“With the building and construction industry facing these huge challenges the National government has decided the best idea to tackle the problem is to absorb the Department of Building and Housing into a so-called Super Ministry.

“We need a Minister who is fully devoted to averting crisis in the building industry but instead all we will get is a Minister who will only be able to offer a small portion of his time and resource to building and construction issues,” said Raymond Huo.