page 17

Council won't act on slums

The Wellington mayoral election forum held recently in the Union Building produced a number of important issues. Two of the questions directed to candidates sought answers as to why the Wellington City Council had not licensed apartment buildings and only employed one inspector of substandard dwellings. Sir Francis Kitts and Councillor Michael Fowler were baffled by these questions and promised (o investigate.

Some weeks after the forum enquiries to both candidates about the result of their investigation produced no reply from Sir Francis Kitts and a mild answer from Michael Fowler. Councilor Fowler said that he had spoken to the city engineer who promised him that would direct his staff to licence apartment buildings. Cr Fowler also said that any person who did not receive satisfaction from the council officer in regard to substandard dwellings could refer the matter to him and he would investigate. Michael Fowler's reply is an attempt to smooth over a very serious situation.

In 1968 an amendment to the Municipal Corporations Act l954 required that all apartment buildings coming within the given definition were to be licensed. The definition states that an apartment building means a building which accommodates three or more families living independently of one another with or without common facilities but does not include owner-occupied flats. Six years have elapsed since the legislation was passed and Wellington City Council has still not licensed apartment buildings. The reason for this inaction lies principally in the economics of the council and its fear of offending landlords, inspections of apartment buildings involves the fire officer, building inspector and health inspector. Regular inspections by these officers could keep these flats in a reasonable standard for living in. However the Wellington City Council is concerned no doubt in the extra staff required to inspect these premises, and also with the extra cost especially in relation to safety requirements that the landlords would have to spend to bring their buildings up to the required standard. The council should be made aware of the likely effect on the mental physical and social health of the community if people are continuing to live in substandard flats.

All substandard dwellings in New Zealand are governed by the same legislation. The relevant legislation is the Health Act 1956 and the Urban Renewal and Housing Improvement Act 1945. Generally the enforcement of this legislation is carried out by health inspectors who are trained specifically as preventive officers in the field of public health Although the Wellington City Council health inspectors are officers appointed under the above mentioned legislation, only one building inspector apparently does the necessary investigation work. The Health Department has constantly written to local authorities, to say that they should carry out regular inspections of all dwellings within their area. To this purpose health inspectors have the wide power of entry and inspection of premises at all reasonable times.

But no prosecutions in recent years have been successful in relation to substandard dwellings. The number of substandard dwellings continues to increase.

The tenants have the legislation to support them in their legitimate claims in regard to substandard dwellings but the local body is apparently not prepared to enforce the legislation.