Page: 12802
Mr HAZZARD (Wakehurst) [6.00 p.m.]: I express my concerns about a building company, Henley Properties (NSW) Pty Ltd, that has undertaken certain building work at 2 Penrose Place, Frenchs Forest, on behalf of Fraser and Joanne Richardson. Mr and Mrs Richardson had lived on that land for more than 20 years. In April 1998 they entered into a contract with Henley Properties for the construction of a family home. Mr and Mrs Richardson have two children, aged six and nine. The family has been left at the mercy of a company that has undertaken what can only be described as an appalling construction job on the site.
The family home has turned into a family horror. Henley Properties has been the subject of previous public comment. Indeed, the Minister for Fair Trading has knowledge of this matter and has spoken to me about it. On behalf of a number of families who have been hurt by Henley, his department is trying to bring about some resolution of the problems. The Richardson family has been left without a home with a future. The family instructed an engineering company, Alfred Frasca and Associates Pty Ltd, to provide them with a report on the building. The report states:
1. We recommend that the brick veneer skin and the ground floor slab be demolished and reconstructed in an approved manner for the following reasons.
(a) The building in many areas does not comply with the mandatory and statutory Building Code of Australia requirements and Australian Standards.
(b) The brickwork construction has many defects as outlined in our report and does not comply with the requirements of AS 3700.
(c) The weatherproofing of the residence is inadequate due to the faulty construction of the weepholes, DPC and flashing.
(d) The installed termite protection is unsatisfactory and does not comply with a council conditions, contract specifications, BCA 1996 AS 3660.1.
(e) The ground floor concrete slab has many design and construction defects.
2. We recommend that the ceiling linings in the lounge, kitchen, meals, rumpus and family room be replaced in an approved manner for the following reasons.
I will not detail the reasons. In reality the report states that the house should be pulled down. For two years the two young children have lived in a family in turmoil. The family entered into a contract in good faith with the company, Henley Properties, which claimed that it would build a lovely new home. But what did the Richardson family get? The family got nothing more than a pull-down shack. The situation must be resolved. If Henley Properties is to retain any vestige of its reputation, it should offer to pull down the defective building, and construct a new home in accordance with plans and specifications to be provided by Mr and Mrs Richardson. It must agree to enter into a cash bond so that sufficient money is put aside in case it pulls the same dastardly trick again and builds another dud house. The company must enter into all the necessary legal guarantees to make sure that the family can live in it.
If that does not happen, Henley's insurance company should come to the party. The family has a home owner's warranty under the new system created by the current Government, which is underwritten by Royal and Sun Alliance Insurance Australia, a division of HIA Insurance Services Pty Ltd. I call on those companies to take away the frustration and worry of the family and guarantee that if Henley Properties cannot rectify the situation, they will rectify it. I also call on the Department of Fair Trading to accelerate whatever action is necessary to get Henley Properties to rebuild the home properly. If Henley Properties does not do that, it should be prosecuted and should lose its licence. Its directors should be held accountable for the appalling way it has treated this family.