This site shows how New Zealand actually deals with contaminated land!
Version 2 was essential since IAG had complained to Google about the content of the the old 100-nz website. This forced Google to block some visitors to the website.
We now have a brand NEW and more focused URL – kerikeri-nz.com which will generate more interest in reading the shocking content of our site.
The main point of our website is the effect of KIWI GREED!
Property is expensive in NZ, if an owner discovers that their property is on contaminated land, the traditional way of dealing with it is to say nothing and sell it as soon as possible to some other unsuspecting victim! Take their money and laugh your way to the bank whilst ignoring the blood on their hands!
That sounds OK but, and it is a BIG BUT, they may be literally KILLING the VICTIMS that bought the land!
To sell, you cannot disclose the contamination since that reduces the chance of sale to near zero and the price dramatically – nobody wants to lose the investment they have in their home!
Estate agents do not disclose the contamination, a really attractive piece of contaminated property is a cash cow for the agent, it can be sold repeatedly as each buyer discovers the contamination. Quick sales with high commission rates.
Areas like Kerikeri, almost all of which is on ex-orchard land, with loads of contaminated properties are estate agent heaven due to the Resource Management Act which passes the responsibility for remediating the land onto the current owner of the land (even if innocent parties). Sell the house, take the commission and repeat endlessly!
In our case, the original polluter was the Government itself, followed by the farmer they gave the land to who actually did nothing wrong. He sprayed Lead Arsenate on the land endlessly trying to save his crop with the full approval of the NZ Government. No checks or controls existed on the use of this deadly cheical. Many countries had banned the use of Lead Arsenate long before our land was first farmed, NZ didn’t ban it until 1988!
GREED takes over, you sell your contaminated property, get your money back, pass on the problem, IGNORE the fact you may KILL the people who buy your house, after all, the seller’s logic states, they too can just sell it and move on!
The experiences we suffered illustrate how the system works, we were the unsuspecting victims, we refused to sell our contaminated property without disclosing the issue, we published what was happening and this site details what happened to us after we took that decision!
We did the right thing, we do not regret taking that decision but it really was a wasted effort. ASB bank eventually bankrupted us, they sold the land WITHOUT disclosing the contamination even through we supplied them with our detailed test results. New owners built a new house roughly where Killara stood.
We have pulled no punches, named names and firms. Detailed the disgusting actions of the NZ Government who hide behind the law they apparently created to allow them to escape responsibility for their actions.
LEARN! Take great care before you buy a house in New Zealand, it could literally KILL you!