Inspectors and building consents

Busted Blonde has been flushed in her attempt to fit a new bog in their sleepout.

Her story reminds me of my own recent brush with the council.

I have had a solar collector added to the recently replaced hot water cylinder. When we fixed the knackered cylinder a year or so ago, we opted for a solar capable type in stainless. Bloody expensive. But with solar, now a great Power saver, saving near on $40/month. Cost of council inspection fee in building consent about 10% of collector job. Not cheap.

Installing firm eventually signed off on job. Head building inspector council wallah duly turns up a month later to sign off the paper work.

Never met him before, looks like he has just been prised away from his expense account at the bar of his local. I suspect doing council 'rounds' to get a bit of obviously much needed exercise on a nice sunny morning. Drive in the country more like it.

Anyway, turns up, exchanges pleasantries and eyeballs the collector on the pitched roof from the front path. No getting on roof to look closely. No list of items to check off. Then asks to see plumbing around tank.

No problems I say, offered to get the step ladder from garage, thinking this will be fun watching 18 stone squeeze through the manhole into the ceiling. The new tank barely went up that hole. But once up there, you can easily walk around and is well lit.

'No way, Jose' he says. 'All OK, bye'! Not bad, less than 2 minutes on site never even got onto the front porch.

I thought well that's that, but also thought that the leaky home saga might have forced council inspectorates to tighten up inspection regimes and that they would now be doing inspections to a full check list.

Obviously not in this council.