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“New Scheme Protects $1M Worth of New P.N. Buildings”

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Description: These images were taken for the August 6th, 1978 edition of the Tribune weekly newspaper, the first of which was published.

The caption read: “Mr and Mrs Brougham, their daughter Marion (18 months), Mr Kear, and Mr Carter pictured with ‘their’ new house.”

An extract from the article read: “It's been operating for less than five months, but the Building Performance Guaranteе Corporation is already looking after $1 million-worth of buildings going up in Palmerston North. And the first house to be constructed under the umbrella of the protection scheme is now being finished. Lindsay and Sue Brougham's house is in the final stages of completion in Amberley Avenue (near Tremaine Avenue) and the couple should be moving in this week or next week.

Nationally, the corporation is protecting the owners of $10 million-worth of new buildings "It's been pretty quick business," the Housing Corporation's deputy manager in Palmerston North Mr Don Cattanach, told the ‘Tribune’. "And so far we haven’t had any claims which is good news as far as we are concerned.

Lindsay and Sue Brougham thought their house was good news as well - it's the first home they've owned. And they got the section through a Housing Corporation ballot, as well. ‘Everything's fallen into place nicely’, Lindsay said. ‘I’ve taken a couple of Golden Kiwi tickets as well, just to see what happens there’.

The Broughams, the manager of Crown Houses (Mr Bill Carter), Housing Corporation officials and Palmerston North's deputy mayor, Mr Gordon Kear, inspected the new house just before its completion. Mr Kear is the first chairman of the national Building Performance Guarantee Corporation, (Mr Kear is a former area director for the Carter Holt group of companies, and a past president of the Timber Merchants Federation.) The Housing Corporation in Palmerston North is the local office for the insurance scheme.

The Building Performance Guarantee Corporation is designed to protect home-owners in New Zealand against poor workmanship, the use of inferior building materials, and builder bankruptcy or other failure to complete home according to contract. It also aims to promote better standards in the building industry.

The corporation offers an insurance scheme similar those already established in many other countries including Britain, Canada, Australia, and the United States. The Corporation administered by a six-man board comprising of a chairman, four members appointed by the Minister of Housing (three of whom are appointed in consultation with the Consumers Institute, the Master Builders' Federation, and the Manufacturers Federation), and the Director-General of the Housing Corporation.”

These images form part of the Manawatū Evening Standard Negative Collection. Unfortunately, only negatives between April and December 1978 are held.