Chris Lynch
Chris Lynch is a journalist, videographer and content producer, broadcasting from his independent news and production company in Christchurch, New Zealand.
A Kāinga Ora house in North New Brighton was less than a year old when its tenant was arrested following the discovery of a meth lab.
As first reported by chrislynchmedia.com, police uncovered a meth lab at a Kāinga Ora property on Bower Avenue on Saturday, February 22.
Selwyn Police carried out a pre-planned search of the home, and a man was arrested at the scene on serious charges.
A Kāinga Ora spokesperson told chrislynchmedia.com:
Like other landlords, Kāinga Ora is faced with the issue of methamphetamine (meth) contamination in our homes from time to time.
While we acknowledge meth use is primarily a health and addiction issue, we take a hard line on meth manufacture or supply in our homes, and we will refer any evidence of this to police.
If a Kāinga Ora tenant is found to be responsible for manufacturing meth in their home, we will use tools available to us under the Residential Tenancies Act, which could include a notice to end the tenancy. In that situation, the person would need to apply through the Ministry of Social Development to determine their eligibility for social housing.
The spokesperson said if meth contamination is confirmed through testing, Kāinga Ora carries out thorough decontamination, which costs around $10,000 on average.
Kāinga Ora uses accredited contractors to complete meth testing and decontamination to ensure a property is safe and healthy for a new tenant. More information can be found on our website.
The property involved is a new build, completed in March 2024.
This article was originally published by Chris Lynch Media.
