Coastal dream ends in ‘garbage dump’
A couple who moved into a brand-new subdivision were sold on the dream of ‘‘luxury coastal living’’ – but say the reality is a ‘‘garbage dump’’.
Vikram Kamboj and his wife bought off the plans in the ‘‘highly sought after’’ area of Auckland’s Hobsonville Point.
When the pair first visited the Coast Garden subdivision in Scott Point it had manicured lawns and kept streets, but now looked like a ‘‘garbage dump’’, Kamboj said.
‘‘It was sold to us as luxury coastal living but when the house was finished and we moved in, there was rubbish everywhere and the grass had been left to overgrow.’’
He said the vacant lot next door had become filled with bottles, takeaway litter, sacks of rubbish and building materials that appeared to have been dumped by builders from nearby sites.
The couple paid $1.6 million for their property, having been drawn by the scenic location with ‘‘beautiful views’’.
Kamboj tried contacting the builder that had sold him his home, but they said maintaining the streetscape was Auckland Council’s responsibility. But when he contacted the council, it said the original developer of the subdivision was responsible for its maintenance for two years.
Kamboj said that left him with nowhere to turn as the council refused to provide him contact details for the developer for ‘‘privacy reasons’’.
The grass on the berm eventually became dangerous when it overgrew to such an extent it covered over the top of a large hole with exposed pipes, he said.
When his friend’s child came to visit and nearly fell into the hole, Kamboj made a complaint to the council. After that, someone came to mow his berm, but they left the resulting sacks of grass on the street outside his house.
He said he believed infrequent rubbish collection was contributing to the problem.
Stuff tracked down the original developer, Decho Group. Spokesperson Stella Fang said the firm had had trouble with its maintenance contractor and had hired a new one and it was hoped that conditions would improve.
Meanwhile, Auckland Council said it would investigate if there was ‘‘sufficient evidence’’ of illegal dumping.