Crucial steel cut in Queenstown Kmart

A worker on Queenstown’s new Kmart building cut through steel bars connecting concrete wall panels to the foundations then tried to cover it up, its builders say.

Dominion Constructors Ltd managing director Brett Russell told Queenstown-based news website Crux that repairing the damage was ‘‘not too complex’’ as the affected reinforcing steel was not pre-stressed.

There had been ‘‘consequences’’ for some of the people involved, he said.

It was revealed yesterday that the Queenstown Lakes District Council (QLDC) had issued Dominion Constructors Ltd and developers Queenstown Central with a ‘‘notice to fix’’ the issue on August 21.

A council spokeswoman said a person working on the site had informed the council of a ‘‘potential issue’’.

‘‘The matter was investigated by QLDC, which determined that there was in fact an issue. It affects two buildings.’’

One building had cut steel bars on three of its walls, while bent steel bars were found on one wall of the other building.

Council building control inspections team leader Jonathan Shaw said the companies had cooperated to remedy the issue and approval for remedial work to begin was granted on September 21.

In a statement, Russell said the company was well under way with the remedial work, and it was ‘‘disappointing’’ the issue was being raised again ‘‘because of a post via social media’’.

‘‘It wasn’t that we wanted to hide the problem.’’ Brett Russell, Dominion Constructors Ltd managing director, as reported by Crux.

He told Crux earlier that the situation was frustrating for the company as it was known for its concrete work.

‘‘You do have to rely on people doing what they say they’ll do and not trying to hide stuff.

‘‘The senior management should have known about it, but didn’t, and when we found out about it we instantly started to sort it out. It wasn’t that we wanted to hide the problem.’’

Shaw said the council had since engaged its own independent engineering advice and had been closely monitoring the remedial engineering design and work.

‘‘Something like this is of obvious concern and we will not provide any approvals allowing for public use until we are satisfied that the issues have been fully rectified.

‘‘QLDC is confident that once these works are completed and approved that the building will be compliant ...’’

The building is part of the $100 million Queenstown Central development, which includes another 40 retail and food businesses in Frankton.

Kmart Queenstown had been scheduled to open on October 4, but that has been delayed until October 18.

Queenstown Central spokesman Simon Holloway did not respond to requests for comment.