Ebert Construction builds mansion for its managing director

Friday, 3 August 2018

A director of failed Ebert Construction was building a multi-million dollar mansion in an exclusive seaside enclave while his company teetered on the brink of collapse.

Ebert managing director Kelvin Hale contracted the company to build his new home in the Lower Hutt suburb of Eastbourne, though a sub-contractor said he could not recall ever seeing any Ebert staff on site.

Ebert Construction managing director Kelvin Hale.

Ebert Construction was put into receivership on Tuesday with receiver John Fisk estimating the company owed $40 million.

Fisk confirmed that Ebert Construction was contracted to build the home by Hale's family trust.

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Stuff has not been able to contact Hale for comment.

The owner of bricklaying company Able Mason, Gary Bouzaid, said he was paid by Ebert Construction for the work he did on the Lowry Bay house, which is listed as Hale's home address in the Companies Office.

The house is largely secluded from the roadside.

An invoice seen by Stuff showed that Bouzaid's work at 51 Walter Road was addressed to Ebert Construction.

'All I know is the cheques were coming out of Ebert's to pay [the subcontractors],' Bouzaid said.

Bouzaid said he had not seen much sign of Ebert on the site and had initially thought his contract was with Hale.

A winding driveway leads to the massive secluded three-storey house on a bush clad hillside, with walls of glass overlooking Wellington Harbour.

Bouzaid said the Walter Road property was 'the best house you've ever seen in your life'. Construction began in 2015.

The house's plans included five bedrooms, a study, four bathrooms, an elevator, extensive decking and a six-car garage.

The $30 million project for the new Indian High Commission in Wellington's parliamentary precinct was headed by Ebert Construction.

Lowry Bay's median house price is $1.08m, according Homes.co.nz.

Bouzaid said he was owed about $18,000 by Ebert for work he did on the new Indian High Commission.

Hale bought a neighbouring property in 2014 for $1.45m, according to QV.

Neighbours said the house on the property was demolished last week to make way for a swimming pool.

In a visit to the residence it appeared work was ongoing, with pvc tubing and several large bags containing demolished material near the demolition site.

The properties are owned by Kelvin Hale's wife Bronwyn Hale and Wellington lawyer Donald Forsyth, according to Terranet. Resource consent documents name K.E Hale Family Trust as owners.

Forsyth, who is a trustee of the K.E Hale Family Trust said the house was built by an independent builder with some sub-contracting 'done by or through Ebert Construction'. He said all work on the house had be invoiced to the Trust and paid in full.

The two properties had a combined rateable value of $5.9m in July.

A resource consent application granted in 2015 estimated the new house would cost $3.08m to build.

Ebert was working on 15 projects around the country, including the Indian High Commission, the Union Green apartment development in Auckland, a unit at Middlemore Hospital and a new commercial building in Carterton.