* (FUNKY MUSIC) Tonight, a tree house is set to get the chop. I think it is ridiculous. It's a children's playhouse. Neighbours call it an eyesore. (CHILDREN YELL) The council called it a deck. As if I'm going to get out in my bikini and martini and climb a tree to sunbathe. Should tree houses have to meet building codes? What's wrong with kids playing in their own backyard any more? And the heat goes on Scout New Zealand. We're being killed off, really. The earthquake-ravaged town of Waiau feels abandoned. Finally, Scout New Zealand fronts up. Did I feel bad watching the piece on Waiau? Plus a hair-raising problem. All my ear hairs have a tendency to curl around and they dig in and tickle. DIY grooming isn't without its hazards. We got a problem. We need to wear the earmuffs for safety, but you need to cut your ear hair. Captions were made with the support of NZ On Air. Copyright Able 2018 Kia ora, welcome to the show. Remember the good old days when kids were encouraged to get outdoors, get wet, get muddy and get a scrape on the knee? Sadly, the Bubble wrap Brigade has changed the way that kids play. They've got rid of monkey bars, flying foxes, Bull Rush and they've even banned tree-climbing in some schools. Now, if you believe a bit of danger is a good thing for kids, this story will probably get the heckles up because, in Dunedin, the humble tree house is now under threat. Here's Anna. That so hit you! It may only be a fraction above freezing, but bare legs and bravery are a right of passage for these Dunedin brothers. (BOTH YELL) There's plenty of free range for Logan, Devon and Ethan to roam round the backyard. Even more so now, since their favourite plum tree just got an upgrade that's left the other kids on the block green with envy. I think we've done a good thing for the kids. The Oke boys' grandfather built them this treehouse in April, and the boys have spent hours up in they sky since then, surveying their domain. They've all had their friends over. We've got quite a few kids in the neighbourhood. They've all been over climbing it. They all have gone home and said to their parents they want one too. But the fun hasn't lasted. The treehouse is now in line for the chop thanks to some nosey neighbours... So, they'd wasted no time in complaining about it. ...and a draconian Dunedin City Council. I think it's rather ridiculous. Just one week after the treehouse was constructed, the boys' mother Janice received this email from the Dunedin City Council. A complaint had been received. Now, Janice hadn't heard a peep from any of her neighbours. No, no, definitely not. But she thought she knew who it might be. The neighbour in question has a two-storey house which overlooks my entire backyard, overlooks every house in the neighbourhood's entire backyard. And my kids aren't up the tree looking over the fence, they're up the tree looking back into my yard. Now, we should mention this isn't the first time there's been trouble with the children and the plum tree. Once she called the police on us. Yep, the neighbours did once report the kids to the police, after some unripe fruit was batted over the fence. But Janice thought that was a one-off, and surely nobody would complain about a tree house? To be fair, there's nothing of interest to look at in the neighbour's backyard. Here's the tree house just after it was built, hidden under a curtain of autumn colour. And here's what it'll probably look like in spring... ...and summer. We've used old photos of the tree for these examples. Now, there aren't a lot of neighbourly disputes that can't be resolved with a bit of home baking, so let's see what these guys have got to say. Rachel Morris and her husband Martin later sent us a statement, saying they hadn't complained about the treehouse, but... Well, the council came to visit. problem, but they weren't happy with the way it was built. He looked at it, he said that it wasn't compliant, but didn't really state why it wasn't compliant. He hummed and ah'd about whether or not it was a deck or it was private playground equipment. A deck? A deck, seriously, as if I'm going to get out in my bikini and my martini and climb a tree to sunbathe. The council decided the treehouse was a breach of the Building Act Section 17, which states the treehouse has to comply with the building code. When you go to the building code, it just sort of goes round in circles. And there isn't really an answer at all there, indirectly, to a treehouse. Now, Janice isn't the sort to wrap her kids in cotton wool. It's not wobbly, it's totally secure. It's very safe. I wouldn't let my kids play in it if it wasn't. But she does know a thing or two about safety. You see, Janice used to be a lawyer, and now she's a health and safety consultant. At the end of the day, if they were to hurt themselves, it's me that has to look after them, so I'm not gonna expose them to an unsafe structure. And regardless of that, they were climbing the tree on their own before the tree house or the tree platform ever arrived. Trevor is standing by his work. Yeah, no movement. It's solid as. You'd be happy to climb up there again? No problem. Legally speaking, the Building Act applies to any temporary or permanent structure that's intended for occupation. That means everything from an apartment block, to grandma's house, even the chicken coop, and, yes, a tree house falls under the act and has to comply with building code. I've done what I can do to make it as safe as I can. I'm sure, you know, if the kids do something dumb, they would fall off. But hey, it's better than falling out of the tree, I think. We've made it a much safer environment having that platform up there than we did having the tree. Well, Trevor, we've got news for you. The council's decided the tree house isn't compliant. It says the platform base height's OK, but the safety railing makes the overall structure too high off the ground. Dunedin City Council refused to be interviewed by Fair Go. Instead they sent us a statement, saying... My father built it and he's built it really well. It is bolted and nailed into the tree in numerous places. Yes, it's made out of pallets, but it's got tannelized 4x2 underneath it. It's very safe. And it's had two grown men up it. Well three now, including the cameraman. Indeed, indeed! You know, what's wrong with kids playing in their own backyard any more? Are we not allowed that? And I don't see why the council would waste their time on it. Now, Dunedin City Council could let the treehouse stay. Authorities can make an exemption for structures that don't comply with the building code... Janice reckons that'd be the easiest answer to this troublesome tree hut. I would like the council to just leave the tree house alone. I think that kids should be kids, and they should be allowed to play in their own backyards safely and mind their own business. In the meantime, she and Trevor have made a decision. The treehouse is staying... I think it's ridiculous! It's a children's playhouse. It's` Seriously? Get a life. ...even if it means making it even more safe, just for the council. Oh, this stuff drives me crazy. It's insane! You are not alone in that. Wow! It's time to save the tree house, I think. Let's start a hashtag ` # save a tree house. We get some mouse pads, T-shirts, could be good merchandise in that. Mm-hm. And send us your photos to our Facebook page. Let's celebrate it. Great idea. All right, it's time now to test your consumer knowledge. If you've been following our true/false challenge, you'll know... And there has to be at least 180 days between rent increases. And food can be sold after its best-before date but not after its expiry date. Time to head south for round four. (CHILLED-OUT MUSIC) It's the second to last question in our true-false quiz, and so far, Christchurch has produced some strong contestants. If you buy something from a second hand dealer, you're not covered by the Consumer Guarantees Act. True or false? Think it's false. BOTH: True. True. I think it's false. (CHUCKLES) Yeah, I would say true. I would say it's tr` Uh, (READS) 'You're not covered'. That's false. It's true. False. That's true, yeah. False. False? So am I still in the running for the $25,000 cash prize? (CHUCKLES) No. No, you're not. If there was a cash prize for $25,000, you wouldn't be in the running for it. OK, so I'm gonna say the answer is true. Because the goods are second hand, you can't have the 'I want to take it back, cos it's not right.' It's second hand, it's already been used, you're just likely to get what you get. Answer coming up later. Coming up after the break ` Scouts New Zealand gets a brick bat and no bouquet for its treatment of its Waiau troop. I felt a huge amount empathy of for them, and I think it was grossly unjust. The earthquake-ravaged town has effectively been abandoned. We're being killed off, really. Scout New Zealand's reaction? Did I feel bad watching the piece on Waiau? And personal grooming is important. Am I the only one shouting? At the moment, yes. But this ear hair trimmer has a real bad buzz. Just the fact you need earmuffs is a bit ridiculous. Welcome back. Be positive, have respect, do what is right ` that's the Scout code. But is Scout New Zealand guilty of turning a deaf ear to its own Scout law? The North Canterbury township of Waiau was hit hard by the 2016 earthquake. They lost their tennis courts, Plunket rooms, playcentre, youth club, swimming pool and Scout hall. The community was determined to re-build, but Scout New Zealand has put a serious spanner in the works by pocketing the insurance payout, selling up the damaged den and effectively abandoning the town. Last week's story incensed an outraged you. It turns out Waiau wasn't the only town feeling rejected by the Scout movement. Here's Gill. A vacant plot that once was full of scouting life. Set up by the community, run by locals, like Erik. I was a scout in 1970s, so that shows my age. My father was leader. It was very active. We did bottle drives, camps, all sorts of things. In 2011 the property was wrecked by an earthquake. The land got red-zoned. It lead to a fight over insurance with the national organisation. The payout went to national body in Wellington, and so far, we haven't seen a cent of it. It's almost like a slap in the face for the leaders too, because they're all volunteering the time to grow Scouts. Last week Erik watched with dismay to see how the town of Waiau were stripped of their payout. Netball courts, Plunket rooms, playcentre... The little town that lost just about everything in the 2016 quake lost its fight with Scouts New Zealand for insurance money too. We've been killed off, really. I felt a huge amount of empathy for them. And I think it's grossly unjust and I think it's really against the whole thing that scouting promotes. Scouts New Zealand saw it differently. For people to say that they don't think it's fair that they aren't getting this payout, while I appreciate anger, and I respect the work that they've done, it was never going to go any other way. Did you feel bad watching the Waiau piece? Did I feel bad watching the piece on Waiau? I lived through the Canterbury earthquakes. I've been through damage to my own property. I understand what earthquake damage feels like. I understand what loss feels like. I felt for people of Waiau, and I know that they want that money back so that they can build a new sporting facility in their town, and we've made a contribution towards youth in that town. But our job is to look after the scouts of New Zealand ` the 14,000 children and young people, and the 5000 volunteers to support them. And with the absolute greatest of respect to the people in the Waiau community, Scouts New Zealand is where that money needs to go. The Waiau Scout Den was munted. After paying all the insurance premiums, the town got just $20,000 of the $126,000 payout. The thing is when they fundraised for the scouts, they fundraised for the Scouts. They say they fundraised for Waiau. With the greatest of respect, they didn't. They went out doing their bottle drives with scouty scarves on for Scouts. And I respect that they live in community that's been badly hit. I respect that. It doesn't alter the fact that the legislation is really clear ` that you're doing it for kids, who are the beneficiaries of the movement. To be fair, Waiau Scouts was in recess, but planned to reopen. Sumner, on the other hand, never closed. When their property was destroyed, they merged with nearby Mt Pleasant. We have 70 members now. 30 of those are from Sumner. They hoped to use a chunk of their insurance payout of $650,000 to renovate the dilapidated den and future-proof it for generations to come. Put a business plan together, there's things like now there's an outdoor toilet. When the cubs are there, the children have to go out in dark to use the toilet outside. We want to put a kitchen inside, the kitchen's very dated, and just do basic maintenance improvements. We've an old trailer on its last legs. But their plans didn't go down well with Scouts New Zealand. They feel very strongly that that is community money. If you donate land or you do fundraising, you do it for your community, not for the use of that money elsewhere. That's not how it works. I appreciate` If people are feeling that way, let me be really, really clear. If you are fundraising, it's for an asset that is owned by Scouts New Zealand and it's for the benefit of scouting activities and Scouts across the country. Now, in the Canterbury context with the earthquake insurance payouts, we are currently through developing a strategy on how that money will be allocated within the wider region. From the feedback we've had, a number of scout groups are unhappy with the way struggling troops are being dealt with. We aren't the only ones in Canterbury. There's probably at least four or five dens. I know the Kaiapoi got broken. There was a payout ` went to the national body. As far as I understand, the building is still broken and nothing's happened at all. We've heard from Dunedin, we've heard from Whanganui, where Kristi Whittaker, a life member of the Rovers, is at her wit's end. She's upset because the Scoutlands campsite is up for sale, as it's not making a profit. But profit is important to Scouts New Zealand. We've got about 350 assets across country. Not all of them are assets we're going to hold on to. Not all of them are assets that are fit for purpose in the right place, up to building code. We've got major asbestos programme that we're working through at the moment, so we have to do that for the good of the association. After years of negotiation, Sumner has been told it can have $120,000, but like we've said, they haven't seen a cent. They're not happy. I really think the value should go back to local community and youth, to keep the local community strong. It seems the future is fighting with the past, but Scouts New Zealand is seeing the positive from all of this. What it showed is just how passionate people are for the organisation. Once they've been in ` once a scout, always a scout. And it's given us an opportunity to really think about reconnecting with our former members in a much more proactive and positive way, so thank you for that. Hmm. We had a huge response to this story last week. We did, we did. I feel like a lot of you might have something to say again. (CHUCKLES) I can feel Facebook heating up as we speak. Coming up after the break ` DIY beauty isn't without its hazards. Am I the only one shouting? At the moment, yes. The buzz is bad, but is this ear hair remover really dangerous? Wow. That's actually quite concerning, isn't it? And we test your consumer knowledge. If you buy something from a second hand dealer, you're not covered by the Consumer Guarantees Act. * Welcome back. When it comes to looking good, some Kiwis will spare no expense. Vanity, Pippa, doesn't come cheap. People spend thousands every year on flawless hair cuts, makeup, skincare, you've got your manicures, your pedicures, your facials, your spray tans and your hair removal, and that's just before Wednesday. You just know so much about this. I'm alarmed. Some prefer to take the DIY approach, but there are unforeseen hazards. Here's Hannah. (RINGS) There are plenty of noisy noises around our homes every morning. (WHIRRS) And some gentler sounds too. (WHIRRS) All of these are part of John Sayer's morning rituals. Have you always had a moustache? Always. What, ever since you were 3 years old? Something like that? Pretty much. OK. (LAUGHS) Three months ago, John added something new. It was a Remington nose and ear hair trimmer. Being a popular brand... Right, a trustworthy brand. Trustworthy brand. John needed to deal to some annoying nostril hair... They irritate me. ...and those tricky ear hairs. All my ear hairs have a tendency to curl around and they dig in and tickle, basically. And look what can happen if you just let that hair grow. John wasn't interested in making the Guinness Book of Records, of course. But when he tried out the ear attachment on the Remington trimmer, big problem. It's when I turned it on and found it very loud. (WHIRRS) So, this is John's nose trimmer and... (WHIRRS LOUDLY) ...this is the ear trimmer. (SHOUTS) Loud? You bet. Much louder than my previous brand. Just how loud is the ear trimmer? Wow. That's way over! It is. The sound meter's reading around 87, 88 decibels, but Health and Safety guidelines say for any noise above 85, you need protective gear ` no question ` these trimmers are loud. Getting up towards 90. Of course there's a bit of a snag if we have to wear ear muffs for safety... (WHIRRS LOUDLY) Um, problem. We got a problem. You need to cut your ear hair. Bit tricky. Any ideas? Not really. YELLS: Something Remington hasn't thought of, then. That's right. Am I the only one that's shouting?! At the moment, yes. Even though John only uses the trimmer for seconds at a time,... I know that you need to have prolonged use of it to have a danger from it, but just the fact that you need ear muffs is a bit ridiculous. John knows what he's talking about when it comes to noises. (HIGH-PITCHED BEEPING) I deal a lot with fire alarms in commercial business. I carry a noise meter and have an idea of what different noises should be. He was worried enough about the noise... (WHIRRS LOUDLY) to contact Remington with the results of his decibel test. They're a big company, Remington, what did you expect? I want them to just think more about design. We have the technology these days to do anything, maybe they could just look at making them quieter. And what did Remington say? Didn't hear anything back. Nothing? Bit disappointed? A little, yeah. You expect higher of a reputable brand. Which is why John chose to air his hair on the tele. He just wants answers. It's not something that everyone wants to talk about, so thank you for being so brave. Thank you. (CHUCKLES) Sharing your ear hair with us. Well, I care. (CHUCKLES) He cares. So, John cares, and we care, and we've now heard from Remington, and they care too. They say John's complaint was sent to an overseas email address. Remington New Zealand say if they'd seen it, they'd have dealt with it. They pride themselves on customer and after-sales service. Remington do test samples from every shipment of trimmers to check the noise levels. Those levels must not exceed 75 decibels. They'd like to re-test John's trimmer. They think his method may have been wrong. Their tests are done in a semi-anechoic room with a free field over a sound reflecting plane. And I have no idea what I just said. Let me explain that for you. Oh, thank you (!) Basically that's a room with soundproofed walls and ceiling and no echoes. But in any case, Remington say they're more than happy to provide John with a replacement trimmer or a full refund. He's keen for the replacement trimmer, because he backs his testing and he's gonna test the sound levels on that one and let us know. Good on you, John. Right. Time to reveal the answer to this week's true/false challenge. If you buy something from a second hand dealer, you're not covered by the Consumers Guarantees Act. It's a question that divided our punters. Depends what it is, but it's probably false. If it's a registered dealer, but if you buy something just from` if I bought your microphone I wouldn't be, but if I bought something from a second hand dealership, I would be. Gumtree, like a car or something, aren't you still`? No, that's a private sale, so, no. (LAUGHS) And false, it is. Boy, I'm unlucky, aren't I? No. (LAUGHS) Just so unlucky. I like that we're calling it luck. All right, that's the show, but we're always here to help. Our programme is all about you, so if you've got a wrong you want made right or feel like you're not getting a fair go, that's the name of our show, please drop us a line. Remember no problem is too small. Yes, we're on Facebook or you can email us ` FairGo@tvnz.co.nz or write to us ` Private Bag 92038 Auckland 1142. Thanks for watching. I'm off to check the decibel rating on my ear trimmer. Until next week, po marie. Copyright Able 2018