1 Tonight ` the power of H20. Yes, there's something magical about this water. THIS is Osmosis Wellness disruptive virus pathogen harmonising water with cancellation frequencies. They say it can cure the common cold. But is it legit? I don't know ` I've been finding it quite a laugh. (LAUGHS) Plus ` coming of age hits an unexpected roadblock. I could never live with myself if I hurt anyone on the road. A driver's licence ` it's the go-to ID we all rely on. But what if a disability prevents you from ever getting behind the wheel? How do I prove who I am? And a monumental eyesore. The birds love it in there. The birds might love it, but the neighbours hate it. You see some unsavoury looking characters going in there sometimes. It make me worry about drugs and things. Why has it taken 45 years to complete this build? There is no need for this! This is assault. Copyright Able 2017. Welcome to the show. Conmen, pyramid schemes, Nigerian scams ` we have seen them all. Quite why anyone would send their life savings to a Nigerian prince who's unjustly imprisoned, kidnapped or stranded in space after a secret mission goes wrong ` it's a bit of a mystery to me. Mm. But these scams exist for a reason ` they work. And so do a whole heap of dodgy deals designed to separate you from your hard-earned cash. So, tonight, strap yourself in. We wanna talk to you about harmonised water. We're told it can cure the common cold. Here's Anna. We all know what water's supposed to be ` clear, odourless, tasteless. But what if water wasn't just water? We're in a lab, and this is water, though not as you know it. Because what if water could do something more? (POP!) Whoo! This is Osmosis Wellness Disruptor virus/pathogen harmonising water, with cancellation frequencies. It promises some pretty spectacular stuff ` it'll help your body, it says, get rid of all the bad bugs. But can it actually live up this claim? And what do those claims really mean? When we rang the company to ask about the water, here's word for word what they told us. At 59 bucks a pop, you better hope so, especially when the adult dose is two bottles. The company offered us real-life success stories of these miracles, but we've got our own guinea pig ` our workmate,... Hello. My name is Luke... ...ready and willing to put his body on the line. So I'm gonna give it a go. It's pretty good. Osmosis says this water can harmonise viruses and bacteria,... assisting clearing metals and toxins... That's quite a lot of water to drink in one sitting. ...and expose your negative thoughts for removal. Its inventor, Ben Johnson, admits his product is just water, but he says there's a twist. There are no scientific studies to back up the Disruptor water's technology. It's all a bit confusing, and not just for us. What do you make of a claim like that? I don't really understand it. So we got Dr Siouxsie Wiles, boss of the superbugs lab at Auckland University, to check out this H20. In my lab we're looking for things that kill bacteria, we're always interested in trying new things out, and what we do is we take whatever is claimed to kill the bacteria, and we put it with the bacteria and see whether it actually kills them. Dr Siouxsie's team put the water's cancellation frequencies to the test against three grunty bacteria ` E coli, MRSA and... And Pseudomona aeruginosa. And? And I'm afraid it didn't kill any of them. Sorry. (CHUCKLES) You don't have to apologise. Did the water have any effect at all on the bacteria? It doesn't work. (LAUGHS) The company's since told us it's not surprised the product didn't pass the tests. It says Disruptor doesn't kill bacteria; it helps weaken them by harmonising. Hello again. So, did our guinea pig feel the full harmonising effects of the so-called scalar waves working miracles? I am still yet to notice any discernible effect, except for using the bathroom once, which I think is probably normal. What about getting rid of negative thoughts? No. He said that he still was getting negative thoughts. Maybe that's just because they feel a bit disappointed about spending $118 on your water. (CHUCKLES) Osmosis says the results aren't always noticeable. Well, yeah, he's right, because it's water. Is it worth your hard-earned cash, though? I don't know ` I've been finding it quite a laugh, so I've found it quite positive, actually. (LAUGHS) Here's some advice for free ` save yourself a hundred and eighteen bucks and just turn on the tap. So, Anna's been watering her plants with this stuff. That is expensive plant water. Mm. All my negative thoughts have disappeared. Now, look, Dr Ben Johnson, the creator of harmonising water, told us, and I quote ` Right (!) He says harmonising water is not harmful in any way and... Now, Dr Johnson offered to send us water for a variety of medical conditions and test it on individuals with... But he did add this rider ` He also says they've had no complaints, there's a money back guarantee and, if they've mad a claim on their website that Disruptor kills viruses, they will correct that. There you have it. Right. Time to bring back an old favourite. Trivia can be good for the brain and good for the pocket, especially if you know your consumer rights. That's right. So tonight I head to Nelson for the return of the Fair Go true-false challenge. It's our sunshine capital, and on this winter's day, Nelson doesn't disappoint. But will the locals' shining knowledge impress us too as we take the Fair Go true/false challenge to the top of the South Island. And will we be able to give away some Fair Go cash? Today we're talking building rules, and first question ` True or false? I'll say true. False. False. You didn't hesitate there. Mm. My husband's a builder. (LAUGHS) ALL: True. False. So is it true or is it false? We'll let you know shortly. So, for $20,000` $20. (LAUGHS) Really? Wow. OK. I'm gonna say true. Of course, it's a Kiwi male's/female's right to work in their own home. Well, we'll see. We'll have the answer a little bit later on. And coming up after the break ` life's obstacles can become major roadblocks when you have no ID. And I'm tired of that. I want to participate. No driver licence means no ID and no end of problems. How do I prove who I am? And the monumental eyesore that was supposed to be finished by spring. Did I say which spring? Why has it taken 45 years to not finish this building? There is no need for this! This is assault. Welcome back. Without an ID, life effectively stops. The simplest tasks, like catching a flight, opening a bank account, or buying a beer are near on impossible. Most of us rely on our driver licence, but what do you do if you can't drive? It's a real roadblock and a major problem for those with disabilities. Here's Hannah. Don't get me wrong ` I love my life. I love my family, my job, my home; I love living in Taupo. Nigel is an orator, a public speaker ` a toastmaster, in fact. Today we're helping him practice talking on the telly. Make-up. Make-up, quick. He's already behaving like a TV diva. Come on. What a drama queen! Seriously. It needs to be done. Luckily, though, Nigel's got important stuff to say. And go. There's just one thing that's grinding my gears. Who am I? It's really difficult to prove who I am. Nigel, of course, knows exactly who he is. He's a 28-year-old husband and father of two ` and yes, we'll meet the family later ` and an enthusiastic member of Toastmasters. It has made a massive difference to my speaking. Before, it was a real challenge to stand before an audience and give a presentation. Now I do it every day for my job. He's an assistant teacher at the local Taupo polytech, and he cycles every day. I've really enjoyed the challenges that biking offers, and I've really enjoyed the fitness that it gives me. Cycling, though, isn't a hobby for Nigel ` it's a necessity. When he was 4, Nigel was hit by a car and suffered a life-long brain injury, which stops him driving. Confidence is a big issue for me driving. I really don't feel that with my fatigue, with my concentration levels from my brain injury, that I would actually be able to get behind a wheel and safely say, 'I'm OK. I've got this under control.' I could never live with myself if I hurt anyone on the road. He's not unhappy that he can't drive; it's the not having the driver's licence that's caused him no end of problems, or as he puts it... It's all about my identity. 10 years ago Nigel applied for an 18-plus card from NZ Post. It's a proof-of-age document. About the easiest thing for me to be doing with my 18-plus card is buy alcohol. Have you seen the way I walk? Buying alcohol is probably not the best thing for me to be doing. Ready, Kayleigh? Let's go and get the washing. Come on. Let's go and get the washing. Nigel's limp is also the result of his head injury. And yes, he's serious about not using his 18-plus card to buy booze. Here you go. You take this to the washing basket. Good girl. This doting dad only uses his 18-plus card as proof of identity, but he says it just doesn't work. The first phone company that I went to, they wouldn't accept my 18-plus card to sign up for a phone plan. Bye-bye, scooter. See you tomorrow. I'd gone into the bank, and the bank had said if you're going to use your 18-plus card, you need to have your birth certificate or your driver's licence or your passport. Tell me ` why would you have an 18-plus card if you had any of those? And trying to get family benefit entitlements for Kayleigh and for 3-month-old baby Jonah ` well, Nigel says that's also been tricky. I told them when I went in there I didn't have a driver's licence. When I produced the 18-plus card, they asked me to go and get 25 years' worth of bank statements to prove who I was. So using the 18-plus card has meant a lot of extra running round for this family. And on top of doing all the driving,... How are the kids? Did they behave today? Yeah. Jonah needs a bath when we get home. ...Nigel's wife, Mikayla, ends up doing anything that needs formal proof of ID. He just gets so upset that no one's accepting it. And then it's left to me to produce the ID that I've got. A lot of responsibility is left to her, and I'm tired of that. I want to participate. I'm really proud of him as a wife. He does an amazing job to overcome everything, you know, like, all of the struggles, let alone having to deal with this. (CHUCKLES) And here's the thing ` when Nigel got the 18-plus card 10 years ago, he had to supply a passport photo, proof of address, a witness to verify his identity and a birth certificate, so to Nigel... It seems ridiculous that after all the effort that I went through to get my 18-plus card, it's not accepted like other forms of ID. I won't eat all of them. I promise. There are people in society like myself, there's gotta be many of them, who struggle the same way I do. There must be a way that we can show... a clear ID of who we are without having passports, without having driver's licences. How do you feel about him coming to Fair Go? Oh, I think it's awesome. You know, like, I just think he's amazing. Let me just leave you with this thought ` how do I prove who I am? Go, Nige! (BOTH LAUGH) Yes. That would be annoying. I know. I feel for Nigel. Look, in a nutshell, the problem seems to be some organisations see the 18-plus card only as proof of a person's age, not necessarily proof of their identity. Well, we are pleased to announce that we have got some good news for Nigel. Hospitality NZ, who organise the 18-plus card, and Internal Affairs, who're, of course, in charge of passports ` they both say they're working on a solution. Yes. They want to increase awareness of the 18-plus card as an acceptable form of photo ID and reduce instances of it not being accepted. So brilliant work, Nigel, for raising the issue for us. Right. Coming up after the break ` time creates a monumental eyesore in Timaru. It is a disgrace to a street. He promised to finish it by spring. Did I say which spring? But 45 springs have come and gone. And the neighbours have had enough. You see some unsavoury looking characters going in there sometimes. It makes me wonder about drugs and things. And don't break out the power tools until you've heard the result of our true-or-false challenge. So is it true or is it false? Welcome back. Anyone who has built a new home will know patience is a wonderful thing. It feels like it's time for some fun facts. Here we go. Did you know it took 23 years to build Buckingham Palace, 23 years! 21 years to build the Taj Mahal and 20 years to build the Great Pyramid of Giza. Good things take time, and you'd expect a lot from a 45-year build. But in Timaru, all it's done is create a monumental eyesore. Today's open home is number three Collins St, Timaru ` a block of two flats. It's in the dead centre of town. It is a good spot, even if it is opposite the cemetery. (LAUGHS) One man started building these flats in 1972 and never quite got around to finishing them. Some call it the Collins St aviary. The birds love it in there, and, of course, they come and poop on the windows. (CHUCKLES) At 45 years and counting, we guesstimate it's possibly ` probably, is surely ` New Zealand's longest-running uncompleted building project. It is a disgrace to a street. That's Carol. The whole lot bulldozed down. Carol McKenzie, neighbour. She's lived next door 10 years. Used to be glass, but evidently, kids used to come and smash all the glass. Now they just come and chuck rocks on the roof. Carol keeps a close eye on what's happening over her fence. There was a couple of homeless people stayed there for a couple of days, until the police came and got rid of them. You see some unsavoury looking characters going in there sometimes. It makes me wonder about drugs and things. On the wall is the 10 commandments of marijuana. There was some guy wanted on a warrant, and they think he'd been sleeping here the night. There's also been dead things dumped, including a bag of ducks and food waste. I think that's awful. Some people are just too lazy to go to the dump. There's been old pushchairs in there. There's always rubbish. You know, people just come along and chuck their cartons in there. Lucky, I've found Carol an upside. Oh, well, at least neighbours aren't noisy. No, well, they're not. (LAUGHS) When you look at that, it's not nice. So, the building code is interesting. It says you must complete building within two years of a building consent being granted, unless, of course, you have a deal with the council. So what does the council say about this? The early '70s was a great time in history, cos that's when I was built too, and I'm still a work in progress too. That's the mayor of Timaru... You're dreaming, mate. ...in the snakeskin shoes. His name is Damon Odey. It's one of our little landmarks that we all know is there. Yep. Probably all wondering what's happening with it, as you are. The mayor says it isn't bound by the current building consent process, because it was started before the laws were invented. Effectively, it's sitting in no-man's land. What about the rats, mice and the nuisance of living beside a derelict building? Legally, we can't, because as I say, it doesn't pose a risk, and it's not deemed a dangerous building under the act. The mayor says they'll call the owner and try and sort it out. But he's not the first to say that. I mean, he said to me on the telephone after I rang him, when I heard you were coming down ` he said, 'Yes, yes, I'll be getting on to it.' This was 24 years ago when Fair Go's Leanne Clarke hit up the then mayor of Timaru about the same house. I understand from the council offices he's actually said that before, and I'm as amazed as you are that a developer could start something, and then not finish it. So, who would start building a house 45 years ago and not finish it? Well, this guy. There is no need for this. So, we're going to see a man called Iva Millington. You've got to get to let him get up. 20 years ago Fair Go paid him a visit about the same issue, and well, it's fair to say things didn't go so grand. Let him get up and turn the camera off, Iva. This is assault. This is Iva Millington, and that was 1993 when Fair Go last dropped by. He's an Ashburton farmer with a temper and a sense of humour. Just ridiculous. He should have been here by now and fixed it. He promised. He did say he'd finish them by spring. You said that you'd be starting in a couple of months and it'd be done by spring. Well, did I say which spring? The neighbours didn't find it so funny. Clean the place up and finish it, whatever ` I just want it tided. I'm just sick of living next door to, you know, a dump. So, here we are, present day, back at Mr Millington's place. Now, normally, in situations like this, we would head on over and say hi, but unfortunately, Mr Millington has made it perfectly clear he doesn't want us on his property. So we're gonna respect his wishes, but we will give him a call, see if he wants to come out here and have a chat. (PHONE LINE RINGS) Hello. Iva here. Please leave a message after the tone. Iva. Haydn Jones here... 'No Iva, but earlier, when we first got in touch...' I never had a Fair go out of Fair Go. ...he was in good form. You've had a trespass notice put on you. You know that, don't you? Iva told me, like he's told plenty of others, he will fix it. I've had other things on my plate. Just in the meantime, it's on the backburner, and it's in front of me. He says the neighbours are fine with it. You know, I talk to my neighbours, so I don't know where you've got the information from. They say something else. I don't know the guy himself. When he calms down, Iva admits he's had leaks in an investment property up north, he lives alone, is in his mid-60s now and is busy. I've got things in progress ` you're just a little bit early, that's all. In the meantime, his neighbours are annoyed and bewildered. You would wonder why someone would want to pay rates for all these years for nothing. To me, that seems pointless. And late in the piece, Carol thinks she may have solved the puzzle of Iva Millington. From what I've been told, he had a row with the builders. Now, this would be going back to the 1980s. I never used to do them when I was young. My daughters think I'm nuts. Carol says everyone, even jigsaw puzzlers, have deadlines. I will get it finished, cos I've gotta take it back tomorrow. It's a bit like those Mainland cheese ads ` good things take time. And I'm sure this will be a good thing ` it's just taking a wee bit of time. Maybe, Iva, it's time to finish before your half job turns half a century old. It's just a project that I started and I never finished. I won't be the first and I won't be the last in the world to do that, will I? So, we hope to update that story sometime before both of us retire. (LAUGHS) Exactly. Right. Time to reveal the answer to tonight's trivia challenge. We're putting Nelson's consumer knowledge to the test in the Fair Go true/false challenge. First question ` True or false? I'm going with true. I think true, but you've gotta get some sort of approval. BOTH: True. Are you happy with true? No. No, I'm going false. Good decision, because false is correct. Nice segment, really enjoyed it, but it appears that I'm wrong. You're wrong week one, and you are already out of the running for the cash. I know. Before you raise the protest, there's plenty of building work you can do, of course. But stuff to do with weathertightness or structural stuff ` get someone in. Mm. So, that is the show. Don't forget ` the Kids' Ad Awards deadline is Friday the 29th of September. That's right, and all entries are to be submitted online. So just go to our website, tvnz.co.nz and search 'Fair Go' or just head on over to our Facebook page. And thanks to Canon, there's over $22,000 worth of prizes. Yes, great prizes. All you have to do is sell us something from the '70s and make it cool. Well, that is it from us, but we will be on Facebook for the next half hour to answer your questions. And if you've got, like, a problem, a gripe, a concern, please do contact us. We're sitting right here. We're waiting for you. Mm. Join us on Facebook or email us ` fairgo@tvnz.co.nz or write to us ` Private Bag 92038, Auckland 1142. That's our show. We're off next week, so until the week after,... BOTH: ...goodnight.