The Invercargill City Council has recently completed a programme of works retro-fitting and replacing original windows with new double-glazed windows in 194 of its council owned flats across Invercargill and Bluff.

Council Senior Advisor Property and Facilities Andrea Wilkes said the majority of the works had been completed over the past five months.

“As a Council we’re focussed on improving the wellbeing of our communities to make them better places for us all. This project speaks to the heart of that focus, by ensuring our elderly residents have warmer, drier and healthier homes to live in,” Wilkes said.

Funding for the works had come from the Government’s Better Off Funding package which aimed to support councils to deliver wellbeing initiatives in their communities.

“A number of our residents have already commented on the reduction in street noise and the lack of condensation. Winter in Invercargill can sometimes be very cold and the addition of double-glazed windows in these units will provide a number of benefits, including improved heat retention, better insulation and more energy efficient homes,” Wilkes said.

During the project, contractors worked alongside the mostly elderly residents, to ensure the works were completed efficiently with little disruption.

“We’d like to thank the residents for their patience and understanding, while we completed this work. Like any project it faced challenges at times, particularly working around the residents who were in-situ for most of the works, but the Council team, contractors and residents worked really well together and we’ve achieved a great outcome.”