Aaron Yap's guest appearances

Aaron Yap

Rhema Radio

Heather du Plessis-Allan Drive

The Letterboxd Show

David Harrison

Mark Smith

Kim Dotcom

Tamara Ecclestone

William Russell

Alex Lim

Cameron Smith

John Hopkins

Judy Chen

Craig Hughes

Carrie Lam

Dave Wilson

Nathan Brown

Helen Clark

Gillian Triggs

OwlTail

Residents of one of Auckland's most expensive penthouse apartment complexes discovered in June that their building had qualified to become an isolation facility.They were terrified.Many in the 149 apartments at The Stamford Residences on Albert St are in their 60s and 70s, considered to be highly at risk if they caught the virus yet they weren't consulted before the hotel on the lower floors of their buildings became travellers' secured facilities.As soon as they found out, they complained - but they got nowhere.Adrian Yap, an apartment owner who bought his level-13 place four years ago and is body corporate chairman said: "Elderly residences came to me with health issues. One man had only one lung. He was so concerned. A neighbour who lives four apartments down has a son with cerebral palsy who is wheel-chair bound and only nine years old."Wire mesh security fences were erected around the entrance lobby area in jail-like fashion. Guards arrived to keep the Covid stayers inside for their mandatory solo fortnights.The apartment dwellers cried out: "My wife is eight months pregnant," Yap said. "We were forgotten about. We were overlooked and our concerns were not considered."But the hotel warned it would have to lay off staff if it could not take in isolating guests. Busloads of would-be stayers were initially diverted at the last minute to hotels in Rotorua.Use of the Stamford was on hold until arrangements were reviewed there, the head of the Government's isolation and quarantining operations Air Commodore Digby Webb said at the time.Yet the hotel did become an iso facility, leaving apartment owners feeling powerless.Stayers arrived via buses. Then, they began to escape. One man who arrived from India on July 3 and was incarcerated in the enforced Stamford luxury left for the Countdown nearby on Victoria St.So more security gates were erected around the entrance and in the areas where they are allowed to walk."We were concerned about level three and four passageways to carparks where a barrier was erected but we shared those areas. It was a thoroughfare for isolation staff - the military, hotel workers and Ministry of Health staff," Yap said."A goods lift was being used by residents who were wheelchair-bound or had baby equipment like me. That goods lift is still being used by the staff who work in the same areas as the isolation guests."The fire egress is the biggest worry to us. If there was a fire in our building, we'd be evacuated with the isolation stayers. The Government has been criminally negligent. I had to issue to face masks and gloves to every apartment resident and tell them in the event of a fire, to be very careful," Yap said.A complaint to the Ministry of Health got Yap the response that the building was unsuitable - yet isolation stayers remain there today."I have been advised that the team reporting to Air Commodore Webb did look at The Stamford as a possible managed isolation facility but it did not meet the requirements for being a facility," wrote ministry consultant Angus McGregor to Yap on June 22.Yet the buses arrived and the iso stayers poured out."It's outrageous," Yap said today of the situation the apartment owners find themselves in today. "It's diabolical."Yap wrote to PM Jacinda Ardern, Housing Minister Megan Woods, Health Minister Chris Hipkins "and I got no response. I think it's disgusting. The behaviour of the Government is appalling. The building was found to be unsuitable by the ministry yet it was used anyway and those guests still stay today."So residents did the only thing they could: went to their local MP. Fortunately, she was experienced ex-National deputy leader Nikki Kaye who battled for years to get amendments to the deficient Unit Titles Act. They could not have found anyone more au fait with the laws governing their property than Kaye.She tried every avenue she could, then resorted to the ombudsman.The finding has now been released: the Ombudsman cam...

Residents of one of Auckland's most expensive penthouse apartment complexes discovered in June that their building had qualified to become an isolation facility. They were terrified. Many in the 149 apartments at The Stamford Residences on Albert St are in their 60s and 70s, considered to be highly at risk if they caught the virus yet they weren't consulted before the hotel on the lower floors of their buildings became travellers' secured facilities. As soon as they found out, they complained - but they got nowhere. Adrian Yap, an apartment owner who bought his level-13 place four years ago and is body corporate chairman said: "Elderly residences came to me with health issues. One man had only one lung. He was so concerned. A neighbour who lives four apartments down has a son with cerebral palsy who is wheel-chair bound and only nine years old." Wire mesh security fences were erected around the entrance lobby area in jail-like fashion. Guards arrived to keep the Covid stayers inside for their mandatory solo fortnights. The apartment dwellers cried out: "My wife is eight months pregnant," Yap said. "We were forgotten about. We were overlooked and our concerns were not considered." But the hotel warned it would have to lay off staff if it could not take in isolating guests. Busloads of would-be stayers were initially diverted at the last minute to hotels in Rotorua. Use of the Stamford was on hold until arrangements were reviewed there, the head of the Government's isolation and quarantining operations Air Commodore Digby Webb said at the time. Yet the hotel did become an iso facility, leaving apartment owners feeling powerless. Stayers arrived via buses. Then, they began to escape. One man who arrived from India on July 3 and was incarcerated in the enforced Stamford luxury left for the Countdown nearby on Victoria St. So more security gates were erected around the entrance and in the areas where they are allowed to walk. "We were concerned about level three and four passageways to carparks where a barrier was erected but we shared those areas. It was a thoroughfare for isolation staff - the military, hotel workers and Ministry of Health staff," Yap said. "A goods lift was being used by residents who were wheelchair-bound or had baby equipment like me. That goods lift is still being used by the staff who work in the same areas as the isolation guests. "The fire egress is the biggest worry to us. If there was a fire in our building, we'd be evacuated with the isolation stayers. The Government has been criminally negligent. I had to issue to face masks and gloves to every apartment resident and tell them in the event of a fire, to be very careful," Yap said. A complaint to the Ministry of Health got Yap the response that the building was unsuitable - yet isolation stayers remain there today. "I have been advised that the team reporting to Air Commodore Webb did look at The Stamford as a possible managed isolation facility but it did not meet the requirements for being a facility," wrote ministry consultant Angus McGregor to Yap on June 22. Yet the buses arrived and the iso stayers poured out. "It's outrageous," Yap said today of the situation the apartment owners find themselves in today. "It's diabolical." Yap wrote to PM Jacinda Ardern, Housing Minister Megan Woods, Health Minister Chris Hipkins "and I got no response. I think it's disgusting. The behaviour of the Government is appalling. The building was found to be unsuitable by the ministry yet it was used anyway and those guests still stay today." So residents did the only thing they could: went to their local MP. Fortunately, she was experienced ex-National deputy leader Nikki Kaye who battled for years to get amendments to the deficient Unit Titles Act. They could not have found anyone more au fait with the laws governing their property than Kaye. She tried every avenue she could, then resorted to the ombudsman. The finding has now been released: the Ombudsman cam...

Aaron Yap: Stamford Plaza residents get reluctant apology over managed isolation

Bishop Aaron Yap

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Josh Yeoh

Ong Sek Leang

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