Hamilton homeowner Rebecca Radford went through a lot of stress and paid a $37,000 methamphetamine decontamination bill after traces of the drug were found in her house. She says she's devastated to learn it wasn't necessary. Miles Stratford is a director of the company Meth Solutions, which tests homes for meth contamination. He joins us with his response.

A Hawke's Bay-based meth tester says his industry was well aware that there was no risk from meth smoking residue in homes, as outlined yesterday in a Government report.

The report from the Prime Minister's chief science adviser, Peter Gluckman, found there was no risk to humans from third-hand exposure to houses where methamphetamine had been consumed.

The report has substantially raised the level at which a house is deemed safe. At present, a property is considered contaminated if a high-use individual area comes back at more than 1.5 micrograms per 100 square centimetre.

Meth Testing owner Neville Pettersson said the report did not come as a surprise as many meth testers already knew the 1.5mcg standard was too low and was creating unnecessary panic.

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SUPPLIED Meth tester Neville Pettersson says testers knew the standard was too low.

"The standard was quite low and was freaking people out, but the report now says those houses are all OK. But a lot of us knew they were OK anyway," Pettersson said.

"The standard was brought up a bit pre-emptively and there was a push to do something quickly because everyone was jumping on this meth bandwagon to start up businesses and clean up houses.

"They did it too quick, they did it too low, and now they fixed it up.

"We all knew it [the report] was going to come and it finally has."

PETER DRURY/STUFF In the "reasons" section of the Tribunal decision the adjudicator has written "During [the man's] tenancy Housing New Zealand were advised by the Auckland District Health Board to test his tenanted premises for methamphetamine contamination."

In June 2017, a new standard of 1.5mcg per 100sq cm was selected as the clean-up level in the New Zealand standard for testing and decontamination of meth-contaminated properties.

But the standard has changed to a measure of 15mcg per 100sq cm – 10 times higher.

﻿Pettersson said the standard was a good change but it could kill the meth testing industry.

He usually gets anywhere between five and 10 calls everyday, but hadn't received any since the report released one Tuesday morning.

"The industry is going to suffer, it might even be dead," he said.

CHRISTEL YARDLEY/STUFF The standard has changed to a measure of 15 micrograms per 100sq cm, 10 times higher than the current standard.

"There's been other meth testers and decontaminers questioning the report because it affects their business. But you have to accept the science behind it."

Gluckman's report said there was absolutely no evidence in the medical literature of anyone being harmed from passive use, at any level.

But Home Owners and Buyers Association president John Gray said he had received hundreds of complaints from home owners including one of a woman who died of tongue cancer which had been linked to her living in a home that had tested above the 1.5mcg per 100sq cm standard.

"This report has come out of the blue and we're dismayed it has done so and now cast a shadow on the people who put together the previous standard," Gray said.

"It's hugely disappointing."

Andrew King, executive officer of the NZ Property Investors Federation, said it was a pleasant surprise but would also be a "kick in the guts" to landlords and homeowners who had cleaned out houses, sold them at a loss or even demolished them because of contamination

"Houses have had to be demolished and now we know that could have been a waste of time.

"Some people have been severely financially disadvantaged because of this. I can understand they will be feeling outraged."

Meth testing can cost a home owner around $200. The process takes about half an hour and then the sample gets sent to a laboratory for testing. If positive, then companies may charge over $100 for assessments.

The clean-up processes vary depending on the size of the home and types of surface the meth needs to be removed from.

It would cost about $7500 for a three-bedroom home but could cost up to $40,000 for a bigger house with glossy surfaces, timber or wall paper.

The Commerce Commission said it had received four complaints in the past five years about meth testing.

A commission spokesperson said complaints included allegations of exaggerated contamination or recommending unnecessary remediation.

All complaints were assessed but no enforcement action was taken.