David Whitburn

New Zealand’s Building and Construction Minister Maurice Williamson, this afternoon announced that the Government will introduce amendments to the Building Act 2004 that will help cut red-tape and bureaucracy and make builders more accountable.

The planned changes to the Act will be phased in over time.  Some of the incentives to build it right first time to be introduced to Parliament this year include:

• explicitly stating that builders and designers are accountable for meeting Building Code requirements;
• mandatory written contracts for building work above $20,000 that set out expectations, warranties and remedies, and how any disputes will be resolved;
• requiring those doing the work to explain what, if any, financial back-up or insurance they have to remedy any faults.

The planned amendments will also see some minor, low-risk work, exempted from the need for a building consent.  Examples of such exempted work will include:

• Replacement or alteration of internal wall and floor linings and finishes in a dwelling.
• Adding lightweight stalls (eg, used at fairs and exhibitions) to the current exemption for tents and marquees.
• Fabric shade sails and associated structural supports that do not exceed 50 square metres in area (with limitations on matters such as the level on which the sails are installed and distance from a legal boundary).
• Installation, replacement or alteration of thermal insulation in existing buildings (excluding exterior walls and fire walls). This clarifies that retrofitting ceiling and underfloor insulation will not need a consent.
• Penetrations with a maximum diameter of 300mm (including associated weatherproofing, fireproofing and any other finishings) to enable the passage of pipes, cables, ducts, wires, hoses and the like through any existing building. This clarifies that for example a heat pump can be installed without needing a consent, although the wiring must be done by a registered electrician.
• Signs and associated structural supports where the sign is no more than 3 metres high and the face area of the sign does not exceed 6 square metres.
• Height restriction gantries (e.g. a vehicle height warning in a car park).
• Private playground equipment used in association with a single household where no part of the equipment extends more than 3 metres above the ground.

Mr Williamson says the Government can only make changes to the building consent process to reduce costs once it has confidence in the quality of what is being built.

The Government is proposing to introduce a ‘stepped’ approach to building consents and inspections after mid-2012 once the other improvements are in place to drive quality, including the licensing of building practitioners.

You can read the Minister’s media release and find out more on the Department of Building and Housing’s website at: www.dbh.govt.nz/buildingactreview

18 Responses to “Building Act review”