Building consent issues under scrutiny

July 19, 2007

Media Release for Immediate Use

Industry-local government combine to smooth out building consent issues

An initiative to obtain nation-wide consistency in building product and systems consent processes through agreed industry-local government mechanisms was unveiled today.

In a joint statement the New Zealand Building Industry Federation (BIF) and the Building Officials Institute of New Zealand (BOINZ) said the initiative was intended to provide prospective home owners with greater assurance of “fit for purpose” building products.

“Once the proposed group of projects are completed it will lead to more rapid and consistent consent processes.

“Complex and potentially confusing consent issues have arisen in the implementation of the radical overhaul of the building environment that followed passage of the Building Act of 2004. Our initiative is intended to smooth administration procedures to make the system much more user friendly.”

BIF Chief Executive Bruce Kohn and BOINZ Chief Executive, Len Clapham, said the initiative centred on the process of determining building products that comply with the Building Code.

:There are some 600,000 building products available on the New Zealand market and only a small percentage of these are likely to be covered by the high level Product Certification scheme being introduced by the Government,” said Mr Kohn. “The reason is the high cost of compliance with the scheme which is most suitable for high volume, large market products which do not make up the bulk of products available through the building supplies industry

“This initiative is intended to achieve two prime objectives. One is to help building officials quickly determine that products or building systems outside the product certification process are fit for purpose.
“The second is to give manufacturers, importers, distributors and suppliers a clear and consistent process across the country for having their products achieve acceptance under the building consent system.

“It is an unprecedented example of high level co-operation between the industry and local government to iron out perceived difficulties in the administration of radical changes introduced by the Government.”

Mr Clapham said it had become evident that building officials around the country needed a better system in the building consent process for identifying products that meet Building Code requirements.

“Once officials are satisfied products cited by architects, designers and builders for use in a building project are fit for purpose they can more quickly move on to other issues such as how the total project fits within other regulatory requirements.”

The aim for Building Consent Authorities, he said, is to have a simple, robust and effective way of being satisfied a proposed product or system meets the building code’s requirements.

“Manufacturers, importers, installers and designers want to have a clear understanding of information required in order for BCAs to approve the use of a product or system. They want a process that is open and transparent, cost effective and that leads to consistency in the manner in which the approvals process is applied.”

Key elements of the proposal involve a “plain English guide” for industry on the requirements products must meet to receive approval, a similar guide for building officials for determining a product meets requirements and establishment of a public good national data base of approved products. Industry is to support a strategy aimed at raising public awareness of best practice property maintenance. Special attention will be given in the registry system to products associated with crucial elements of buildings such as structural integrity and weather proofing.

The proposal was established with input from Local Government New Zealand, the Registered Master Builders’ Federation, Certified Builders of New Zealand, the Construction Industry Council and the Department of Building and Housing.

BIF and BOINZ said the proposal would be open to submissions from interested parties until the middle of next month and would be available on the websites of both organisations. Following this consultation process working parties would be established to implement the proposals. - Ends

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