Department of Building and Housing opened today

The new Department of Building and Housing will focus on improving the delivery of building and housing services to the public, Housing Minister Steve Maharey and Building Issues Minister Margaret Wilson said today.

“The new department recognises the importance of building, construction and housing in New Zealanders’ daily lives,” the Ministers said.

“Housing and building are interlinked," Margaret Wilson said. "The quality of housing in New Zealand is determined by the quality of building.

"The opening of the new department coincides well with the implementation of the new Building Act. This bill is designed to help meet New Zealanders’ expectations around the delivery of building services.”

In establishing the new department the government aims to have a sector that: delivers quality housing and buildings at a reasonable cost is supported by effective regulation that clearly sets out and enforces appropriate standards, rights and obligations is driven by government receiving good policy advice on trends in the housing and building sector, on rental property markets and building systems and standards has quality dispute resolution services for home owners and builders, landlords and tenants ensures that landlords and tenants receive appropriate information, education and advice, and recognises the importance of building and housing in our daily lives.

"The department will complement the role of Housing New Zealand Corporation, which focuses on housing provision and policy advice," Steve Maharey said.

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Gordon Campbell: On the Sony cyber attack

Given the layers of meta-irony involved, the saga of the Sony cyber attack seemed at the outset more like a snarky European art film than a popcorn entry at the multiplex.

Yet now with (a) President Barack Obama weighing in on the side of artistic freedom and calling for the US to make a ‘proportionate response’quickly followed by (b) North Korea’s entire Internet service going down, and with both these events being followed by (c) Sony deciding to backtrack and release The Interview film that had made it a target for the dastardly North Koreans in the first place, then ay caramba…the whole world will now be watching how this affair pans out. More>>