Hon Dr Nick Smith
Minister for Building and Housing

18 December 2014

Accreditation Rebuilds Confidence in Christchurch

Christchurch City’s reinstatement by International Accreditation New Zealand (IANZ) as a Building Consent Authority (BCA) is a significant step in rebuilding confidence in the Council and progressing reconstruction of the city, Building and Housing Minister Dr Nick Smith said today.

“A timely and thorough building consenting service is crucial to achieving the Christchurch rebuild at pace and to a high standard. The re-accreditation gives confidence to the people of Christchurch that the Council’s systems are up to standard and capable of progressing the 20,000 residential and commercial buildings required to rebuild the city,” Dr Smith says.

Christchurch City became the first council to lose its accreditation as a Building Consent Authority on 8 July 2013 due to non-compliance with both quality and timeliness of processing consents. The Government appointed Crown Manager Doug Martin to take control of the BCA functions and to report regularly to Ministers on progress in restructuring the service to the required standard.

“The building consent services of the Council had some difficulties prior to the earthquakes but became overwhelmed in the tsunami of consents for repairs and rebuilds in 2013. The changes in leadership, investment in new information systems and recruitment of new specialist staff from around New Zealand and abroad has rebuilt the service so that is now processing consents on time and to a high standard of quality. That this re-accreditation has been achieved at the same time as the flow of consents has more than doubled to over 4000 new residential consents per year, an all-time high, is a tribute to the Crown Manager and building consent team. I also want to acknowledge the Mayor, Council and Chief Executive for their support in the restructuring.

“Control of Christchurch’s building consent services returns to the Council and Chief Executive on 1 January 2015. It bodes well for the New Year as we rebuild both the city and public confidence in its institutions,” Dr Smith concluded.

ENDS

© Scoop Media