Council Information

A guide to building work that does not require a building consent CLICK HERE

NEW RULES ON BUILDING CONSENTS TAKE EFFECT 1ST FEBRUARY 2010

Traditionally when obtaining a building consent there was two sections involved; one was the actual processing of plans, which covered the type of building construction and compliance with the building code – re lintel sizes etc, and the second section was what they called the PIM (Planning information memorandum). This section covered the planning side of things for example the type of building/activity in that area, stormwater connections etc;

From the 1st of February the PIM section will be voluntary. This has been brought about from a change in government legislation.

We expect this change to be extremely advantageous to anyone building a small project.

Obviously some parts of the PIM will be covered in the building consent now but we still believe this will speed up the process (and make it simpler) to obtain a building consent.

Obviously the cost of obtaining a building consent will rise slightly but hopefully this will be offset from not having to pay any PIM fees. (Traditionally about $330 per application).

The actual working out of it all is yet to be proven but we believe it will be a step forward for all involved.

There was a price rise of building consent fees starting 1st February also.

Multiple Consents

Another important change coming into effect on the first of February is allowing the use of multiple building consents.

This new rule has huge importance and has the potential to revolutionise the industry.

In effect this rule allows the idea of where similar buildings are repetitively built in different areas across the country we can use the same principles for obtaining building consents. Obviously the local council just has to check the ground conditions and a few other local conditions i.e. snow and wind loads, but all the structure design remains the same. When this type of consent is used the council has to process the consent in ten working days. (Down from 20).

The industry has long been frustrated with the idea of having to go through the same ‘hoops’ so many times for similar types of buildings. Again it has yet to be proven the council when takes this on, but we believe it will be an extremely positive step forward and again assist in speeding up the process.

Obviously these changes will not apply to all our projects but will greatly assist us in many, many projects.

Please use us for your project as we are connected to nationwide brands i.e. Ideal Buildings, Grove Homes and Formsteel Industries. The chances are that we can apply this to your project.

Contact us now for how we can apply this to your project and you can prove the benefits.

 

General information

The Building Act 2004 requires that all building work undertaken in New Zealand, whether a building consent is required or not, comply with the NZ Building Code.  Almost all work needs a building consent so that compliance with the Building Code can be checked and confirmed by independent inspection.

Building work includes now work, additions, alterations, demolition or removal, plumbing and drainage work.  It also includes temporary and short term work.  If a vehicle is to be used permanently as a building or it has services connected to it, it becomes a building. 

The Government is working on making significant changes to the Building Rules which appear to be directed toward reducing red tape and making Builders, Designers, and all Trades more responsible for their own work.  (Will this be linked to Industry Licensing?)  Changes such as these are likely to be worthwhile and we would generally support them. 

It is possible that Licensed Building Practitioners will have to issue memorandums to certify that their work complies with the NZ Building Code.  However the council can see some builders and designers having issues when it comes to being responsible for their own work because it brings with it the need to ensure adequately and make absolutely certain that things are right.  Corner cutting will backfire big time. 

Building Consent Authority roles are likely to change also which may mean less involvement in site inspections.  This will bring a consequential lesser responsibility and liability for projects which will pass to those who did the work i.e. the designer and builder.  The devil will be in the detail and when they know what that is they will let you know.  Until Government makes announcements no one can be certain what will happen. 

REVIEW OF THE BUILDING ACT:

The Government is undertaking a major review of the Building Act, the law that governs the system for checking that buildings are constructed to be safe and to meet essential requirements.
More than 500 people have attended a series of meetings around the country to discuss the proposals. Building consent authority staff, nuilders, architects, engineers, designers, building surveyors, product suppliers, lawyers, homeowners and other interested people have been involved in the discussion. Many written submissions are also coming in.