Faster consents

Penk says that “making it easier and more affordable to build opens the door to homeownership for more Kiwis, gives families choice about where they live, and supports growth and job creation in the construction sector.

“We can’t achieve this vision while the building consent system remains slow and overloaded. Even simple, single-storey homes must go through around 12 inspections before they’re finished, with costly delays when demand is high.”

Penk estimated that approximately 3000 homes would be built annually under the self-certification scheme, which would take some pressure off consent authorities and potentially speed up the consenting process overall.

He also announced an intention to introduce measures to require BCAs to complete building inspections within three days, saying wait times can stretch up to a week, costing builders around $400 for every day a project is held up.

“Updated guidance will be issued to BCAs, outlining practical strategies to boost efficiency, reduce bottlenecks and help authorities better prioritise their workloads.”

Remote inspections

Another part of the Government’s plan to speed up the consenting process is to actively encourage BCAs to make greater use of remote building inspections.

“In some parts of the country, like the Mackenzie District, there is only one building inspector who must travel long distances to sites,” says Penk, “and in other parts of the country, inspectors spend long periods in congested traffic.

“Remote inspections are an important productivity-enhancing solution that reduces the need for inspectors to travel, allows more inspections to take place each day and enables inspectors to work across regions.

“There will be some situations where on-site inspections are still needed, for example, due to complex construction, lack of internet coverage or where physical testing is needed.

“However, in many cases, remote inspections may be better than traditional on-site inspections as they allow for more accurate record keeping of the build process.”

Beefing up the LBP scheme

While the building industry has generally welcomed the idea of self-certification, there has been concern that it could inadvertently enable dodgy builders to take advantage of the system. Not so. Self-certification comes with strict guardrails.

A revision of the occupational licensing regime will come into force next year, which Minister Penk says is targeted at a small number of cowboy operators who consistently indulge in dodgy work practices.

“New rules will give the small minority of bad operators the chance to shape up or ship out,” and reiterated that any work to “unblock the building consent system won’t lead to corners being cut.”

The changes will affect Licensed Building Practitioners (LBPs), licensed plumbers, gasfitters and drainlayers, and licensed electrical workers. The key changes to the regime include:

• Giving the LPB Registrar more tools to strengthen the disciplinary process, including publishing details of builders who have been suspended.
• Establishing a new waterproofing licence class for LBPs completing wet area bathrooms and showers
• Improving the complaints processes by enabling the Registrars to initiate investigations more easily.