The Government yesterday announced two major changes to the building consent system, in a bid to speed up the delivery of new homes and infrastructure.
The first is to replace joint and several liability for defective building work with proportional liability. As things stand, councils are hesitant to sign off on building consents and inspections because they could be held liable for all defects. Under the proportional model, each party would be responsible only for the share of work they carried out—an approach Master Plumbers supports.
The second is to allow councils to voluntarily consolidate their building consent authority (BCA) functions with each other.
In our view, this will deliver greater consistency. Plumbers and drainlayers are frequently frustrated by inconsistencies across the 66 BCAs. We have examples of product innovations that deliver for consumers around the world but have differing installation requirements from one New Zealand town or city to another. This makes it hugely frustrating for installers working across different jurisdictions.
New Zealand is a small country and we should have a consistent approach to the Building Code and how it applies in a practical sense. We must gain efficiencies and reduce red tape to deliver a better construction environment for all.