Govt proposals aim to make it easier and cheaper to build new homes
The Government is investigating options for a major reform of the building consent system to improve efficiency and consistency across New Zealand.
Construction Minister Chris Penk said New Zealand had some of the least affordable housing in the world, due in part to “unreasonably high building costs and a cumbersome consenting system”.
For example, while New Zealand had one building code that was supposed to apply consistently to all building work nationally, there were 67 Building Consent Authorities (BCA) around the country, each with different practices and approaches.
Minister Penk said there had been many instances of builders submitting the same plans to different BCAs and being given different costings and timelines due to different interpretations of the building code.
“This is especially challenging for large scale home builders and off-site manufacturers, along with modular and prefab builders, who work across regional boundaries,” he added.
As a result, the Government planned to establish a more consistent and streamlined model.
Momentum builds for more remote inspections
The Government also said it was progressing plans to increase the use of remote inspections, to make the building and consenting process more efficient and affordable.
“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,” Minister Penk said.
“While some councils already use remote inspections, uptake is low, and practices vary across the country.
“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, which current and future homeowners can refer to.”
It’s now easier to make minor variations
Meanwhile, as of 30 September, changes to building regulations have been enacted, making it easier for homeowners, builders and designers to make simple changes to consented building designs or pre-approved MultiProof designs.
The definition of a ‘minor variation’ has been clarified for building designs with an existing building consent, giving homeowners more flexibility to make simple changes like changing the layout of a room or substituting comparable building products without having to amend their building consent.
The definition of a ‘minor customisation’ in relation to MultiProof approved designs has also been introduced, meaning homeowners can personalise a MultiProof-approved plan without sacrificing the benefit of a pre-approved building design.