Source: BusinessNZ
BusinessNZ supports moves to get more productivity and efficiency in the building consent system.
The Government is proposing changing the system, with options including consolidating the number of Building Consent Authorities and introducing a single point of contact for builders to submit their plans to.
BusinessNZ Advocacy Director Catherine Beard says the building sector is currently hindered by inconsistent decisions from NZ’s Building Consent Authorities/councils, and experiencing significant delays in gaining building consents.
“The consenting system is contributing to low productivity and inefficiency in the building and construction sector. Differences in decision-making between NZ’s 67 Building Consent Authorities are impacting the work of builders working across regions in NZ, and delays in consenting are adding to the increasing cost of building projects,” Catherine Beard said.
The Government will also consult on the consenting system’s liability settings that currently see councils and ratepayers bearing final liability for defective work.
“Having liability fall on councils tends to lead to over-cautious, risk-averse decisions by Building Consent Authorities/councils, so it is timely to have a discussion about whether different liability settings are needed,” Catherine Beard said.
The BusinessNZ Network including BusinessNZ, EMA, Business Central, Business Canterbury and Business South, represents and provides services to thousands of businesses, small and large, throughout New Zealand.
