September 8th, 2024
In a move to enhance efficiency within New Zealand's construction sector, the Government announced on 12 March that Building Consent Authorities (BCAs) will now have more time to focus on core responsibilities such as processing building consents and conducting inspections. This change comes as part of an effort to alleviate the administrative burden on BCAs and expedite the construction process for New Zealanders building their homes, according to a media release by the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE).
Details: Suzannah Toulmin, Manager of Building Policy, stated today that the revised regulations are designed to free up resources within BCAs. By extending the period for mandatory competency assessments for building control officers from annually to biennially, the authorities aim to align these assessments with other formal occupational regulation regimes.
What they're saying: "These changes will free up time so that Building Consent Authorities can focus on processing building consents, completing inspections, and issuing compliance certificates for Kiwis building their homes," said Toulmin. She also noted that the adjustments would bring the competency assessment timeframe for building control officers in line with other regulatory frameworks.
Zoom in: The Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment undertook a review of the competency assessment sections of the Accreditation Regulations to explore improvements. This review highlighted concerns from BCAs regarding the frequency of assessments and a desire to align the assessment cycle with other formal occupational regulations.
Driving the news: BCAs anticipate that the increase in productivity and reduction in assessment frequency will compensate for a planned change in accreditation fees. This adjustment should prevent any need to increase building consent fees for those constructing homes, ensuring financial efficiency is maintained across the board.
What's next: The changes are set to take effect in June 2024. They include not only the reduction in the frequency of competency assessments but also adjustments to accreditation fees to allow International Accreditation New Zealand (IANZ) to recover the costs of providing BCA accreditations effectively.
Between the lines: By separating the compliance provisions to clarify assessment results and updating the notification requirements for changes in Quality Assurance Managers, these regulations aim to streamline operations and support within BCAs, ultimately benefiting the building and construction sector in New Zealand.