- Hon Dr Megan Woods
The next step in improvements to the building consent system gets underway with the sector and public encouraged to have their say on how it could be improved, Minister for Building and Construction Dr Megan Woods says.
"Following last year's consultation, we have developed options to get a more efficient building consent system, that should minimise unnecessary delays in the building process," Megan Woods said.
"There are opportunities to improve the system, such as through better delivery of building consent services, removing barriers to alternative products being used.
"Any improvements to the building consent system that increase efficiency and provide greater certainty as to what can be built will help housing affordability, so it's really important that those in the sector and the wider public feedback on what's proposed."
"Consultation on the paper is a key milestone in the Government's response to the Commerce Commission's Market Study Into Residential Building Supplies. Potential reform options in the paper address several recommendations made by the Commission in its final report.
"Ensuring we enable timely processing of consents will help speed up the delivery of housing and other buildings. It is a critical part of the work we are doing to improve the efficiency of the sector," Megan Woods said.
The public consultation will be open from 8 June for eight weeks. Submissions close at 5pm on 2 August 2023.
ENDS
Notes for editors:
You can read the Building Consent System Review Options Paper on the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employments website: https://www.mbie.govt.nz/have-your-say/building-consent-system-review-options-paper-consultation
In 2022, the Government released the Building Consent System Review Issues Discussion Document and conducted a public consultation seeking feedback on the issues within the building consent system.
The Building Consent System Review Options Paper released today sets out a broad range of high-level options and initiatives which have been developed to address the issues identified.
The options paper seeks feedback in the following eight areas:
- Promoting competition in the building regulatory system,
- Removing impediments to product substitution and variations,
- Strengthening roles and responsibilities,
- New assurance pathways,
- Better delivery of building consent services,
- Better performance monitoring and system stewardship,
- Better responding to the needs and aspirations of Māori
- Addressing the interface between the building and resource consent processes.
'Preferred options' of change have been identified - noting an option as 'preferred' indicates where there is broad support for a change and policy work is sufficiently advanced, which can then be prioritised for system change, however all options are on the table to reform the system.
The options paper seeks feedback on options to improve consistency of decision-making across councils, support better delivery of building consent services and alleviate capability and capacity constraints. These options include addressing barriers to voluntary amalgamation, providing greater national direction and building greater collective capability across the country.
