- Hon Chris Penk
The first release of data shows 66 out of 67 Building Consent Authorities have hit the Government's new mandatory target for building inspection wait times.
"In August, new regulations requiring Building Consent Authorities (BCAs) to complete at least 80 percent of building inspections within three working days of the request date came into force," Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk says.
"Waiting for inspections is one of the most common frustrations I hear from builders and homeowners, and it isn't cheap. For every day of delay, roughly $400 is added to the cost of a construction project.
"We know that shining a light on system performance drives accountability and better outcomes, as building consent wait times have improved since the Government began reporting the data last April.
"Now, Q3 data reveals that the 55 Building Consent Authorities who provided information on inspection wait times have met the new target, carrying out 67,000 inspections with 97.3 percent completed within three working days.
"Better yet, around 57,900 were completed on the same day they were requested. This is a major productivity win that makes it easier and more affordable to build, which is a key part of this Government's efforts to fix the basics in New Zealand.
"Recording of inspection wait times varies between authorities, so two methods are in use while BCAs transition to the Government's preferred approach, with a deadline of July next year.
"In place of wait times, 13 authorities reported on inspection availability, which is measured from the date the booking system is accessed to the date of the next available inspection appointment.
"This includes Queenstown Lakes District Council, which is also counted in the 55 BCAs that provided inspection wait time data. The council switched methods partway through Q3, demonstrating that BCAs can successfully make the change.
"The data shows that 12 of the 13 BCAs are meeting expectations for timely inspections. A total of 96.2 percent of inspection slots were available within three working days of the date requested, with an average availability time of 1.2 days."
Meanwhile, building consent data for Q3 shows 95.7 percent of applications, including amendments and code compliance certificates, were processed within the statutory 20 working days, up from 93 percent in Q3 2024.
"These results show real progress in building consent system performance, and how quickly tradies can get on with putting roofs over Kiwis' heads," Mr Penk says.
Notes to editor:
- There are 68 BCAs responsible for delivering building control functions in New Zealand. This includes 66 territorial or regional authorities (councils), one private BCA (BCAL Limited) and an independent division of Kāinga Ora - Homes and Communities (Consentium).
- BCAL Limited is excluded from Q3 inspection wait time monitoring because it was established in late June and does not yet have sufficient data.
- Quarterly inspection wait time data is published on the MBIE website.
- Processing times for building consent and code compliance certificate applications are published on the MBIE website.
