Government looking to strengthen requirements for building professionals

The Government is progressing changes within the building system which will shift responsibilities from Building Consent Authorities (BCAs) to other sector participants, for example significant reform of the consenting system, increasing the uptake of remote inspections, and making it easier to build granny flats without the need for a building consent.   

Work is underway to identify where improvements can be made to the registration and licensing regimes for building professionals to ensure that they are fit for purpose for now and the future.     

This will include considering which building professionals or building work should be covered by registration and licensing regimes, whether competency requirements, complaints and disciplinary processes are fit for purpose, where there are opportunities to make the regimes more consistent, and other governance-and finance related issues for registration and licensing regimes.  

They have also agreed to undertake work to identify how consumer protection measures in Part 4A of the Building Act 2004 can be strengthened to accommodate changes so that we can provide the right supports for consumers to manage their risks and enforce their right. 

Read the full press release from the Building and Construction Minister(external link) — Beehive.govt.nz

You can find more information on current requirements for building professionals on the MBIE website, and find more information about consumer protection measures on the Building performance website.

Regulating building professionals and practitioners

Consumer protection measures(external link) — Building Performance