Appendix C: Key events in the building consent system

Following the initial design and implementation of the building consent system in 1991, there have been a number of significant events and regulatory changes that have influenced the way that people carry out their roles in the system.[16]

Date Event
1991 Building Act 1991 enacted performance-based regulation of building work and a new national Building Code
1990s Weathertightness issue emerges, contributing to evidence of systemic failures in the building industry
2004 Building Act 2004 enacted, setting stricter controls on practitioners, consent authorities and building products while retaining the performance-based structure
2006 Building Consent Authority Accreditation Scheme came into force, setting out the policies and procedures that a BCA must have to carry out building control functions
2007 Licensed Building Practitioners Scheme came into force, setting out the standards and skills required to carry out or supervise certain types of building work
2010 Review of Building Act 2004 found the system is working but is not creating the right incentives to improve productivity and is more costly than necessary
2012 Restricted building work regime came into force, setting out that certain residential building work is only allowed to be carried out or supervised by LBPs
2019 Introduction of the Building Law Reform Programme, which intends to strengthen the Building Act 2004, supporting a shift to new, more effective ways of building
2020 Announcement of the Construction Sector Transformation Plan, an action plan agreed between Government and industry to lift performance of the sector

Footnotes

[16] Adapted from MBIE, 2013.