Building Practitioners Board – Member
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On behalf of the Minister for Building and Construction, the Ministry for Business, Innovation and Employment is seeking applications from candidates interested in bringing their legal background and experience to the role of legal member of the Building Practitioners Board (BPB).
About the Board
The Building Practitioners Board (the Board) plays an important role in overseeing the Licensed Building Practitioners Scheme.
The Board’s functions are to:
- approve rules for recommendation to the Minister relating to LBPs that are prepared in accordance with Part 4 of the Act;
- hear and decide complaints about, and inquire into the conduct of and discipline, LBPs in accordance with the Act;
- hear appeals against certain decisions by the Registrar of the Board; and
- review and report to the Minister on the performance of the functions and duties, and the exercise of the powers, of the Board in accordance with the Act.
The Board is not a governance board in the same way a Crown entity board provides strategic oversight for a Crown entity, instead it acts more like a tribunal. The Board is independent of MBIE but is supported in the performance of its role and functions.
The Board is committed to supporting the capability of New Zealand’s building and construction industry and maintaining building practitioner standards. Further information on the Board can be found on their website.
Our Board(external link) — Licensed Building Practitioners
The Board is a statutory body
The Board is established under section 341 of the Building Act 2004 (the Act). The Minister for Building and Construction is the responsible Minister for the Board. Further provisions applying to the Board are contained in Schedule 3 of the Act. More information on the Act can be found here.
Building Act 2004(external link) — New Zealand Legislation
Board member responsibilities
Role of members
The Act sets out the provisions for the governance, reporting and accountability arrangements of the Board.
The collective duties of members are to ensure that the Board acts consistently with its objectives, functions, Statement of Performance Expectations and Output Agreements and that the Board’s functions are performed efficiently, effectively and in a manner consistent with the spirit of service to the public, in a financially responsible manner and in accordance with the rules of natural justice.
The individual duties of members are:
- to comply with their letter of appointment;
- to bring an objective and fair approach to disciplinary hearings;
- to be collaborative and an effective communicator, and be willing and available to devote time and energy to the role;
- to act with honesty and integrity, in good faith and in accordance with the principles of natural justice, and with reasonable care, diligence and skills; and
- not to disclose or make use of information that otherwise would not be available to them.
Members are expected to adhere to the Public Service Commission code of conduct. Further information can be found here:
Standards of Integrity and Conduct(external link) — Te Kawa Mataaho Public Service Commission
Membership of the Board
Members are appointed for terms of up to five years and may be reappointed on the expiry of their term. Members of the Board may resign by written notice to the responsible Minister. Members may be removed from office at any time, and for any reason by written notice from the Minister.
Time commitment and remuneration
Members are entitled to receive remuneration at a rate determined by the shareholding Ministers in accordance with the Cabinet Fees Framework. Board members are paid a daily fee of $530 In addition to fees, members are entitled to be reimbursed for actual and reasonable experiences incurred while carrying out the duties of the Board.
The Board will meet as often as is necessary to carry out its role. Generally, members are expected to spend a minimum of 5days per month up to 10-12 days per month (including preparation time and dependent on individual member availability) at Board meetings, hearings and sub-committee meetings throughout New Zealand. The Board maintains a rolling complaints fixtures schedule (CFS) that captures member availability and assigns them to matters based on their availability. Board members are expected to regularly attend and participate and to commit to CFS allocations.
Person specifications
Specific skills required
The BPB is now seeking a new member. We welcome applications from candidates who are a barrister or solicitor of at least 5 years’ standing. Candidates should be able to demonstrate the following:
- A genuine interest in supporting the effective regulation of licensed building practitioners; and
- Tribunal or dispute resolution experience in a quasi-judicial setting.
Ideally candidates will have a thorough knowledge of the Act and the Building Code.
In addition, the successful candidate will be able to bring an objective and fair approach to disciplinary hearings, be collaborative and an effective communicator, and be willing and available to devote time and energy to the role.
Additional information
For enquiries about the position, email: board.appointments@mbie.govt.nz