The Government has reported that the requirement for building consents under the Building Act 2004 will be removed for low-risk building work. The idea is to allow the construction sector to focus on larger projects to provide jobs and assist in the COVID-19 recovery. Exemptions to the Building Act are expected to commence at the end of August 2020. These exemptions are anticipated to allow the construction of single-storey detached buildings of up to 30 square metres such as sleep-outs, sheds, greenhouses and carports without building consents.
Some reports have indicated that ‘council permission’ will not be required as a result of the Government’s announcement. Suggestions that construction of such buildings can occur without ‘council permission’ fail to consider the fact that in some instances resource consents under the Resource Management Act 1991 will still be required from your local council. Site specific advice should be sought to confirm any resource consenting requirements, and avoid infringement of your local District Plan.
In addition, some work will also still require a Chartered Professional Engineer to sign off the design or a Licenced Building Practitioner to supervise. The Minister for Building and Construction has confirmed checks will still be in place, and the Building Code must be complied with in regards to health and safety, electricity and plumbing.
For more information review the summary and guidance at requirements at building.govt.nz
If you have any questions about the proposed changes or the impact on your business, please contact the Resource Management Team.
Resource Management team
Josh Leckie, Annabel Linterman, Kelsey Barry, Mia Turner
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