Advocacy update

Submissions 

We have recently submitted on the:

• Building and Construction (Small Stand-alone Dwellings) Amendment Bill
• Education and Training (Vocational Education and Training System) Amendment Bill
• Consultation on Industry Skills Boards' Coverage
• Strengthening New Zealand’s emergency management legislation.

Thank you to everyone who contributed to our submissions. 

By the end of the month, we will have also submitted on the consultation on resource management National Direction, the Draft National Infrastructure Plan, and Going for Housing Growth government proposals. All submissions will be available on our website.

For more information on our forward plan of consultations, visit consultation page.

Opposition and Ministers meeting

We have been actively engaging with the Government and members of the Opposition over recent months – to make sure your voices are heard. 

These meetings have covered a range of important topics and issues effecting the engineering profession, including: 

• infrastructure, particularly the impact on workforce from projects being cancelled or slow
• concerns with the standards funding and development model
• universities and the science sector reform
• the long-term engineering skills shortage. 

We have recently met with the following Ministers: Minister Scott Simpson, Minister Shane Reti, Minister Chris Penk. and Minister Chris Bishop. 

We have also met with the following Opposition Members: Rt Hon Chris Hipkins, Kieran McAnulty, Barbara Edmunds, Arena Williams, and Tangi Utikere. 

Recent government decisions that affect you 

Vocational Education Reform

Industry Skills Boards (ISBs)

Government has announced that there will be eight new Industry Skills Boards (ISBs) to begin operating from 1 January 2026.  The ISBs will replace the current Workforce Development Councils. You can find more information here.

We are awaiting consultation on funding arrangements and the draft legislation to be reported back to Parliament. We will continue to monitor these reforms and press for answers to the questions we raised in our submissions.

Insulation

Government has announced changes to the H1 energy efficiency requirements in the Building Code, including the removal of the Schedule method for demonstrating insulation compliance, one of the changes we advocated for on our submission. MBIE is expected to update relevant documentation by the end of November. This method will be phased out by the end of 2025, with a 12-month transition period. After this, the Calculation and Modelling methods will remain as the pathways for compliance. The stated intention is to provide more flexibility in how buildings meet thermal performance standards, without changing the overall performance requirements.

You can find more information here. We will update you further once we see the details of the regulations and whether any more of the points we submitted on have been addressed.

Resource Management Reform 

Engineering New Zealand submitted on the Resource Management (Consenting and Other System Changes) Amendment Bill earlier this year. This Bill aims to progress Government priorities, including making it easier to consent new infrastructure, encouraging investment in renewable energy, and making medium-density residential standards optional for councils. See our website for the matters we submitted o.

The Select Committee has now reported back on this Bill suggesting a range of changes. It is expected that the Bill will pass by the end of the month. Keep an eye out on the beehive website for a summary of what changes have been made once it passes. 

Local Water Done Well

Engineering New Zealand submitted on the Local Government (Water Services) Bill earlier this year. This Bill aims to continue to establish a new regulatory framework for water services delivery as part of Local Water Done Well reform.

The Select Committee has now reported back on this Bill suggesting 360 changes. It is expected that the final reading of the Bill will pass by the end of the month. Keep an eye out on the beehive website for a summary of what changes have been made once it passes. 

Upcoming consultations

We’re expecting more consultations to be announced in the coming months. Some of the key issues we’re keeping an eye on include:

• Vocational Education Reform – ITP network and Funding
• Local Government (System Amendment) Bill
• Resource Management Act legislation 
• Building consent authority structure and liability 
• Building self-certification scheme
• Earthquake Prone Building Review
• Science Sector Reforms.

We’re actively monitoring these areas and will engage once consultations are open. You can keep up to date with upcoming consultations we intend to respond to on our consultation page.

Proactive advocacy

We are also pressing forward in a variety of ways for change in the key things members have told us they want improved. This includes advocating to Government on:

• Infrastructure: Our ideas to bring infrastructure work to market on a consistent (and faster) basis and maintain our much-needed workforce. We were pleased to hear recent announcements by the Government about ‘shovel-ready’ projects that will start before Christmas, which is what we have been calling for. This will not address all the concerns in this space, but it is a good step forward.
• Standards: Improvements to the current funding and development model for standards.
• Building system reform: The need for a strategic approach to reform.
• Long-term skills shortage: Leading a variety of actions to help address this issue, as listed in our action plan. 

If you want to know more about our advocacy or to get involved, get in touch at advocacy@engineeringnz.org