NZ building system needs urgent improvement

“There are a lot of great people working hard to achieve results despite the challenges in the system. We welcome the Government’s focus on improving some elements of the building system.  However, we know that more work is needed,” says Engineering New Zealand Chief Executive Dr Richard Templer.

“Previous investigations by Engineering New Zealand have found that a number of non-compliant buildings have received consents – which increases the risk to public safety. This highlights that there are failures in the building system that need to be addressed.”

Although the Government is committed to making changes across key areas, the current building system reform programme lacks strategic direction, and efficiency and cost savings are frequently prioritised over quality outcomes.

“We are particularly concerned that New Zealand’s standards system is not delivering the results we need. Unsustainable funding of Standards New Zealand is meaning we are missing out as a country. Poor quality standards can risk public safety and have costly consequences. We don’t want to see another leaky building crisis,” says Templer.

Engineering New Zealand is also stressing the importance that buildings are resilient – particularly with increasing natural hazards and extreme weather. Although engineers already factor resilience into designs, councils often lack the tools to require and enforce this.

Finally, Engineering New Zealand is concerned that challenges within the building consent system increase the risk of failure. Limited information on system performance means missed opportunities for the industry to learn from mistakes.

To address these pressing issues, Engineering New Zealand is calling for Government to:

• provide the sector with a roadmap for reform, which includes clear sequencing and packaging of proposals
• urgently prioritise its planned review of the New Zealand standards setting and funding system
• ensure that quality outcomes are a central driver for change, rather than just efficiency or cost
• develop a national approach to resilience – making sure buildings are constructed in the right places or, if they are in higher risk areas, they are designed with resilience at the forefront
• make publicly accessible information on the performance of buildings to support improvements.

“Together, we can help achieve greater impact within a redesigned system. We are committed to being part of the solution and advocating for the Government to accelerate change,” says Templer.

“We also have a range of work underway to do our part – including strengthening the Chartered Professional Engineers’ regime, helping Building Consent Authorities improve their capability, and supporting engineers to undertake professional development.”

For more information, you can read Engineering New Zealand’s full building systems position statement here.