A new player has entered the building consent arena, promising to streamline the approval process for residential construction. Building Consent Approvals,the country’s first independent residential building consent authority (BCA),aims to reduce both waiting times and costs associated with “low-risk” house-building projects.

Faster Consents on the Horizon

Operating nationwide, Building Consent Approvals anticipates issuing consents within 10 working days for eligible residential projects. This expedited timeline could significantly benefit homeowners and developers eager to start construction.

Accreditation and Oversight

The privately-owned company has undergone rigorous scrutiny to ensure compliance with Building Act regulations. It has been accredited and registered as an independent Building Consent Authority and reviewed by International Accreditation New Zealand. South Island Minister James Meager emphasized at the launch in Selwyn that the new consent authority is subject to the same standards as councils.

In terms of the accreditation and the approval process, it’s quite a rigorous, thorough process to go through. The authorities are going to have the same oversight that councils are subject to in terms of the responsibilities and obligations under the building Act.

South Island Minister James Meager

Focus on Low-Risk Residential Housing

Building Consent Approvals will concentrate on low-risk residential housing, notably single-storey homes, rather than large or complex buildings, according to chairman Tony Sewell. This specialization allows the company to streamline its processes and offer faster turnaround times for simpler projects.

Mr. Meager believes that giving consumers choice will help people save money and possibly time on building projects.

Easing the Burden on Local Councils

By focusing on low-risk residential projects, Building Consent Approvals aims to alleviate the workload of local councils, enabling them to concentrate on more complex and higher-risk developments. Mr. Sewell stated that:

With BCA focused on low-risk residential housing, it will take the pressure off local body workloads so they can concentrate on commercial, retail, apartment buildings and more complex, higher risk projects.

Tony Sewell, Chairman, Building Consent Approvals

Commitment to Quality and Assurance

The company emphasizes its commitment to ensuring building risk, quality, and civil liability responsibilities are covered. Building Consent Approvals maintains full civil liability coverage for its activities, providing assurance to homeowners, developers, and councils.

Mr.Sewell stated, As a government-approved, accredited co-regulator, our role is to ensure building risk, quality and civil liability responsibilities are covered.

Government Initiatives to Accelerate Building

The launch of Building Consent Approvals aligns with broader government efforts to accelerate building projects. Building and Construction Minister Chris penk has been advocating for measures to streamline the building process. Last month, the government announced a new scheme allowing trusted builders to sign off on some of their own work, in addition to setting targets to reduce building inspection wait times.

Mr. Penk said in April:

Making it easier and more affordable to build opens the door to homeownership for more Kiwis, gives families choice about where they live, and supports growth and job creation in the construction sector.

He also noted the inefficiencies in the current system, stating, We can’t achieve this vision while the building consent system remains slow and overloaded. even simple, single-storey homes must go through around 12 inspections before they’re finished, with costly delays when demand is high.

the government also plans to increase the size of granny flats that can be built without consent, from 60 to 70 square meters.