EVENT PROGRAMME

BOINZ Symposium 2025 – Provisional Programme 15th January 2025
25th May 2025 - Day 0 – Sunday - Welcome Function
5.30pm |
Welcome Function |
7.30pm |
Function Ends - Dinner Options |
26th May 2025 - Day 1 – Monday – Symposium & Field Trips
7.30am |
Registration & Expo Opens |
9.00am |
Opening Keynote (TBC) |
9.45am |
Current Government Policies - Charlotta Harpur – Rice Spier “Collaborating for the Future” the importance of minimising risk through collaboration and working together. There are several new government policies under development some of which have already been consulted. These will impact on BCAs legal risks and challenges and risk potential for owners and occupiers. The government says that it is committed to removing regulatory barriers and making it faster, cheaper, and easier for Kiwi families to build the healthy, safe and durable homes. But their focus on de-regulation presents several risks and challenges, not just to BCAs. Councils and accredited organisations such as BOINZ have supported relevant and appropriate legislation and developed training programmes ensuing ongoing professional development of building surveyors. Can we say the same for LBPs? Where will the risk lie when things go wrong? Will councils be protected from liability if they get involved at any stage of the build? What powers and responsibilities will councils have if they become aware of poor work? Drawing on experience including conversations across a range of stakeholders this session will provide exposures and opportunities in what we anticipate will be an interactive session. |
10.25am |
Criminal liability for issuing producer statements – The new landscape - Nathan Spier – MC The Court of Appeal in Solicitor-General’s Reference (No 1 of 2022) [2024] NZCA 514 has confirmed that authors of Producer Statements can be criminally liable under s 40 of the Building Act 2004. What does this mean for building officials and how will this impact the industry? Nathan Speir has been with this case from the outset and looks forward to sharing tips and tricks for successfully prosecuting a Producer Statement author under the BA04. Join Nathan and another member of his team for an interactive session on the art of prosecuting engineers and what might be the future of regulatory compliance and enforcement in Aotearoa. |
10.55am |
Morning Tea |
11.25am Breakouts |
Technical Sessions / Innovation / Design & Safety
|
11.55am Breakouts |
|
12.25pm Breakouts |
|
12.55pm |
Lunch |
1.55pm |
Preparing for determinations, trials and mediations - Frana Divich Have you had to prepare for determinations, trials or mediations? Each process requires a different focus. Frana will discuss the purpose of each and how to prepare to maximise the impact of your contribution. |
2.25pm |
Learnings from Fire - James Firestone James will unpack/illustrate several real-life tragedies to explain why fire compliance is vital for safeguarding occupants from fires in a building. Examples will include Grenfell Tower, MGM Grand Hotel, Coconut Grove Night club. From these tragedies presenting a clear understanding of the three elements for governing fire safety. Automatic (timely) Detection and Warning, Protection to the Means Of Escape, a practised Evacuation Plan |
3.00pm |
Site Visits – Parakiore Recreation and Sport Centre (20 people) Parakiore Recreation and Sport Centre opens soon in 2025, and will be New Zealand’s largest aquatic and indoor recreation venue, offering cutting-edge facilities for people of all ages and abilities. Parakiore will be the first in the country to harness the city's wastewater system to provide all of its heating – a groundbreaking approach that taps into the untapped thermal energy from everyday water usage. Court Theatre (50 people), Explore Christchurch's newest-old theatre. The new $56 million theatre comprises a 377-seat main playhouse auditorium, a 120-150-seat studio theatre, front-of-house facilities and is a full production house, funded in partnership with Christchurch City Council. The venue features high levels of flexibility and deep integration of technical facilities. Plus two more venues which are under confirmation and we will update the details soon! |
4.45pm |
Networking Function – Dobson Foyer / Exhibition Hall |
6.00pm |
Dinner options |
27th May - Day 2 - Symposium & Awards Dinner
7.30am |
Registration & Expo Opens |
8.30am |
MC Welcome & Housekeeping |
8.35am |
Update on the Economy - Brad Olsen – Infometrics Leading economist Brad Olsen will deliver an informative and current perspective on New Zealand’s Economy. |
9.05am |
The Future of Building Inspections - Jeff Fahrensohn – Auckland Council The future may look very different for building inspections. Quality Assurance programs, remote video inspections, third party verifiers, self-certifying qualified constructors are the different methods of inspection we are starting to see in the industry now. In addition, the way we inspect is changing. Specialist tools such as door force gauges, dry film thickness meters, light meters etc are all becoming normal tools of the trade however there are also emerging technologies which will provide BCOs additional options which is will help reduce risk and provide robust compliance evidence |
9.45am |
Technology, AI and the Regulatory Environment - Tony Walls - Objective How technology is responding to fast changing regulatory environments and the need for IT solutions to keep pace with change. What skills are needed by users of the software since the system has touchpoints with many stakeholders in the process. How IT solutions can make lives easier for all users and ensures consistent, quality outputs and a source of truth. How the software can improve the industry as a whole and provide stronger outcomes for communities and accountability that builds trust in government. |
10.25am |
Morning Tea |
11.05am Breakouts |
Environmental Impacts / Engineering / Innovation
|
11.35am Breakouts |
|
12.05pm Breakouts |
|
12.35pm |
Lunch |
1.35pm |
Finding Common Ground - Jehan Casinader Our world seems more polarised than ever - there are so many issues that pull us apart. How do we find common ground with people we disagree with? Award-winning journalist Jehan Casinader knows how to quickly build rapport with complete strangers. In our sector, there’s no shortage of issues that can cause friction and conflict in our day-to-day work. This session will give you new tools that help you to engage effectively with the people who matter to you. |
2.10pm |
How to Say “no” or “not good enough” – Panel discussion (Claire Troon, Karel Boakes, BCA Leaders TBC) |
2.40pm |
Changes and what they mean for LBPs and BCAs - Mel Orange, BPB Change seems to be a constant in the building industry, and never more so than now. Changes to building consent systems and the Licensed Building Practitioner (LBP) regime mean more accountability and responsibility is or will be placed on LBPs. This presentation will focus on what those changes mean for LBPs and Building Consent Authorities, including how the Building Practitioners Board may approach any changes to its disciplinary powers. |
3.10pm |
Sovereign Citizens in the building space – legitimate movement or legal quackery? – Simon Waalkens - Rice Spier The sovereign citizen movement continues to cause challenges for local government. This presentation looks at the origins and development of the movement, how it can cause issues in the local government space, what to watch out for, how to deal with a sovereign citizen and how to respond based on recent case experiences. |
3.30pm |
Afternoon Tea |
4.00pm |
Momentum Monitor Sessions Short sharp information sessions presentations from sector experts – Topics TBC |
4.20pm |
A new Regulatory Instrument: The Building Product Specifications - Katie Symons – MBIE The Building Product Specification (BPS) is a proposed new regulatory instrument to be introduced in 2025. It is intended to streamline the way that building product standards are cited in the New Zealand building code system, reducing regulatory barriers to the use of building products that meet equivalent or better performance requirements to those cited in current compliance pathways. Development of the BPS is intended to strike the right balance between reducing costs and maintaining the current performance standards of the building code. The BPS will provide a new compliance pathway for the use of products which comply with overseas standards, to support increased competition in the market in line with government priorities. This session will explore how the BPS is designed be used in consent applications and how the technical content of the BPS should be considered by BCAs. |
4.50pm |
End of Day 2 |
6.00pm |
Pre-dinner Drinks |
6.30pm |
Awards Dinner |
10.30pm |
Dinner Finish |
28th May - Day 3 – Wednesday – BCA Leaders Forum
MC / Q&A and Panel Facilitator – Jehan Casinader
7.30am |
Registration & Expo |
8.30am |
Building Reform – David Chandler CE Advisory, Former NSW Building Commissioner What are the challenges / what are the opportunities. What has happened before? We hear from an experienced leader in the sector. |
9.15am |
Resourcing and Innovation for the Future - Technology / AI Direction in the Regulatory Environment - Tony Walls – Objective Taking us on a journey. IT Technology is a fast-paced sector and what we are today is a redundancy timeline, Tony will detail where regulatory software and IT are heading and by implication the resources needed including staff skillsets. IT solutions are ideally targeted at making lives easier by consistency and quality outputs. Dovetailing the needs of regulators and technology requires innovation and resource. Tony will take us down a path of awareness and understanding future working environments. Tony’s presentation will precede short digital panel discussion where members can test future needs against technology direction. |
10.00am |
Morning Tea |
10.30am |
Natural Hazards – Charlotta Harpur & Laura Bielby – Rice Spier Changing environmental impacts will mean new challenges for building and building legislation. |
11.00am |
Insurance – John Lucas - Insurance Council of New Zealand (ICNZ) Bringing together design, build and repair certainty to achieve insurance affordability. |
11.30am |
BWOF – The case for Change – TBC Do recent incidents and practices indicate causes for change – learning and findings. Is it time to put resource where it is needed and identify the responsibilities? Who needs to step up? A National BWOF Register? BCA Collective ownership? What can BCAs do and who needs to do what? |
12.00pm |
Exhibition & Monitor Sessions |
12.30pm |
Sit down lunch with Guest Speaker Risk and the current Building Reform - Prof. Kim Lovegrove An IBQC perspective on what international best practice building regulations look like - key elements. |
1.30pm |
Risk informed consenting – Expert Panel Discussion facilitated by award winning journalist Jehan Casinader How to get the balance? What is risk informed and homing in on the right spaces? What is the thought process? What does it take and how to enable you to take a risk informed approach? |
2.00pm |
Building Consent Authorities Reform – TBC Followed by Q&A session |
2.40pm |
Managing the Paradigm Shift - Keryn Davis – ADNZ Keryn Davis draws on her experiences as a participant of the Dunedin Study and with a background in human development, change and research. What does it take to develop people and change? Growing people in a changing environment and influencing life’s trajectory |
3.20pm |
Afternoon Tea |
3.40pm |
Breakout Discussion groups – 3 x 15-minute sessions with current topics, future issues for discussion, major changes and opportunities
Topics for this session will be finalised closer to the date of the Forum to align with current relevance for the industry.
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4.35pm |
Closing keynote - TBC |
5.00pm |
Networking |
6.00pm |
End of Day 3 |