National announces proposed changes to building consent process
The National Party has announced a proposal to reform New Zealand's building consent system if re-elected, with the aim of streamlining consenting for certain types of building work.
Under the proposal, qualified engineers would be able to sign off specified building work without requiring council inspections, and producer statements from recognised professionals would receive formal recognition under the Building Act.
National has also proposed establishing a specialist Building Consent Authority (BCA) for larger commercial buildings, providing a nationally consistent consenting pathway for complex projects. Local councils would continue to operate as Building Consent Authorities, with developers able to choose whether to use their local council or the specialist commercial BCA where applicable.
According to National, the proposed changes are intended to reduce consenting timeframes, improve consistency, lower costs, and allow councils to focus more on residential building consents.
