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In these newsletters, we cover the latest building industry news, trends, and tips. In this particular issue, we outline compliance schedule changes you need to be aware of, introduce you to one of our new BCOs, and discuss Certificates of Public Use.
Christmas shutdown for consents
Over the holiday season, the statutory clock for processing consents stops on 20 December and doesn't start again until 11 January 2020.
Because of the 20 working day processing timeframe, this means that if any applications are sent through now, they will be allocated and processed in the new year.
Hot topic: Certificates of Public Use
With all the commercial construction happening in our district, Certificates of Public Use (CPU) are a hot topic at the moment. Here's what you need to know.
Buildings that are open to the public need to be certified as being safe prior to it being opened under section 363A of the Building Act 2004.
How exactly can CPUs help?
A CPU allows members of the public to use a building if the CCC hasn’t been issued yet. It will allow building work to progress through different parts of building while certifying the completed areas are safe and can be occupied by members of the public.
What are the safety requirements?
The building must meet all of the safety requirements needed to ensure the public can use the building safely.
These can include a working fire suppression system, fire alarm system, emergency lighting etc. Fire safety systems need to be installed correctly, commissioned and working.
Other items also considered are accessibility in and out of the building, prevention and safety from falling, and the control of construction hazards.
How can CPUs be obtained?
Anyone who owns, occupies or controls the premises intended for public use is responsible for obtaining the CPU.
To view the CPU process, please click here.
Going back in time
Did you know we're currently working on closing out historical building consents, some of which date back to 2004?
The first step has been contacting homeowners with building consents that have never been fully completed (and in turn certified).
This process has to be very thorough to ensure buildings can be correctly certified and the task can be quite challenging. This is because we're searching through historical building records and filed documents to confirm what is still to be completed.
In a lot of cases, original documents are unable to be verified as the original owners or tradesmen who carried out the works have moved on from the district.
But in saying that, we've had a lot of success with the current homeowners in being able to close these jobs out and obtain CCC.
Watch this space!
Swimming pool inspections
Our dedicated Swimming Pools Inspector has been very busy since the Building (Pools) Amendment Act 2016* came into effect and is likely to be a familiar face.
This is because local Councils must carry out periodic three-yearly inspections on residential pools (including some small heated pools).
What has been the trend so far?
Unfortunately an extremely high level of non-compliance has been identified for a vast and diverse range of issues.
To overcome this and prevent potential risks to young children, we're working closely with affected homeowners to effect compliance as quickly as possible. This high level of non-compliance highlights the need and value of this revised and important piece of legislation.
How have people been responding?
While the majority of homeowners recognise the objective of the legislation and are willing and pro-active in remediating any non-compliance, a small minority have been less co-operative.
Remedial work may be perceived as an annoyance or an unnecessary cost, but it is important to remember that these requirements are there not only to protect young children but to protect pool owners from liability.
*This Act replaced the repealed Fencing of Swimming Pools Act 1987 (FOSPA). FOSPA did not require Territorial Authorities to undertake periodic inspections.
Low risk IANZ rating maintained
In October, we had a four day International Accreditation of New Zealand (IANZ) assessment to determine our compliance with accreditation regulations.
Although a small number of non-compliances were identified (most since resolved), this assessment went very well.
We've retained our rating as a low risk Council and have been accredited for a further two years – this is the maximum allowable.
Why do Councils need accreditation?
Building Consent Authorities (BCA) need to be accredited to enable them to receive and issue building consents. Without this accreditation, we would not be able to provide a key service to our local community.
What does it involve?
It is an intense build-up and assessment which is carried out by three technical experts from IANZ as well as an observer from the Ministry of Business Employment and Innovation.
Compliance schedule changes
We're changing things up with compliance schedules. Read on to find out what this means for you.
Applying for compliance schedules related to a building consent?
You'll need to complete the Application for Compliance Schedule (Form 27) with your building consent application for new, altered, added to or removed specified systems.
Please identify each specified system by selecting the appropriate systems and performance standard.
Did you know?
We have default design and installation standards which will populate default reporting and maintenance procedures on the compliance schedule. If you'd like to view a full list of them, check out our Information Sheet for Specified Systems (IS SS).
If you intend to use other design, installation, reporting and maintenance procedures though, you'll need to complete a Specified System Form (SS Form). We'll issue the building consent listing specified systems to be included or altered on the compliance schedule.
Amending Compliance Schedules related to a building consent?
What you need to do depends on whether you're installing, removing or altering systems.
- Installing or removing: amendments to the compliance schedule are required.
- Altering: we'll assess the extent of the changes to the installation, inspection and maintenance performances.
If performance standards remain unchanged, an amendment will generally not be required. e.g. relocating a couple of sprinkler heads but the performance standard of the system remains the same. This would mean a CCC can be issued without an amended compliance schedule.
Applying for Compliance Schedules not related to a building consent?
You'll need to complete Application for Compliance Schedule (Form 11) where the compliance schedule requires an amendment outside of a building consent. e.g. as a result of an audit by QLDC Territorial Authority.
What happens when a Compliance Schedule is issued?
When a CCC is issued, you'll also receive a Compliance Schedule (this confirms the inspection, maintenance and reporting procedures to be followed to keep specified systems in good working order). We also provide:
- A copy of the Compliance Schedule.
- A Compliance Schedule Statement. This must be displayed in a public place in the building for the first 12 months (after 12 months, it has to be replaced by a Building Warrant of Fitness - BWOF)
- A letter with the anniversary date that your BWOF needs to be supplied each year. It also details the requirement to get a suitably authorised Independent Qualified Person to certify the ongoing performance of the Compliance Schedule features.
Meet Sarah Brand - one of our newest Building Control Officers
What did you do before QLDC?
I come from an Architecture background. After studying at Victoria University in Wellington I moved back to Christchurch to work in a graduate role for MAP Architect’s and gain some practical experience. During my time at MAP, I worked on a mix of residential/commercial projects all at various stages of design.
Travel was always on the radar, so I set off on an OE landing myself in London where I picked up a job as a Design Coordinator for a property developer - Regal London. The role was site based and I learnt a lot of new skills during my time there, including how to drive a crane. After a few years of testing if the grass was greener on the other side I decided we have it pretty good at home and made the move back to NZ, ending up here in Wānaka.
What made you apply for the Building Control Officer role?
It was probably initially the location that led me to the job. I was looking to move back to New Zealand and hoping to base myself in Wānaka where the access to watersports, skiing and hiking was a huge drawcard.
To be honest I had never considered a role in Building Control. It isn’t advertised as a career path from University and I didn’t know anyone working in the field. The listing popped up on Trademe and after reading the job description, it sounded like a lot of the skills cross-credited and would be an exciting opportunity to learn more about the regulatory side in an area that was experiencing huge growth. I hit apply and haven’t looked back since.
What has been your experience so far?
I didn’t know what to expect coming into this role, I have learnt so much in such a short space of time. There are very few other council’s where you would have the opportunity to be exposed to such a wide range of building work in such a short period of time at entry level.
QLDC has been great at supporting my learning and transition to Building Control. There is a strong focus on investing in staff training and encouraging personal development. Throughout the year I’ve been to a number of internal and external training courses enabling me to progress to processing more complex jobs.
I can appreciate relationships can be tense at times between QLDC, designers, builders, owners as our work is centred around people’s time and money. But I have found everyone on the whole to be very understanding and easy to work with. Ultimately that’s what it’s all about - working together.
I think the people have been a large part of my experience and why I’ve enjoyed this role so much. Both the Building Services team and the wider Planning & Development team have been very welcoming, there is a great working culture and everyone is always happy to lend a hand.
What have been the main differences in your experience between the design and regulatory side?
Building Control may sound a little less glamorous than Architecture but there are many similarities between the two fields and a lot of the skills cross over or complement each other:
- Design: Often a practice will develop a certain style and your design decisions will reflect or work within those parameters so you become familiar with certain materials, construction techniques. There are a lot of different factors influencing each design decision with of course a strong focus on the aesthetic.
- Building Control: In this job you are working through a number of projects a day, you see a range of architectural designs, all using different materials and construction techniques. It’s stepping back from the aesthetic and analysing the decisions from a pragmatic perspective, looking at how the design meets the performance criteria of the Building Code and the wider purposes of the Building Act. I have learnt a lot about how building work is regulated and have a deeper appreciation for this important part of the process.
What’s your favourite aspect of the role?
Meeting different people at the Wānaka counter and helping them with their enquiries has been both interesting and rewarding. It is a great way to connect with local home owners, designers, builders and tradies all while learning about the different processes of the wider Planning & Development team. The variety of work and the pragmatic, problem solving nature of the job has been really exciting, I’m never bored as there is always something new to learn.
Because my role is office based it is always exciting when you can get out on site with the inspectors and see how the projects are tracking from paper to completion at different stages of the build.
Building trends from Chris English
The building consent and inspections world has picked up considerably since the last issue of Brace Yourself.
While we had a significant drop in building consents received and consent values from June to August, things are back in full swing again for our team.
In the slower period, consent value was down $100m but is now only $30m behind last year. September and October were two strong months and October had the highest number of consent applications (185) since 2015. November has also been another busy month. Building inspections are currently at record levels, approaching 20,000 for a calendar year compared to 13,000 in 2015.
What this means for you?
The lead-up to the Christmas break is usually quite frenetic with last minute applications. So please make sure you have lodged your consents as early as possible. It is also a good idea to book your inspections in advance so you can guarantee a reasonable timeframe.
And on that note, have a great holiday break everyone and we will catch you in the new year.
To view previous issues, please visit: www.qldc.govt.nz/planning/building-consents/brace-yourself
If there is a topic that you would like to see covered, please let us know by emailing: chris.english@qldc.govt.nz
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