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In these newsletters, we cover the latest building industry news, trends, and tips. In this particular issue, we touch on a bounce back in building consent applications, MBIE's proposed changes around granny flats, how to tell when your project may need a minor variation or an amendment application, and a reminder around managing sediment runoff with the warm and dry summer months fast approaching.
Building trends
Building consent numbers have bounced back over the last two months in the Queenstown Lakes District, following a very quiet 12 months that matched a national trend of consent numbers dropping 25% compared with the previous year. We’ve just received 148 and 147 applications in June and July respectively, showing a strong recovery from an average of 100 applications we were receiving each month over the last year.
The reason for this sudden upward movement is unclear, but impending Official Cash Rate reductions could be creating confidence people need to plan their future builds. Building costs also appear to have stopped rising, further adding to that confidence and giving people peace of mind around the risk of significant increases they may face throughout construction. On top of that, several stages of developments around the district have had titles issued recently.
QLDC’s Building Services team is fully staffed after the addition of a number of new recruits. This should help keep inspection timeframes within a two-to-four day turnaround, and the processing of building consents well within the 20 day timeframe.
A friendly reminder that while staff and contractor resource availability play an important part in meeting these timeframes, the quality of information provided in applications we receive remains critical to progressing consents efficiently.
Chris English
QLDC Building Services Manager
Do I need to apply for an amendment or a minor variation?
There are times an approved building consent may require changes made to it, so it’s important to know the two types of applications you can apply for to have any potential change assessed and approved.
When it comes to substantial changes from the consented building design and/or scope of work, this will usually require an amendment application. These can be made using the Building Consent application (Form 2).
Smaller changes can be approved using a minor variation application – depending on the complexity and type of change, either an onsite variation during your inspection or in the office using the Minor Variation application form.
We’re often asked whether a proposed change will require an amendment or a minor variation, so we’ve created some guidance with common examples below to provide a clearer view of whether a potential change will need an amendment application, or a minor variation. Click the below image to see our guidance on the subject.
Both application types need to be accompanied by the relevant updated plans and specifications for the proposed changes, and applications must be approved before the building work is carried out.
You’ll find more information on this on our website at QLDC Amendments & Minor Variations, and on the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment’s (MBIE) website at MBIE’s Guidance.
If you have any questions, please email our team at building@qldc.govt.nz.
MBIE changes to be aware of
The Minister for Building and Construction and MBIE have been very busy recently, proposing plenty of changes to the Building Act, Building Code, and how Building Control Authorities (BCA) process, inspect, and issue code compliance certificates for building work.
Among these changes, MBIE is currently in the process of reviewing public submissions for a proposed exemption from requiring a building consent for a granny flat (a standalone dwelling of a maximum 60m2, built by a Licensed Building Practitioner (LBP) using only acceptable solutions to comply with the Building Code among other restrictions). You’ll find more information on the Granny Flats proposal here.
As a BCA QLDC is not opposed to the proposal and can see benefits which may include freeing up resources in both our consenting and inspections teams. However, QLDC’s submission on the matter did raise the potential issue of an increase in complaints or reports of uncompliant building work where the criteria for an exemption had not been met or the building work was defective, which could result in an increased enforcement workload.
Also raised was the need to have effective mechanisms in place for councils to collect development contributions on the additional dwellings, in order to fund infrastructure needs for the increased demand on existing services.
QLDC also made a submission on the proposal to improve access to overseas building products to promote competition and lower material costs. This proposal would make it easier for BCAs to approve the use of a product based on MBIE’s acceptance of certain overseas standards meeting New Zealand standards. As a BCA QLDC generally supports of this proposal. You can find more information on MBIE’s Overseas Building Products proposal here.
We’re expecting other consultations throughout the year, including the potential for mandatory remote inspections, and rolling back the recent H1 improvements.
Managing environmental impacts from construction
The warmer months of spring have arrived and before we know it, summer will be upon us! As temperatures rise and we get closer to long, hot, and dry days with very little rainfall throughout the district, it’s important appropriate stakeholders are aware of their responsibility to manage sediment run-off and dust, specifically from construction-related activities.
Please take this opportunity to prepare and ensure that your site is sufficiently managed throughout the duration of your development to prevent environmental effects caused by these works. The consent holder and nominated contractors must, at all times, take reasonable and practicable management measures to avoid environmental impacts.
You’ll find plenty of helpful information on how your project can avoid environmental impacts in our Guidelines for Environmental Management Plans document.
Council staff will be actively monitoring sites over the coming months, and as always, investigating any concerns we receive from members of the public.
If you have a question about protecting the environment and your project, email our Enforcement team at rcmonitoring@qldc.govt.nz or call 03 441 0499.
Code compliance certificate extensions, refusals and historic consents
If an application for a code compliance certificate (CCC) is not made within two years of the date that a building consent is granted, or any further period agreed, QLDC must make a decision whether to issue or refuse to issue the CCC.
If you’re not ready to apply for your CCC, then be sure to apply for an extension.
Our staff regularly follow up with anyone with a consent getting close to that two year mark, or the limit of any extension that has been agreed to. If you wish to apply for an extension, all you have to do is email our Building Consent team at building@qldc.govt.nz, stating your consent number, the reason for the extension, and how long you’d like to extend for.
If we try to contact someone about their consent and CCC, we don't receive a response, and we’re not satisfied compliance with the building consent has been established, we will refuse to issue the CCC.
You can still apply for the CCC in future. But please note, we may request additional inspections and have to take into account factors like the durability of material used for consents older than five years.
You’ll find more information on this here: CCC Applications for Historical Building Consents (IS 3.4).
Feedback on Land Development and Subdivision Code of Practice
We’re proposing changes to the QLDC Land Development and Subdivision Code of Practice around stormwater management, aiming to lessen environmental effects and ensure stormwater systems built in the Queenstown Lakes District today are suitable for the future.
Find out more and have your say now at https://letstalk.qldc.govt.nz/land-development-and-subdivision-code-of-practice.
Feedback closes on Sunday 6 October 2024.
Keen for the latest news about planning and development?
We’re launching a quarterly newsletter to cover what’s happening in the planning policy, resource consent, and development engineering spaces in the Queenstown Lakes District.
We expect to send our first edition out in October this year.
If you’re interesting in staying in the loop on all things planning and development, subscribe to receive the email at www.qldc.govt.nz/planning-newsletter.
BOINZ Senior Building Officials Forum 2024
Building Officials Institute of New Zealand (BOINZ) held its annual ‘Senior Building Control Officers' Forum 2024’ in Queenstown over two days in August this year, with the building momentum-themed event bringing together a wide range of speakers and building officials from across New Zealand.
All our Building Officers are required to undertake different types of training each year to maintain their professional and technical knowledge, so we sent along staff from our Queenstown and Wānaka-based teams. The event offered plenty of great training opportunities, and provided staff with the chance to engage with peers from other BCAs and the private sector.
Presentations at the forum covered a variety of topics, including the latest industry updates from MBIE, the potential of BIM consenting, natural hazards, window installation and condensation management, quality assurance, offsite construction and remote inspections, fire safety, and much more! There were also several exhibitions on display over the two days which showcased a wide range of industry products and software systems.
We’d like to thank BOINZ for choosing Queenstown as the venue for this year’s forum, and hope attendees from around the country enjoyed their time in our neck of the woods.
Find out more about BOINZ here.
To view previous issues, please visit: https://www.qldc.govt.nz/services/building-services/additional-information/brace-yourself-building-services-newsletter
If there is a topic that you would like to see covered, please let us know by emailing: chris.english@qldc.govt.nz
