In these newsletters, we cover the latest building industry news, trends, and tips. In this particular issue, we talk about building consent applications and a traditionally slow January, in addition to details on how to book a remote inspection, how to tidy up your building consent file upload, and plasterboard offcut recycling options in the district.

Building trends

January 2022 saw the traditional slowdown of consent applications and inspections, as tradespeople and designers took a well-deserved break after a hectic year of construction in 2021.

We’re now tracking very close to pre-COVID consent and inspection levels and also consent value figures, which, if keeping at current trends, will again break the $1bn of building value for the district. Considering commercial consents have dropped significantly since COVID-19, this demonstrates how strong residential construction activity is currently. As I have mentioned previously, for anyone who hasn’t been for a drive out to Hanleys Farm, it’s well worth a look at how many builds are now complete, and even more impressive is the number of homes under construction.

In Wānaka, a number of developments are either in the new build phase, or in the last stages of consenting with builds commencing in the coming months.

Internally, QLDC’s Building Services team is managing the busy workload with the help of our contracting team. However, I’d like to share a note of caution with Omicron. Our processing team is not so affected by this COVID-19 strain as they can work from home and our contractors can fill any gaps if staff are unable to work. But, our inspection team is vulnerable to Omicron and if any staff members contract COVID-19 they will be unable to undertake inspections. This may mean inspection timeframes are pushed out from our current turnaround of between two and three days for Queenstown and three and four days in Wānaka. If this does happen, I will keep the industry updated.

To finish with some great news, QLDC’s Building Services team has had its IANZ accreditation formally renewed for another two years, following a comprehensive five day audit. We have been deemed low risk and therefore won’t be due for the next audit for another two years.

Tidy up your upload

This year we’ll be promoting our file naming preferences to ensure a smooth transition of documents from our upload portal to our records management system.

We realise the challenge/variables with different file formats, software capability, and computer ability across our building consent service users, however experience shows us that the tidier the documents are presented, the better the outcome and eventual understanding of the building consent file for the future.

Please consider our file naming and content information next time you upload an application. You’ll find more information this at https://www.qldc.govt.nz/services/building-services/upload-pay#file-names-content

We’d like to promote the below example we received recently, where care and consideration has been given to clearly collate and label the submitted documents:

And here’s an example we wish to discourage, where more consideration could be given to clearly labelled or collate documents:

Remote inspections

Over the past 12 months, QLDC has been trialling remote inspections using Zyte; an app for virtual viewing and smart video calling. These trials have generally been successful, with several inspections completed including under slab plumbing and drainage, external drainage, plumbing pre-line, wet area membranes, and post-line pre-stop inspections.

Advantages of Zyte

• Site contact doesn’t need any programs or apps 
• Reduced time charged for inspection
• Able to do re-inspection on the same day if noncompliant items can be fixed straight away
• More efficient use of time not having to travel to site
• Able to book inspections for set times during the day to fit in with the site contact
• No contact, reducing potential COVID-19 spread in the community.

Disadvantages of Zyte

• Clarity of images (restricted to the quality of the site contact’s phone)
• Quality of the reception (phone reception).

QLDC is now ready to expand this service for those who wish to use it. 

Before you book

• Check your inspection request is one we can do remotely here
• Check you have good cell coverage inside and outside at the site
• Ensure your site contact has a video-capable phone.

Booking

• Identify the type of inspection, and share contact details
• Request for the inspection to be completed as a remote inspection.

Before inspection

• Check the charge on your site contact’s cell phone
• Be at the site ready to take the call
• Have necessary equipment (such as tape measure, level, prodder, torch).

At inspection

• The inspector will outline the inspection process
• The inspector will request the site contact to use speaker phone or head phones 
• The inspector will request access to camera and GPS location
• The inspector will work through the inspection template as usual, directing areas to be inspected and taking photos for the inspection record.

Post inspection

The inspection record will be emailed and uploaded the same as on-site inspections.

Want to arrange a remote inspection?

If you are interested in using this service or would like to know more, please email robert.aurik@qldc.govt.nz.

Photo: Approximately 20 tonnes of plasterboard heading to Christchurch for recycling from the Queenstown AllWaste Facility. Photo credit - Malcolm Dodds.

Plasterboard offcut recycling in the Queenstown Lakes District

Plasterboard onsite waste collection and recycling services are now available in the Queenstown Lakes area and most types of plasterboard are accepted.

Customers working on new build projects can have ‘plasterboard only’ bins or flexibags delivered to site during the interior lining stage. When full, the bins or flexibags are then uplifted by participating waste collectors and sent to a South Island recycler for processing.

This is great news for the local building industry which is becoming increasingly aware of the importance of reducing the growing level of construction waste ending up in landfill. It’s also very useful for Homestar and Greenstar projects as it can help customers claim points for waste diversion under these schemes.

The plasterboard waste collected is sent to a Canterbury-based landscape company who processes the offcuts by shredding and screening the product to return it to gypsum form. The paper from the processing goes into compost production and the gypsum core is extracted and reused as a soil conditioner in a range of horticultural and agricultural products.

Queenstown Lakes District Council’s Waste Minimisation officer, Kath Buttar says that while the approach should always be to look at ways to minimise plasterboard waste created in the first place, it’s great to see manufacturers, waste collectors and the local building industry proactively working to divert unavoidable plasterboard offcuts from landfill and into beneficial reuse.

For more information on plasterboard recycling services contact the below commercial waste collectors:

AllWaste

• Phone: 0800 255 927
• Email: sales@allwaste.co.nz

Waste Management

• Phone: 03 343 9897
• Email: queenstown@wastemanagement.co.nz

For resources on how to minimise plasterboard waste through design and installation, check out the GIB website here: https://www.gib.co.nz/about-winstone-wallboards/sustainability/.

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