In these newsletters, we cover the latest building industry news, trends, and tips. In this particular issue, we detail May's significant building consent and PIM numbers, the latest news regarding consent reforms and what's next for granny flats and exemptions, and what you need to do if you're considering a new fireplace to take the chill off the winter cold.

Building trends

May saw a significant surge in building consent activity with 161 consents received for the month – that’s a 25% increase on figures from the same month in 2024 and the second highest month we’ve seen for over two years. However, with limited contractor availability, these numbers have meant processing times for consents have stretched out further than normal for our Processing team.

We’ve recently sent an email out advising the building sector of these unfortunate delays, but I can assure Brace Yourself readers that our team continues to work hard to meet timeframes. In the meantime, we really appreciate your patience.

Continuing with the trend of large numbers, QLDC’s Building Services team is fresh from achieving a record after processing over $1.25 billion in building consent work for the previous financial year. This is a staggering figure considering the size and population base of the Queenstown Lakes District, and further emphasizes how much demand there is for property here.

The records don’t end there though, as we reached another high with the 221 Land Information Memorandums (LIMs) processed and issued in May by our hard working LIM team. That’s a 20% increase on figures from May last year, and even more impressive is that 100% of these LIMs were issued within the 10 day statutory timeframe. LIMs are commonly associated with real estate sales as people want them before deciding on a purchase, which is another strong indicator for demand for property here and the strength of the real estate market.

Meanwhile, our Inspections team continues to maintain timeframes of between three and four days. Ministry of Building Innovation and Employment (MBIE) has introduced a requirement that all Building Consenting Authorities (BCAs) must submit data on inspection timeframes, so we can benchmark ourselves against other councils. We expect to be able to provide an overview of how we’re tracking towards the end of the year.

Chris English
QLDC Building Services Manager

Building consent system reform

The Minister for Building and Construction continues to propose changes to the Building Act, Building Code, and how BCAs process building consents and inspect building work. We’ve provided a general update on these changes and progress below:

MBIE is still preparing options for self-certification of trades such as builders, plumbers and drain layers, changes to the acceptable solutions in H1 – Energy efficiency and options to consolidate BCAs.
More recently, the Minister proposed that 80% of inspections will need to be undertaken within three days of the requested date and BCAs will have to report on this along with processing timeframes for consents and Code Compliance Certificates. The Minister is encouraging BCAs to investigate and make available remote inspections, but has dropped the proposal to make remote inspections the default option. QLDC currently undertakes about 25% of inspections remotely using a variety of methods, and we’re looking to expand on that using a platform such as Zyte or Artisan.

The most recent proposal involved reducing the statutory 20 day ‘clock’ for processing a building consent to 10 days if the application includes solar panels. So far, this proposal is only a sound bite, so we’ll keep an eye on how it progresses.

As always, QLDC will consider all proposals and make submissions if invited to do so during any consultation period, and prepare staff and procedures to for the final form of any proposed change once announced.

Granny flat amendments

The ‘Granny Flat’ amendments to the Building Act have passed the first reading in Parliament. A second round of consultation is now under way before the final reading will be held to pass legislation on the matter. The amendment would create a new schedule that exempts certain small dwellings from requiring a building consent. Associated changes to the resource consenting exemption are being consulted on and we expect to know more about that later this year.

As a reminder, there are a few criteria that would need to be assessed to ensure a proposed granny flat is exempt from requiring a consent. Additionally, there are other updates to the Building Act like needing to obtain a Project Information Memorandum (PIM) prior to construction. The PIM will let an applicant know of any issues or hazards affecting the site that Council is aware of, and will also state if the proposal is, is not, or is undetermined to comply with the exemption criteria. The PIM will also be when Council advises of any development contributions to be paid.

Once the building is complete the owner would need to provide all the relevant plans, as-builts, certificates, and records of work to the Council to be recorded on the property file. Council would not assess these documents for compliance.

The legislation has not been passed by Parliament and is not yet in force so currently, a granny flat will still require a building consent and any applicable resource consents.

In the event the proposal becomes law, QLDC will post relevant information about the granny flat exemption on our Building Services - QLDC website.

Model Docs - Transforming building consenting behaviour for better housing

Have you read the Model Docs report yet? Published by BRANZ in the second half of 2024, it focused on interactions between building consent applicants and BCAs, aiming to uncover the root causes of delays and offer practical recommendations for improvement.

The findings challenge common misconceptions about consent processing times and provide valuable insights into how the system can be made more efficient. You can read the full report here.

Determinations

MBIE determinations provide legally binding decisions on specific building disputes or unclear aspects of the Building Code. They help clarify how

the Code should be applied in practice and support consistent decision-making across the building sector.

Councils, building professionals, and homeowners can all benefit from these rulings to guide future consenting and compliance decisions. More information and previous determinations can be found here: Understanding determinations | Building Performance.

Need a new fireplace?

If you’re considering installing or moving a solid or liquid fuel heater, please make sure you apply for a building consent and check that your proposed fire will also meet the clean air requirements regulated by Otago Regional Council. They have an information sheet which you can view here.

Find more information on what you need for your building consent application on our website: Solid & Liquid Fuel Burner Building Consents - QLDC.

QLDC releases its draft Climate & Biodiversity Plan

On 29th May, Council approved the release of the draft Climate & Biodiversity Plan (CBP) 2025-2028 for public feedback. Feedback is now closed and we’re working on finalising the plan before presenting it to Council in late July for adoption.

Building on the foundations of the two previous three-year plans, the CBP outlines a comprehensive set of actions to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, increase community resilience to climate impacts, and enhance native biodiversity in our district. It includes actions to implement sustainable design principles in Council buildings, promote better building standards through collaboration with the WAO Better Building Working Group, and support the launch of a pilot Ratepayer-Assisted Scheme to accelerate the adoption of rooftop solar and battery storage across the district.

For more information on what we’re up to in the climate and biodiversity space, take a look at our Climate Action website, and sign up to our quarterly newsletters at https://climateaction.qldc.govt.nz/latest-updates/.

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