Building Consents update – November 2023

Season’s greetings from the Building Consenting Unit!

We'll still be open for business throughout the Christmas period (excluding public holidays) to provide any building advice you may need. Email us at dutybco@ccc.govt.nz, call the duty phone from 7.30am–4pm or visit the front counter from 8am–5pm. During this period, even though the statutory clock is on hold from 20 December 2023 to 10 January 2024, we will still be processing applications. 

Time to say goodbye to paper applications

From 2 December 2023, you will be able submit your application for a code compliance certificate online. If you’re not already a user of online services, visit onlineservices.ccc.govt.nz and get registered.

As construction activity continues to grow, we have been diligently assessing our systems and procedures to ensure that we not only maintain effectiveness but also enhance efficiency. To ensure a timely processing of your code compliance certificate, we encourage you or your representative to supply the construction documentation at various stages of the construction process (as outlined in the Building Consent Construction Documentation and Advice Notes document provided with your building consent).

An owner must apply for a code compliance certificate after all building work to be carried out under building consent is completed. If you are unsure whether your work is finished or if it complies with the building consent plans, book a final inspection to ensure everything is compliant before making your code compliance certificate application.

New regulations for building product information

New regulations for building product information are on their way. It's important to understand what this means for you.

From 11 December 2023, new regulations will provide building product users with better information about how building products contribute to compliance with the Building Code. The regulations will place new obligations on manufacturers, importers, retailers and distributers of building products to ensure the products they distribute meet the new information requirements.

The aim is to ensure people are given the information they need to make good decisions about products and use them as intended, and will provide clarity on who can be held accountable if something goes wrong.

If you are a designer, you can also expect to be asked to include information required by Section 14G of the Building Act 2004 in the building consent application.

We’re serious about sediment

Are you a white baiter, angler, or windsurfer? Maybe you walk your dog by the Ōpāwaho Heathcote River or watch your kids kayak on the Ōtākaro Avon. If so, you have likely seen these waterways turn a chocolate milk colour after rainfall. Stormwater runoff from building sites contains high levels of sediment, which when allowed to enter the stormwater network (via drains, kerbs and sumps) turns our waterways brown, clogs the gills of fish and increases the growth of weeds.  

To reduce the amount of stormwater runoff from building sites entering the city's waterways, Christchurch City Council will be undertaking the following initiatives in 2024: 

• Increasing the number of erosion and sediment control inspections on building sites.  
• Issuing an erosion and sediment control educational brochure during the building consent process to highlight the issue of sediment discharges from building sites and to promote best practice. Check it out online.
• Launching an engagement programme to connect the Council with the building industry to discuss stormwater and waterway issues. 
• Encourage the building industry to take part in the annual Stormwater Superhero Awards.

Tip and tricks for a quality application

When applying for your building consent application please ensure you provide us with all relevant documents relating to the building work proposed. 

Please refer to our Application Check sheets on our website.

A better-quality application will ensure faster processing!

Tips and Tricks to make your life easier

Uploading and downloading documents from our Online Services portal is usually straightforward but we know for some customers it can be a frustrating exercise when things don’t go smoothly. So, here are a few troubleshooting tips and tricks to help you along the way.

• If you have forgotten your password, you can change it on the next screen after clicking the login tab at the top of the page. You must remember the details that you registered with. If you have difficulties, email onlineservices@ccc.govt.nz and the friendly team will walk you through the process. Please do not submit a new registration if you know you are already in the system.
• Make sure you log in with the Username. Keep it consistent and use the same login details to receive consent documentation as you did when you submitted the information at the start. We often assist customers who use a personal login to access documents when the company registration actually submitted the documents initially. We can provide other interested parties access to documentation so long as we receive permission from the owner.
• The combined size of the files must not exceed 1GB. Let us know if this will be an issue and we will work with you to get the information to us. You can split the application and add further information via the 'Additional information for building approval' tab. This will then be linked to your application documentation. Please combine related PDF files as much as possible rather than submitting numerous small PDFs individually. This greatly assists the Building Control Officers reviewing the application.
• Please note if the time to complete your application or upload your documents takes more than 45 minutes, the system will time out. On slow internet connections, uploads may time out if you are submitting large files (over 75MB).
• Please do not have two or more sessions for Online Services open on your browser when you submit documentation as this may prevent it from progressing. If you need to stop halfway through completing an application, you can save your information by clicking the NEXT button and access later by selecting Review Drafts under Applications
• If you experiencing difficulties downloading your documents, try clearing your cache or try a different browser (Chrome, Edge). If that doesn’t work, please contact us and we can send you a Sharefile link where you can access your documents.
• If you are registering for a company login for Online Services, please do not use a personal name or an email address for a Username. This can cause access issues if that staff member eventually leaves the organisation.

Please find the link to Online Services here. The team at Building Support can assist you with any issues you may be having using the portal. Please contact us at  onlineservices@ccc.govt.nz or phone 941 8999 for assistance.  

Building consent quiz

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Get in touch

For more information on Building Consents, head to our website or email DutyBCO@ccc.govt.nz or call 941 8999.