Building Amendment Bill (No 4)
Building a more efficient, productive and accountable building and construction sector
Building Amendment Bill (No 4) is the companion to Building Amendment Bill (No 3), which was introduced in November 2010. Together these Bills form part of a package of changes aimed at lifting the overall performance of the building and construction sector.
Building Amendment Bill (No 4) proposes to introduce:
- new consumer protection measures to help New Zealanders who are building or renovating their home to hold those responsible for their building work to account
- mandatory written contracts for all residential building work over a prescribed value
- new information disclosure requirements for building contractors about their skills, qualifications, licensing status and track record
- changes requiring building contractors to fix any defects in their work that are reported within 12 months of completion.
The Bill also proposes some minor and technical amendments to the Building Act 2004, these include:
- increasing the maximum penalty for failing to comply with building consent requirements
- clarifying the Department of Building and Housing chief executive’s investigative powers to deal with territorial authorities; this will ensure that the Department can use its powers as Parliament intended
- allowing building consent authorities to warn the public about the potential risks of entering buildings that are next to or near a dangerous buildings
- clarifying Schedule 1 of the Building Act 2004 to make it easier for people to access and understand information about work that is exempt from a building consent.
Progress
- On 6 September 2011 Building Amendment Bill (No 4) was introduced to Parliament.
Building Amendment Bill (No 4) completed its First Reading on 1 May 2012 and has been referred to the Local Government and Environment Select Committee.
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