Our Strategies

Strategy: Working better with the sector

What we will do

The Department is committed to collaborating and working in partnership with the sector to enhance our knowledge and understanding of the sector and issues affecting housing, building and construction. This ensures future standards are informed by the views and ideas of those involved in design, construction and administration of regulation at the local level.

We will work with sector groups to:

• form and maintain strong relationships
• ensure there is active consultation
• ensure those groups in the sector who work with consumers are better informed and more aware of building- and housing-related matters
• ensure there is a good understanding of the outcomes the Government is seeking for the sector.

Why we will do it

Intermediate Outcomes

- Homes and buildings that meet the changing needs of New Zealanders.
- A vibrant building, construction and housing sector with skilled building and housing professionals.
- Confident owners, tenants and users.

We know we cannot effect positive change without working collaboratively with sector groups. Our actions will:

• assist the sector to access the right information to make good decisions
• reduce poor-quality construction, reduce disputes and lower transaction costs
• result in less government intervention (and its associated costs).

How we will do it

This strategy involves the Department:

• establishing, maintaining or participating in a range of forums and working groups that enable the participants to share information and address issues of mutual concern
• working with stakeholders to develop information in the best form and delivered in the best way to ensure the sector and consumers understand their rights and obligations, and can make decisions and undertake transactions with confidence
• monitoring and reporting on sector information. As well as developing our capability to monitor the sector, we will actively contribute to a better understanding of the significance of the building and housing sector to the Government's housing outcomes. This includes the sector's capacity to meet increasing demands for high-quality and affordable housing, and developing a better understanding of the factors that affect the supply and cost of housing. Another aspect is maintaining awareness of national and international research developments and promoting improved coordination of housing and building research in New Zealand.
• establish and maintain proactive and constructive relationships with key external stakeholders to ensure good feedback on and input to the work of the Department.

What we will deliver

To be successful the Department must have a good knowledge of the sector as the basis of engagement with it. To this end we are developing our sector monitoring capability, and leading or participating in a number of collaborative forums.

Over the next 3 years we will:

• develop a sector monitoring strategy to improve the Department's and the Government's understanding of the sector, including supply and demand in the housing market
• work with the local government sector through forums such as the Department/Local Government Governance Group, the Regional Authority Working Group, the Deputy Secretaries Group, and other advisory and working groups
• through the work of the Chief Executive's Building Advisory Panel, look to identify longer term strategic issues
• collect, analyse and disseminate industry and market (building and housing) performance data
• collect and disseminate recent local and international building research and performance information relevant to New Zealand conditions and buildings
• develop an evaluation strategy to ensure the Department's services and regulatory interventions are effectively contributing to the Government's outcomes and objectives for the sector
• influence, coordinate and commission research into the building and housing sector.

How our outputs link to the strategy

Output Expense	Output
Building Act 2004 Implementation	Public Information and Education
Building Regulation and Control	Building and Construction Monitoring, Research and EvaluationPublic Information and Education
Sector and Regulatory Policy	Sector, Industry and Market Monitoring
Residential Tenancy Services	Residential Tenancy Public Information and Education