Sector Governance
As part of its responsibilities for regulating the building and housing sector, the Department supports several governance and advisory bodies.
The following Crown appointments are administered and/or monitored by the Department.
- Registered Architects Board (Registered Architects Act 2005)
- Architects Education and Registration Board, Architects Investigation Committee (Architects Act 1963)
- Chartered Professional Engineers Council (Chartered Professional Engineers Act of New Zealand 2002)
- Engineering Associates Registration Board (Engineering Associates Act 1961)
- Plumbers, Gasfitters and Drainlayers Board (Plumbers, Gasfitters and Drainlayers Act 1976) - from January 2008
- Building Practitioners Board (Building Act 2004)
- Electrical Workers Registration Board (Electricity Act 1992)
- State Housing Appeals Authority (Housing Restructuring Appeals Regulations 2000)
- Weathertight Homes Resolution Service Adjudicators and Mediators (Weathertight Homes Resolution Services Act 2006)
The Department also provides support to the following appointments.
- Chief Executive's Building Advisory Panel (Building Act 2004)
- Retirement Villages Disputes Panel (Retirement Villages Act 2003)
- Tenancy Tribunal (Residential Tenancies Act 1986)
The Department's role includes:
- providing advice to Ministers that helps ensure people with the right mix of knowledge and expertise are appointed to boards
- monitoring the performance of boards and reporting to the Minister appropriately
- ensuring output agreements are in place with all boards
- promoting the review of Acts and Regulations when the functions have become limiting for the board, or the operating environment of the board has substantially changed
- ensuring the boards are discharging their regulatory functions effectively.
Building Practitioners Board
The Building Practitioners Board approves the rules for standards and assessment processes, hears appeals against licensing decisions and hears complaints against licensed building practitioners.
The members of the Building Practitioners Board are:
- Alan Bickers (Chairperson)
- Paul Blackler (Deputy Chairperson)
- Patrick Lawrence
- Jane Cuming
- Graham Moor
- Colin Orchiston
- David Clark
- David O'Connell.
Electrical Workers Registration Board
The Electrical Workers Registration Board is responsible for the ongoing competency of over 30,000 registered electrical and electronic workers. It also promotes electrical and electronic safety to all New Zealanders.
The Board consists of seven members appointed by the Minister of Energy.
Five members are registered under the Act and two are suitably qualified members of the public not entitled to be registered.
The principal role of the Board is governance. It provides input into the direction and implementation of electricity legislation.
The members of the Electrical Workers Registration Board are:
- Murray Willis (Presiding Member)
- Don Pryde (Deputy Presiding Member)
- Bernadine Hanna
- Sam Ponga
- Deborah Rundle
- Tom Leong
- John Sickels (Registrar).
Registered Architects Board
Established under the Registered Architects Act 2005, the Registered Architects Board makes rules relating to registered architects. The Board registers architects and assesses their ongoing competence, and hears complaints relating to registered architects' competence.
The members of the Registered Architects Board are:
- Ron Pynenburg (Chairperson)
- Brian Elliott
- Gordon Moller
- Jane Aimer
- Donald McRae
- Gordon Holden
- Carolynn Bull
- Deborah Cranko.
Building Advisory Panel
The Building Act 2004 provides for the Chief Executive of the Department of Building and Housing to appoint a Building Advisory Panel of experts in the building sector.
The Panel provides independent, specialist advice to the Chief Executive on trends in building design, quality and performance, building technology, sustainability, urban planning and consumer issues.
The members of the Building Advisory Panel are:
- Don Hunn (Chairperson)
- Peter Neven
- Gordon Moller
- Adam Thornton
- Peter Neilson
- Mike Fox
- Andy Buchanan
- David Russell
- Richard Michael
- George Skimming
- Ann Magee
- John Jarvis.