Tag: Building consent

Council Prosecuting under the Building Act

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Company Fined $9,000

 

From Auckland Council

Council successful in building prosecutions

 

Auckland Council has successfully prosecuted five companies under the Building Act for starting building works without building consent, including one which was fined $9,000.

In the Manukau District Court last week, Judge Sharon McAuslan fined Waikato Crane Services Ltd $9,000 for starting building works without building consent on a commercial building site for an office and workshop for cranes.

The building, at Langley Rd, Wiri, was about 75 per cent complete when council officers visited the site in late August.

 

Judge McAuslan determined the starting point for the offending as $14,000. After allowing a discount for various mitigating features, she fined the company $9,000 and court costs of $130. Auckland Council receives 90 per cent of the fine; the balance going to the courts.

 

The company said it relied on assurances given by an in-house project manager that proved to be incorrect and unreliable.

Four other companies – including a construction company, a plumber and drainlayer – were also fined between $4,550 and $3,250 – for breaches of the Act.

Auckland Council’s Manager Litigation & Regulatory, Legal Services, James Hassall said the fines imposed send a clear warning to companies and experts that they must ensure that all building work is carried out in accordance the legal obligations and requirements of the Building Act.

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Pays to comply folks

 

Building Consent Performance Impresses

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International Audit Body Impressed

 

From Auckland Council:

Building consent performance impresses assessment body

 

Auditors from International Accreditation New Zealand (IANZ) have been impressed by the ‘huge steps’ Auckland Council’s Building Control team has taken over the past two years to improving its service.

The auditors were acting for the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment.

By law, council has to achieve and maintain accreditation for certain functions these include consenting, inspection and certification.

IANZ has recommended that Auckland Council continued to be accredited as a registered Building Consent Authority (BCA) without any corrective action requests being raised. This is an uncommon result for a BCA let alone one that operates full services out of more than one office.

The auditors noted much improved processes, systems and record keeping.

Ian McCormick, Auckland Council’s Manager of Building Control was pleased with the IANZ comments.

“Maintaining the status as a registered Building Consent Authority is a strategic imperative for council. We will continue to build on this success, working with the local development community to deliver systems that are more efficient and therefore more affordable for the industry,” he said.

 

One of the significant challenges the team faced was upskilling many technical staff to match new ministry requirements for tertiary level technical qualifications.

“This achievement is the result of a great team effort, with people working hard to support their colleagues, leading training sessions and staff studying after hours to obtain the qualifications required,” said Mr McCormick.

In recent years, the department has managed a 13 per cent increase in residential building consent applications, as well as providing support to the Christchurch recovery effort.

The council first achieved accreditation upon amalgamation in 2010. Such audits are scheduled every two years.

 

Further Information

The BCA accreditation and registration scheme is designed to help improve the control of, and encourage better practice and performance in, building design, regulatory building control and building construction.

 

It requires that any territorial authority or regional authority (council) carrying out building consent, inspection and approval work be accredited by a building consent accreditation body against the standards and criteria in the Building (Accreditation of Building Consent Authorities) Regulations 2006. The council must then be registered by the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment against the standards and criteria in theBuilding (Registration of Building Consent Authorities) Regulations 2007.

 

The accreditation and registration of BCAs will:

  • help assure the public of the quality of building controls
  • help promote consistent, standardised and ongoing good quality practice in building control
  • help identify good building control practice and provide mechanisms for sharing this information throughout the sector and with other interested parties
  • help foster continuous improvement in building controls at national and local level
  • help ensure better technical capabilities and resourcing of building controls
  • provide an impetus for much closer and more formal relationships among BCAs, and between BCAs and technical consultants/contractors
  • provide incentives for improving performance and raising standards in building control.

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Go to know when it comes to building my house down the track