Welcome to the second issue of the “Building Bulletin” for 2015; I trust that there will be something of interest to you all in this bulletin.
Our customers constantly tell us that consistency is the most important thing for them; we hope that this bulletin will go some way towards achieving that goal.
As part of our day to day building inspection visits we are increasingly finding builders working on often major residential projects that are not working to the correct level of competency and skill. There is also a problem with the project manager on site having little understanding of the building code and specific requirements of the approved building consent.
The council has started to actively investigate and lay complaints to professional bodies against design professionals and contractors who do not uphold professional standards and duties.
The policy on Certificates of Acceptance (CoA) has been updated and takes effect on 1 July 2015. A CoA is for unauthorised building work (work for which a building consent should have been obtained but was not) or building work carried out under urgency.
This fixed fee process has been introduced to encourage families buying portable swimming and spa pools to apply for a building consent and ensure pools are fenced and in compliance with the Fencing of Swimming Pools Act 1987 (FOSPA).
The Building Act 2004 Section 45A enabled Building Consent Authorities (BCAs) the ability to grant minor variations during construction without having to go through the formal amendment process.
Following the High Court decision in Nautilus in April 2015, is insurance in the construction industry more like the Emperor’s new clothes than a sensible risk management tool?
