Building services

The Council’s building services team is tasked with ensuring that all building and plumbing/drainage works within the Wanganui area receive a building consent in a timely manner and that they are inspected at defined intervals to ensure compliance with the national Building Code.

We procesessed over 1380 building consents in the 2008 calendar year with a total value of $82 million.

The Building Act 2004, the majority of which was implemented in March 2005, requires increased levels of in-house assessment of plans supplied and increased rigour for on-site inspections.

Applications for building consents must be processed within 20 days working days. Applications for standard garages (residential and rural properties) can be fast tracked providing the application meets specific criteria.

All data is securely held in Council files, as well as electronically, and is made available for public viewing where allowable under the Privacy Act.

The Council was Accredited by International Accreditation New Zealand (IANZ) and Registered as a Building Consent Authority (BCA) by the Department of Building and Housing (DBH) in July 2008.

The unit is headed by a team leader and comprises a dedicated inspection/assessment team with high levels of individual skills.

Where to get information:

Department of Building and Housing
www.dbh.govt.nz

The DBH website has a vast array of information relating to all aspects of the building industry.
The Building Controls section of the Department of Building and Housing’s site has news and information about the Building Act and Building Code, as well as information about the Department’s building control services and activities. It also contains free Building Code compliance documents and information on weathertightness.

Building Act 2004
http://www.dbh.govt.nz/blc-building-act

The Building Act 2004 site has news and information about the Building Act and review of the Building Code, as well as discussion documents, publications and activities.

Leaky building?
http://www.dbh.govt.nz/weathertightness-index

If you are seeking information on the ‘leaky building syndrome’ or weathertightness information, please refer to this site.

The Weathertightness Homes Resolution Service (WHRS) was set up by the Government to assist owners of “leaky buildings”.

ConsumerBuild
www.consumerbuild.org.nz

Need reliable information about house building, renovation or maintenance? ConsumerBuild will help guide you through the building process and provide the information you need to make informed decisions about your project.

Swimming pool fencing
This brochure provides guidelines for the fencing of swimming pools.

Vehicle crossings
All work on vehicle crossings must be undertaken only by a Council-approved installer.
These works are required to be registered with Council by way of a building consent application. We suggest you choose an installer from the list and ask him to apply for the building consent on your behalf.
Approved vehicle crossing installers (PDF, 21KB)

Builder licensing
www.dbh.govt.nz/occupational-licensing

A licensing system for the building industry is one of a package of changes introduced by the Building Act 2004 to improve control of and encourage better practices in design and construction. From November 2010 any ‘restricted work’ must be carried out or supervised by a licensed building practitioner.

Building Act information leaflets
www.dbh.govt.nz/publications-about-the-building-act-2004

The Department of Building and Housing has published a range of information brochures, including the linkage between the resource and building consent process, commercial building information, accessibility, designer, specialist trades and developer information. Hard copies are available from the Council or you can download them from this site.

If you are considering building a new house, there is a "Guide to applying for a building consent (simple residential buildings)" available online and in hard copy.

The New Zealand Homeowners Building Guide: Your guide to NZ building codes, building suppliers, building advice and so much more! This is a guide for building a better home – a project workbook. It contains information on the 2004 Building Act and a planning guide for building projects. There is also a specific guide for Central North Island home owners (PDF, 3.76MB).

Offcuts - a newsletter for the building trade
View current and past issues on this page.

Fees
List of fees for 2010/11 (PDF)

Library
Wanganui's Davis Library holds copies of Acceptable Solutions NZS 3604:1999 Building Code