Clayton Cosgrove: Rules will ensure solid homes

Buying a home is the biggest and most important financial investment many New Zealanders will make and ideally it should also be one of the most satisfying. But for some, home ownership is a nightmare of spiralling costs and stress because of the shoddy way their homes have been built or designed, or both.

A hands-off approach is not the answer to lifting standards. That approach created the problems in the first place. The deregulation of the sector in the 1990s meant there were almost no rules. Anyone could strap on a tool belt and call themselves a builder, and cowboys were allowed in.

This situation was worsened by the deliberate destruction of the apprenticeship system, which this Government has rebuilt - at present there are 1200 building and construction apprentices and 7800 building and construction trainees.

The public deserves clear lines of accountability from those who design, build and inspect their biggest asset, their home. For that reason the Government has embarked on a suite of reforms to ensure homes and buildings are constructed properly the first time.

The sector is undergoing its biggest transformation across the board. Last week I introduced a bill to Parliament that will improve the efficiency of the Weathertight Homes Resolution Service in order to get houses fixed faster, stop gaming in the system and hold those responsible to account.

The changes include a streamlined dispute resolution process, beefed-up assessment reports for all claimants so people can claim potential as well as actual damage and time-limited mediation.

There will also be a Weathertight Homes Tribunal and enhanced powers for adjudicators, measures to make it easier for apartment-block owners to take class action. And there will be consumer protection measures.

These changes are expected to take effect early next year.

The reforms do not stop there. Major problems such as leaky homes were not the fault of a single profession but failures across the building sector. The whole sector has come under the spotlight. from the designers, builders and building inspectors, to the products used, and to how we resolve disputes.

It is no good having excellent construction crews if the basic design is faulty, and vice versa.

From November 30 next year only registered building consent authorities will be allowed to undertake building consent processing work, building inspections, and consent-approval functions.

The public has the right to know that the inspectors watching this crucial step have met the standards and are doing a thorough job.

I also plan to introduce licensing for those who design and build. At present there is nothing to stop anyone calling himself a builder whether competent or not. Licensing will give recognition to the many excellent building professionals out there. The public will have the reassurance of knowing that such people have the skills to meet national professional standards in building and design. Those who are not licensed will have their work overseen by those who are.

The new licensing regime is balanced against the Government's wish to protect the Kiwi do-it-yourself tradition. They will still be able to do much of the work they do at present, such as build a deck, remodel the kitchen or put up a shed.

Under the new rules they will even be able to build their own home, as long as they get the necessary building consents and are supervised by licensed building practitioners.

The Government is also reviewing the Building Code, the blueprint for how we build and for our future building standards in relation to energy efficiency and hazard protection, for example. Public submissions close on Thursday. I urge you to have your say.

Other measures under way to raise industry standards include sector and consumer education campaigns, building product certification and an investigation into home warranty insurance schemes.

In summary, there is a huge amount of work going on between the Government and the building sector to ensure buildings are built right, the first time.

Building practices have already improved in the past few years. For instance, there is now widespread use of cavities behind cladding, even in low weathertight risk situations, there is widespread use of treated timber in exterior frames, and we have seen considerable improvement in the way exterior building envelopes - including cladding, roofing and flashing - are designed and constructed.

Work is also under way to establish standards or best practice advice on remediation. These standards will help ensure that repairs made to homes really do fix the actual problem.

These are exciting times for the building and construction sector and I am pleased the industry has so strongly supported the measures being taken. Together, we are reconstructing the building sector to a world class standard.

A copy of the Weathertight Homes Resolution Services Amendment Bill can found on the website www.legislation.govt.nz.

* Clayton Cosgrove is Minister for Building Issues.