Regulation idea to stop slipshod building

BY ANDREW LAXON

Builders may face regulation to stop shoddy work practices that have contributed to the leaky building crisis.

A national building industry forum in the next six weeks will ask builders to consider adopting some self-imposed rules, so higher standards can be enforced.

The most likely options are registration for all builders, who will have to meet national standards, or compulsory insurance for all builders.

Adrian Bennett, chairman of the industry's Weathertightness Steering Group, said yesterday that both ideas would be raised at the forum.

He said one problem of the industry was that anyone could call himself a builder.

This made it impossible to enforce higher standards, such as those recommended by an independent report on the leaky building problem this week.

The report, for the Building Industry Authority, said the many causes of leaks included cost-cutting, lack of basic building knowledge and an out-of-control subcontracting system that meant no one took responsibility for failures.

It suggested builders should put up an extra layer between the inner and outer walls of a house to protect the timber frame and allow leaks to drain away.

Report author David Kernohan said the group also had suspicions about the use of untreated timber in wall frames but was waiting for the results of research in about three months.

Authority chairman Bill Porteous agreed it was possible for builders to ignore the recommendations but said the authority had no power under the Building Act to change this.

Better enforcement through regulation was up to the industry or the Government.