Tim van de Molen recovers from chainsaw horror, becomes National’s ACC, building and construction spokesman

National has changed its building and construction spokesman, swapping Andrew Bayly for Tim van de Molen, who wants fewer sector restrictions, especially for earthquake standards.

Van de Molen was also appointed National’s ACC spokesman on January 19, the same day Jacinda Ardern announced she was resigning as PM.

The MP last year feared he’d never walk again after a horrific chainsaw accident that saw him break his neck, back and both arms.

Van de Molen said after a storm last February as a “pretty rural bloke”, he had been out tidying some of the aftermath.

The Waikato MP was cutting branches at his in-laws’ place, standing on scaffolding at about head height when a large branch took a “nasty bounce” as it landed and toppled the scaffolding.

He landed awkwardly on timber he’d already cut, breaking his neck in the process.

The Waikato MP vows change and said he wants few restrictions about consenting new buildings.

He is concerned about tough rules on earthquake-prone buildings, especially shops, community halls and churches, and called for a look at relaxation.

Today, he said he was concerned about earthquake standards for buildings and wanted that looked at. Te Aroha in the Waikato is of particular concern, he said.

“About half the main street is empty because buildings aren’t up to seismic standard. It’s too expensive for owners to renovate and they can’t get the money from their tenants in small towns,” he said.

“I want to have a look at whether we have the settings right on those standards. Some of these buildings have been standing for 100 years yet are considered unsafe to occupy.

“We need to consider whether we have been too conservative with those standards and whether they need to be relaxed,” he said.

After breaking his neck, Tim van de Molen feared he'd never walk again. Photo / Mark Mitchell

Van de Molen said changes he wants to see could mean a reform to the Building Act. Earthquake standards were introduced under a previous National coalition regime.

He is also keen to see more offsite housing construction. That sector was constrained by tough standards they must adhere to, he said.

“I’m bringing some real-world experience in the industry,” he said.

Van de Molen owned a farm building and fencing business that worked on farms in the Waikato. He ran that for three years and constructed “around two dozen” buildings during three years, based in Matamata.

“You get a real sense of pride when you’re building and that’s what I hear from builders in my electorate but the bureaucracy and compliance is one of the key reasons I got into politics.

“I would love to unshackle the industry and enable New Zealand to get on and do what needs to be done. The Government should be enabling investment decisions to be scaled up but staff shortages are a huge issue now.”

National is keen to bring in more migrant workers to ease the pressure on many different sectors including construction, he said.

Van de Molen has owned several small businesses and was an officer in the New Zealand Army Territorials.

He went to Matamata College and got a Bachelor of Social Science from Waikato University.

He worked as a dairy farmer and ran the construction business before becoming a rural bank manager with what was the National Bank. He then moved to Rabobank.

He was the 2012 Australasian Rural Ambassador. Then in 2013, he won the NZ Young Farmer of the Year.

He is a life-long resident of the Waikato and said he supports improving infrastructure, especially the extension of the Waikato Expressway to Piarere and to Tauranga and more high-speed internet.