17 September 2021
Media: Rotorua Daily Post
Topic: Building consent applications
Enquiry
I was just reading over the response from Jean-Paul and have a few follow up questions,
- How many building consent applications have been received in August?
- How long is it taking to process applications?
- How many applications are over that timeframe? Can I get a number or percentage?
- What is the longest timeframe it has taken a consent to be processed and get over the line?
Response
The following information and comments were provided:
How many building consent applications have been received in August?
101 new applications
For your information: this number doesn’t count the same application being resubmitted.
How long is it taking to process applications? How many applications are outstanding eg taking longer than the usual timeframe (20-working days) to be processed. Can I get a number or percentage?
Of the 118 building consents and amendments issued in August, 93% were issued in 20 working days.
What is the longest timeframe it has taken a consent to be processed and get over the line?
The longest time to process a building consent in August 2021, was 27 working days.
Total number of building applications lodged for housing:
2017- 153
2018- 175
2019- 170
2020- 280
From District Development DCE Jean-Paul Gaston:
Country-wide there is a shortage of skilled building professionals, officials, and engineers, coupled with an increase in demand for consent services, and Councils are struggling to keep up with demand.
New Zealand is in a housing crisis and Councils are looking at improving their processes and resourcing to be able to support the delivery of more houses, as well as investment into the existing housing and commercial property.
The time taken to process building consents is impacted by;
- The number of consents in the system (118 granted in August)
- Short, sharp, spikes in the number of applications due to activity (e.g. solid fuel burner regulations changing to require replacement of non compliant models. The installation of a solid fuel burner requires a building consent)
- The complexity of the consents (e.g install a solid fuel burner compared to building a hotel)
- The quality of the information in the application
- How many Requests For Information are necessary
- Material shortages due to COVID19, meaning applications may need to be resubmitted with material substitutions
- The availability of staff and contractors
- Timing of further information being supplied by applicants
Information:
Section 48 of the Building Act 2004 says
(1A) The time limit is,—
- if the application includes plans and specifications in relation to which a national multiple-use approval has been issued, within 10 working days after receipt by the building consent authority of the application; and
(b) in all other cases, within 20 working days after receipt by the building consent authority of the application.
(2) A building consent authority may, within the period specified in subsection (1A), require further reasonable information in respect of the application, and, if it does so, the period is suspended until it receives that information.