DIY dream come true: building consents for low risk projects scrapped

PHOTO: DOMINION-POST Building and Construction minister Jenny Salesa says the new rules will save Kiwis money on future projects.

DIY-enthusiasts will save time and money when new rules come into force which scrap building consent requirements for low-risk projects.

Exemptions to the Building Act, which will be introduced in August, will mean that anyone can build a sleep-out, a carport, or a shed, without needing council permission.

The move will scrap as many as 9000 consents having to be reviewed by local authorities, saving an estimated $18m in fees.

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Under the scheme, the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE) will increase the number of low-risk building work that does not require pre-approval.

And Jenny Salesa, Building and Construction Minister, said the changes will mean New Zealanders save time and money, while councils can focus on higher-risk building work.

“Single-storey detached buildings up to 30 square metres — such as sleep-outs, sheds and greenhouses, carports, awnings and water storage bladders — will now not require a council-approved building consent,” she said.

“Some of the new exemptions will utilise the Licensed Builder Practitioners scheme, which recognises the competence of these building practitioners and allows them to join chartered professional engineers and certifying plumbers in having their own suite of exemptions.”