Hon Dr Nick Smith

Minister for Building and Housing

14 August 2015

Building Code information to be more accessible

The Government is investing in a single website for all Building Code information to make it easier to access and comply with building regulations, Building and Housing Minister Dr Nick Smith announced today.

“Homeowners and builders have to search multiple websites as well as many hard copy documents to comply with the Building Code in its current format. This project to create a single website with all the information will help improve compliance and efficiency in the building industry,” Dr Smith says.

“The first milestone in this project was marked this week with the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment issuing a Request for Proposal from IT companies to develop the portal.

“Building industry productivity has lagged behind other industries. Smart application of information technologies is part of the solution. The Government needs to support this by investing more in user-friendly websites to help the industry shift from paper-oriented systems to the web. The new service will be accessible from a computer, smart phone or tablet.”

The project is being led by the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment, BRANZ and Standards New Zealand and is supported by a range of other industry organisations, including the New Zealand Institute of Architects, Architectural Designers New Zealand, the Building Officials Institute of New Zealand, the Institution of Professional Engineers, Registered Master Builders and Certified Builders Association New Zealand.

“The portal is expected to be up and running by late 2016. The building and construction sector is on the cusp of unprecedented levels of sector growth in coming years, and this project is about the Government ensuring the right tools are in place to meet the demand,” Dr Smith says.

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