Call for Building Standards to be made freely available

Quantity Surveyors lead call for Building Standards to be made freely available on internet

Leading building industry organisations are calling for updated Building Standards to be made available free of charge via the internet to assist with reconstruction in Canterbury.

John Granville, Executive Director of The New Zealand Institute of Quantity Surveyors, said that the Building Code references a considerable number of documents, currently only available as printed copies from Standards NZ.

“It is costly for builders to keep these up to date,” he said. “For instance, the new Standard NZS 3604 2011 Timber Framed Buildings, updated to reflect changes in building practices, costs $285 or $210.90 if purchased at a BRANZ [Building Research Association of New Zealand] seminar.”

Most new buildings in New Zealand are timber construction and 93 per cent have components of NZS 3604 in their design. Mr Granville said all designers and builders need ready access to this and other Standards information.

“It has recently been announced that up to 110,000 homes in Canterbury alone will need rebuilding or refurbishment,” he said.

“Free online access would ensure that no-one has an excuse for not applying the current Standard. That would reduce consent compliance times and limit costly delays.”

The Registered Master Builders Federation, Certified Builders Association, New Zealand Institute of Building and the Specialist Trade Contractors’ Federation all support the institute’s call for free access to Building Standards

Mr Granville said the costs of providing wider access to Standards via the internet could be offset by using a portion of the Building Levy to fund the scheme.

“In 2006/7 it was estimated that an additional $2m of levy funding a year for building standards work would increase the price of an average $400k house by as little as $100,” he said.

“Given the extraordinary circumstances facing the country and the building industry it is time to look at ensuring straightforward free access on-line to all government and Standards NZ documentation established for building consent compliance”

ENDS

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