Self-certification scheme must address long-term liability

LGNZ welcomes the Government’s proposed building reforms, which will see building professionals able to self-certify their own work for low-risk, basic residential dwellings.

LGNZ President Sam Broughton says that councils are “cautiously optimistic” that the proposed scheme will result in a more efficient building process.

“While many councils around Aotearoa will be in favour of measures to streamline the building consent process in their region, just like with any regulatory system there is a need for appropriate checks, balances and strict quality control to be in place.

“The Government has indicated that additional safeguards will be put in place, both to minimise the likelihood of defective building work and to have a clear pathway for customers to remedy issues. This is important; we need to ensure that both councils and homeowners are protected from risk as best as possible.”

An area of concern for LGNZ is the issue of long-term security over the indemnity insurance.

“Some issues can take many years to manifest and historically councils have been left to pick up the tab. So it’s vital that the new legislation removes any liability from councils for the works being certified – so that neither they nor affected homeowners are saddled with costs if an issue occurs,” says Sam Broughton.

“LGNZ looks forward to engaging with the Government on the next steps of these proposed building reforms, particularly around what local government’s role will be under the new scheme.”