Progressing remote building inspections

The Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE) is seeking feedback on a range of options to increase the uptake of remote inspections and improve efficiency and productivity in the building inspection process.

“We know that the building and construction sector suffers from a lack of innovation,” said Chris Penk, Minister for Building and Construction, in a 2nd October media release. “According to a recent report, productivity levels have remained unchanged since 1985, which is staggering given technological advancements since that time.”

The minister cites the building consent system as the key obstacle for improving productivity, stating that it is complex, unpredictable, and costly. In most instances, he says, obtaining a Code Compliance Certificate relies on a council officer physically inspecting building work on-site to check it complies with the building consent.

“Builders must book inspections in advance and, if the inspection does not go ahead at the expected time, the building work grinds to a halt,” he explained.

“In some parts of the country, like the Mackenzie District, there is only one building inspector who must travel long distances to sites. In other parts of the country inspectors spend long periods of time in congested traffic.

According to MBIE, conducting inspections remotely may reduce delays associated with on-site inspections, lower costs, and lift efficiency by:

• eliminating the need to travel to site, allowing inspectors to conduct more inspections per day

• increasing flexibility in the workday of inspectors and building professionals

• enabling inspectors to carry out inspections in other regions.

Remote inspections are already being used by some Building Consent Authorities, however, uptake is low and practices vary across the country.

“There will be some situations where on-site inspections are still needed, for example due to complex construction, lack of internet coverage or where physical testing is needed,” said the minister.

“However, in many cases remote inspections may be better than traditional on-site inspections as they allow for more accurate record keeping of the build process, which current and future homeowners can refer to.

MBIE is seeking feedback on options which include:

• requiring building consent authorities to use remote inspections as the default approach

• requiring building consent authorities to have the systems and capability to conduct remote inspections

• non-regulatory initiatives to lift inspection productivity

• creating a new offence to deter deceptive behaviour during a remote inspection and give building consent authorities more confidence to inspect remotely.

The consultation also seeks feedback on increasing the use of Accredited Organisations (Building) to undertake inspections. These are private organisations that can be accredited under the Building (Accreditation of Building Consent Authorities) Regulations 2006 and can process building consent applications on behalf of building consent authorities.

“We want to hear feedback from the public to ensure we find a solution that provides homeowners and buyers with assurance about the quality and safety of buildings, while also delivering important efficiencies.,” said the minister.

The public consultation will run until 29 November 2024 https://www.mbie.govt.nz/have-yoursay/consultation-on-increasing-the-useof-remote-inspections-in-the-buildingconsent-process