NZCB advocacy

Providing a voice to represent New Zealand Certified Builders (NZCB) is a collective effort. The NZCB Board, NZCB Members and Chief Executive sit on several national boards and industry groups and attend various industry functions. Below you will find some of the great advocacy work that has recently been completed.

Critical Materials Taskforce

The Minister of Building & Construction, Hon Dr Megan Woods, has replaced the Plasterboard Taskforce, which was quickly put together in mid-2022, with a broader group that is tasked with looking at the construction industry in its entirety, rather than being focused on product type, as it was during the plasterboard crisis.

The scope of the Critical Materials Taskforce is to trouble shoot building material shortages, to focus on maximising productivity across the sector, and to cushion businesses from supply chain risks. NZCB is represented on the Critical Materials Taskforce by its Chief Executive, Malcolm Fleming. The ten-person group

H1 Oversight Group

From its successful advocacy work that included partnering with Registered Master Builders Association (RMBA) in Q2 2022, through to having three representatives at the H1 workshop with the Building Research Association of New Zealand (BRANZ) and the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE) in October, NZCB has been very active with the regulator throughout 2022 on the topic of H1.

Wearing his New Zealand Construction Industry Council (NZCIC) Chair hat, NZCB Chief Executive Malcolm Fleming represents the industry voice in sitting alongside BRANZ and MBIE on the

H1 Efficiency Implementation – Builders Focus Group

The NZCB Board and Chief Executive Malcolm Fleming’s new strategy on having more input to changes within our industry at government level follows the clear signal from our members that they would like to see more advocacy work in Wellington. NZCB along with BRANZ, RMBA and the Insulation Association of New Zealand were invited by MBIE’s General Manager Building System Performance, John Sneyd, to join a focus group on the 27th October 2022, for a half-day session. NZCB representatives included NZCB Board Chairperson Nick Farrelly, NZCB Board member Mike Craig, and NZCB Nelson Bays President Dave Gunter. Apologies came from RMBA as they were unable to attend.

MBIE staff present were Building System Performance Branch Senior Advisor Information and Education, Liz Ashwin; and Senior Advisor Building Science, Christian Hoerning; while BRANZ were represented by BRANZ Information and Education Lead, Jonquil Brooks, and BRANZ Principal Writer, Bruce Sedcole. John introduced us to the group with a clear indication that he would like more input from small to medium residential builders with MBIE on changes within the building sector.

incorporates experts covering smaller operations, design, consenting, products, and procurement. The group met for the first time in late October, with its composition announced publicly by the Minister in late November.

NZCB representative: NZCB Chief Executive Malcolm Fleming

To read Hon Dr Megan Woods’ media release from 24 November 2022, ‘Taskforce set up to protect construction industry from product shortages & delays’, visit: https://www.beehive.govt.nz/release/taskforceset-protect-construction-industry-product-shortages-delays three-person H1 Oversight Committee. The scope of this small group is to ensure that industry has the educational collateral it needs to be ready for the design and installation of the new H1 requirements in May 2023. This oversight includes the November launch (at the NZCB Conference and Expo) of the BRANZ hosted H1 Hub, and the coordination of industry H1 training events, such as the main centre NZCB Roadshow that the Association will be undertaking with MBIE in Q1 2023.

NZCB representative: NZCB Chief Executive Malcolm Fleming

With H1 being the first part of the changes to building regulations on climate change, MBIE were looking for better ways to inform the sector (including the public) on changes with H1, but also for how to do better in the future with information sharing.

It was a great discussion covering varied topics on the barriers to implementation, unexplored opportunities and communication channels for now and in the future.

We all came away from this workshop with a better understanding of each other’s roles in how the industry deals with what have been seen as big changes to our industry. With H2 and H3 changes still to come, the communication to the public, manufacturing industry and builders will be pivotal to the success of Building for Climate Change.

Special thanks for MBIE turning up to the NZCB Conference and Expo in Hamilton, a clear indication of their commitment to engage with small business.

NZCB representative: NZCB Board Chairperson Nick Farrelly, NZCB Board member Mike Craig and NZCB Nelson Bays President Dave Gunter