IN THE MEDIA

Nelson Mail, Nelson

PMCA licensed copy. You may not further copy, reproduce, record, retransmit, sell, publish, distribute, share or store this information 20 Apr 2020, by Lawrence Gullery General News, page 8 - 220.00 cm² Reporting on the without the prior written consent of the Print Media Copyright Agency. Phone +64-4-4984487 or email info@pmca.co.nz for further Provincial - circulation 7,044 (M-W-FS-) ID 1263758610 BRIEF CERTBUILDE INDEX 1 Consequences of PAGE 1 of 1 COVID-19

Rigid new rules for returning builders

Pandemic Lawrence Gullery

Builders are being asked to accept tough new health and safety rules that stop short of requiring every person to be Covid-19 tested before heading back to the construction site.

Master Builders, New Zealand Certified Builders and Construction Health and Safety NZ have developed new protocols for builders working on residential construction sites.

The new measures were released in anticipation of the Government lowering the coronavirus alert level from four to three, allowing builders to return to work.

Certified Builders chief executive Grant Florence, who had been involved in writing the new protocols, said Covid-19 testing was discussed at length.

‘‘But we think if the 2m distancing rule and the protocols are followed by everyone coming to site, then there is sufficient management of risk.

‘‘We did look at how couriers were operating, they are very busy around the community delivering to homes. There didn’t seem to be a requirement for that practice [to be tested], logically, the distancing measures they were using seemed to work very well.’’

The new rules require each construction site to have a Covid19 Controls Plan, to show how it will minimise the risk of transmission.

Master Builders president Darrell Trigg said there was a clear focus on limiting contact and distance between people on site.

‘‘It may be that people have to work on site in shifts, one durin g the day and one at night, but not having builders, plumbers, electricians all there at once in the same area.

‘‘There will also have to be clear records showing who is on site and when they arrive and when they left.’’

He said getting used to the new way of working would take some time and productivity would slow.

‘‘Typically, if you’re doing a fit-out job, you have heaps o f people in one room at the same time. That’s not going to happen now, the job will still go ahead, but you’ll only have one person in the room at the time.

‘‘So yes, reaching those targets or milestones will take a bit longer, but it’s better than no progress at all.’’

Trigg and Florence are asking builders to ‘‘step up’’ to the challenge of accepting a new way o f working. They want their members to read over the new protocols available of their industry websites.

Hamilton property developer Matt Stark said it would take time for the building industry to adjust to the new way of working.

‘‘I suppose the main focus is making sure everyone is safe, like we always do. But taking those extra measures to make sure the right processes are in place.’’

Nelson Mail, Nelson 20 Apr 2020

Building lockdown slowdown

Covid-19 mercial sector. ‘‘Not a large number of building Lawrence Gullery contracts in residential would have a lawrence.gullery@stuff.co.nz firm completion date.’’ Builders and their clients are being asked to avoid court and instead work out sensible resolutions for projects running over time because of Covid-19.

Progress is likely to slow as work resumes under level three, because of new health and safety rules around social distancing, hygiene and tracking now required on building sites.

Commercial and residential construction leaders say it’ll take time for builders to become familiar with a new way of working and they’re asking for ‘‘fair and reasonable’’ adjustments to be made to agreements and conditions made pre-lockdown.

NZ Construction Industry Council Chairman Graham Burke said it may come down to the actual wording in a contract, the type of project under construction and whether there is an ability to pay extra costs.

‘‘No one will be making any money out of this, we’re trying to enable people to share the costs or the loss in an equitable way.

‘‘If people just stand on this as a contract and fight it out in court, no one wins, so we’re hoping people look for what is fair and reasonable.’’

Burke said the commercial sector was taking a lead from Government, which issued ‘‘a strong statement’’ regarding its construction contracts.

The Government said for projects stalled due to the shutdown, it urged agencies to take ‘‘a fair and consistent approach to contract management’’.

The Government said its response to Covid-19 resulted in an effective change in law and it allowed the possibility of extra costs incurred by contractors during the lockdown to be

treated as a ‘‘variation to the contract’’.

New Zealand Certified Builders Chief Executive Grant Florence said contracts used in residential building were not as ‘‘rigid’’ as those in the com

Waikato Times, Hamilton Waikato

05 May 2020, by Lawrence Gullery General News, page 7 - 480.00 cm² Metro - circulation 15,489 (MTWTFS-) ID 1270489698 BRIEF CERTBUILDE

He said some had a fixed price while others provided for a builder to charge an hourly rate.

‘‘If it is a fixed rate, it comes down to the contract having provision for a stoppage of work, and what costs are involved.

‘‘I think in general, the builder and home owner should sit down and a have a chat, a negotiation, about the extra costs, what they might be and how they can be addressed.

‘‘There will be extra costs but really through no fault o f anyone.’’

REINZ Regional Director for Waikato, Bay of Plenty and Gisborne, Neville Falconer, agreed and said building projects running over time had been forced upon everyone.

‘‘I am not aware of any issues around this, they haven’t been brought to me, but it is early days.

‘‘A lot of it will come down to contract relationships between parties and how that is dealt with.’’

Falconer said REINZ had worked hard to enable private i fh f l t viewings of homes for sale to resume under level three.

‘‘That allows a bit of realism to return to the market place, as to where the market goes from here, it’s difficult to tell.

‘‘Interest rates are low but employment is key because people need to be able to service their debt.’’ PMCA licensed copy. You may not further copy, reproduce, record, retransmit, sell, publish, distribute, share or store this information without the prior written consent of the Print Media Copyright Agency. Phone +64-4-4984487 or email info@pmca.co.nz for further information.

Graham Burke

Grant Florence

Neville Falconer

INDEX

1

When work resumes on building projects around the country, like this one in Hamilton, progress is likely to be slow because of new rules.

Waikato Times, Hamilton Waikato 05 May 2020

When work re sume s o n building projects around the country, like this one in Hamilton, progress is likely to be slow because of new rules.