On the tools BUILDING CODE & STANDARDS
STATE OF
STANDARDS So, what’s the problem? A group of construction-related industry organisations, including Master Plumbers and the Specialist Trade Contractors Federation, has come together to share common issues with Standards in Zealand. The group perceives a number of challenges for the current model, including a lack of clear overall strategy for how Standards are developed and maintained across the construction sector. The group is engaging with the Building System Performance team at MBIE to seek possible solutions.
Lack of funding One of the biggest problems is the cost to develop, review and amend Standards. The fee can be anywhere from $7,000 for a minor amendment to hundreds of thousands of dollars for participating in a large project, such as the recent overhaul of the joint Australian and New Zealand AS/NZS 3500 plumbing and drainage Standards series.
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ew Zealand’s construction Standards play an important role. A means of demonstrating compliance with the NZ Building Code, Standards enable a consistent approach by designers, builders, Building Consent Authorities and product suppliers. They also set a benchmark for expected performance requirements for products and services not covered by the Building Code.
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Construction sector representatives, including Master Plumbers, are seeking solutions to the many challenges they see for Standards in New Zealand. NZ Plumber takes a closer look.
Standards are developed and maintained by Standards NZ, a business unit of the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE) Standards are designed to improve safety, quality and best practice Standards provide a means of compliance. They are not mandatory or legally required unless referenced in legislation A limited number of free building-related Standards can be accessed at www.standards. govt.nz/sponsored-standards/ building-standards An online catalogue of Standards relevant to the plumbing, gasfitting and drainlaying sector is available to Master Plumbers members at discounted rates. Details in the member log-in area at www.masterplumbers.org.nz (under Business Resources).
The group would like to see these costs being met by the Building Levy, which is collected with every building consent. “A couple of years ago, when MBIE proposed reducing the Building Levy, Master Plumbers was among the organisations against the idea, as we felt the money could be put to good use in funding Standards,” says Master Plumbers CEO Greg Wallace. The reduction went ahead, however, leaving construction industry players in a position where they must source their own funds or request help from MBIE. It is estimated that the industry paid three times the total cost of MBIE funding towards Standards reviews in 2020, according to Wallace. “When the joint AS/NZS 3500 series came up for review, Master Plumbers had to push hard for MBIE to fund New Zealand participation,” he says. “It went ahead partly because of the urgent need to update these Standards to reflect new knowledge about plumbing and drainage seismic requirements following the Christchurch earthquakes.” Short notice of upcoming reviews also makes it extremely difficult for industry organisations to budget for involvement in relevant Standards as they come up during the year.
Payment for participation Another significant issue is the lack of payment by Standards NZ to people who agree to share their specialist knowledge
