Building consent system evaluation

Consenting is an important part of the building process, as it provides assurance that building work is being designed and built to meet the requirements of the Building Code. It is a complex system that relies on a variety of people and processes to achieve the best outcomes for our building supply.

We know that the building consent system is not working as well as it could be to provide efficient, effective and consistent outcomes for people across the sector. This research aims to understand how current practice in the building consent process aligns with its objectives, and identify the underlying causes of problems within the system.

It is intended that this information will feed into the wider programme of work looking to develop a new building consent system model. In addition, this evaluation will provide essential information to the Construction Sector Accord to help them better understand the problems in the consenting system as part of their Regulatory Environment workstream.

What we’ve done so far

Our work on the consenting system is well underway. We have conducted a range of interviews, focus groups, site visits and surveys with building consent authorities, building professionals and building industry associations to help us understand how they work within the building consent system and the range of problems they are experiencing.

The feedback we have received has provided valuable insight into a system that is facing a number of different challenges as it adapts to the way we build now.

What is happening next?

The next step is to share our analysis and initial findings with MBIE stakeholders and then validate these key findings with stakeholders who participated in the fieldwork. The final report will be completed later this year.