A Beginner’s Guide - Building Networks...The Beginner’s Guide to Building Law 6 Acknowledgements Thank you for picking up this book. I want to acknowledge you, the reader, for

to

Building Law Compliance Made Easy

A Beginner’s Guide

Rosemary Killip

The Beginner’s Guide to Building

LawCompliance Made Easy

Rosemary Killip

Copyright © 2014 Rosemary Killip. All rights reserved. The author asserts their moral rights in the work.

This book is copyright. Except for the purposes of fair reviewing, no part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher. Infringers of copyright render themselves liable to prosecution.

Disclaimer: Every effort has been made to ensure this book is as accurate and com-plete as possible, however there may be mistakes both typographical and in content. The authors and publishers shall not be held liable or responsible to any person or entity with respect to any loss or damage caused or alleged to have been caused directly or indirectly by the information contained in this book.

A catalogue record for this book is available from the National Library of New Zealand

First published 2014

The Beginner’s Guide to Building Law

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Contents

Acknowledgements 6

Abbreviations 7 Use of this Book 8

Chapter 1 Rules of the game 91. Introduction to the rules 92. How the rules work 103. A performance based Building Code 114. Alternative Solutions 125. Restricted building work and licensing in the building industry

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Chapter 2 New Building Projects 151. Work that does not need consent 152. Finding out information that affects your project 173. Getting a Building Consent 194. The importance of a Code of Compliance Certificate 225. Public Use Certificates 24

Chapter 3 Existing Buildings 251. Compulsory maintenance 252. Alterations to existing buildings 283. Changing the use of a building 294. What to do if you find illegal building work 30


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Chapter 4 The People of Building Control 321. Dealing with Councils 32

2. Getting the right information from Council: 34

3. The Building Inspector is your friend 37

4. DIY Owners - Builders 39

5. The secrets of the building industry 40

Glossary of Building Law Terms 44

About The Author: 48

Notes: 49


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AcknowledgementsThank you for picking up this book. I want to acknowledge you,

the reader, for realising there was a gap in your knowledge that needs

to be filled.

I would like to thank all the building inspectors, and building

industry people I have encountered in the past 20 years who have

taught me so much about building controls (from both sides of the

counter). And importantly what not to do and what we should be

aiming for.

I also thank the seven or so Ministers of Building issues and the

MBIE staff who, although we may have had some heated debate at

times, have prompted me to think quite carefully about what the rules

are, what they should be and why we need them.


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AbbreviationsThroughout this book (and in the property information councils

hold) you will find the following abbreviations for building law terms used. Here is a selection of the most common ones. Detail concerning these terms is provided in the following chapters of this book.

12A Certificate of Compliance with Inspection, Maintenance and Reporting Procedures.

BAct04 Building Act 2004

BC Building Consent

BCA Building Consent Authority

BWOF Building Warrant of Fitness

CCC Code Compliance Certificate

COA Certificate of Acceptance

CPU Certificate of Public Use

CS Compliance Schedule

CSS Compliance Schedule Statement

IQP Independent Qualified Person (e.g. fire alarm tester, lift certifier)

LBP Licensed Building Practitioner

LIM Land Information Memorandum

MBIE Ministry of Business Innovation and Employment (Building and Housing Group)

NTF Notice to Fix

NZBC New Zealand Building Code or Building Code or Code

PIM Project Information Memorandum

TA Territorial Authority (Council)


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Use of this Book

The building industry is full of jargon and abbreviations. It might even seem like a foreign language at times. The first time, each of the terms used here will be written in full and then after that time it will usually be abbreviated. Terms will be introduced in fact-specific scenarios. Terms will be expanded as each scenario unfolds and there is also a glossary at the back of the book in case you need it at any time. This guide is not a substitute for the law and you are encouraged to get your own copy of the building act. There are many other issues you have to face with a building project such as resource consents and approvals for other items like liquor health licences. This book does not cover those specific topics.


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Chapter 1 Rules of the game

1. Introduction to the rules Joe, an ex-builder has landed a job as a Property Manager.

He has solid building knowledge, but no legal background. Now that he is in the important role of being a property manager he needs to upskill himself quick smart. He has heard that the rules are quite complex. He buys a copy of the Building Act, and once he sees it is 451 sections long he decides it is good bedtime reading. That night he jumps into bed and opens page 1, by page 2 he is sound asleep.

Well, even though I like ‘the law’, it is hard going reading it, particularly if you are a practical guy like Joe, and especially last thing at night. People in the building industry, like Joe was, rely on building inspectors to tell them what they can and cannot do, and grizzle about the things they have to change. Joe has done the right thing buying a copy of the Building Act but he needs a translator. This book has been written to give people like Joe a helping hand.

Julie studied a little bit of the Building Act during her training in property management and has attended a few professional development courses in the subject. She is pretty familiar with building consents, but the rest is a bit of a mystery. Julie has a passionate view that some of the Building Act rules are over the top and she often argues with the council about the level of detail required in plans and specifications. She has had a couple of very heated discussions with council officers and sometimes gets confused between the Resource Management Act and the Building Act requirements.

Although Julie is well schooled in some aspects of the Building Act there are other things that she will learn in this book that will be really helpful to her in her role as a property manager. While she is


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entitled to her view she will need to work with the council officers and understand what is required so she can best serve her clients. This will result in less time delays, less argy bargy, and hopefully speed up the building projects.

2. How the rules workWhen Joe was a builder he used the NZ Standard 3604

for a lot of his building work. He relied on engineers for specific designs and subcontractors to get on with their installations. He has heard about the NZ Building Code but is not sure how the Standards and the Building Code fit together.

Here is a simple pictorial representation of how the Rules work.

The Building Act is a set of rules that govern what you can and

Mandatory

Non-Mandatory

The LawBuilding Act 2004

Building Regulations

NZ Building Code

Compliance documents - optional ways to complyAcceptable Verification Solutions Methods


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cannot build in New Zealand. It is administered by the MBIE, who in turn report to the Minister of Building & Housing. It also covers a range of other administrative and legislative things that councils must do in relation to ensuring compliance ‘at a grass roots level’.

The Ministry is a good place to go for verification of advice given by council or if

you are in dispute with council.

3. A performance based Building CodeThe Building Code is what is called a ‘performance-based’ building

code. That means it is a set of high level objectives that buildings must achieve. For example, the Building Code requires buildings to be strong enough to withstand earthquakes, keep water out, keep people warm, and provide barriers so prevent falling. There are many more provisions of the Code (in fact, 35 technical sections).

If you want a copy of the Building Code you can download it from www.mbie.govt.nz (search for ‘Building Code’.)

The building consent process centres on whether plans and specifications meet the Building Code requirements or not. To help the industry sort out whether their proposed work meets the Building Code or not, the MBIE produces a series of documents called ’Compliance Documents’. Within these documents there is either a list of New Zealand, British, Australian or other standards that already comply with the Building Code. Or there are written design solutions that detail how something is put together to comply with the Code. For example, in New Zealand we have a predominance of light timber frame construction in residential homes. There is a commonly used standard that has been in place for some thirty years, called New Zealand Standard NZS3604. A lot of builders are apprenticed on that


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Standard and use it in their daily practice; if fully complied with, it will meet the Building Code requirements.

PS: If you want a copy of the Compliance Documents you can download it from www.mbie.govt.nz (look up the words ‘Compliance Documents’). You can then download them one-by-one, or you can follow the instructions on how to purchase hard copies.

A copy of each building code clause is in the front of each Compliance Document.

All of these principles are very sensible and good in theory. In practice, people from the building industry tend to have specific projects that need completing, and need to find particular design solutions that will comply with the key principles of the Code. It is common for architects to want to step outside the boundaries of the rules, and that can the job of assessing whether a project is going to comply with the Building Code or not somewhat difficult. But not impossible.

4. Alternative SolutionsOne of Julie’s clients has travelled extensively overseas,

and is keen on an eco-friendly office building of the highest specification. The client has a top notch architect involved who is sourcing design information from overseas. The specialist systems in the building will be imported and are cutting-edge in terms of energy efficiency. The client has asked Julie to wade her way through the red tape of the building consent process and liaise with the architect.

Most people think of this type of leading-edge building when referring to ‘Alternative Solutions’, which they are, but so are many other building types. Obviously as a building becomes more complex, more alternative solutions are needed, and more verification has to be done to ensure that the project meets the Building Code.

What may not be so obvious is that many everyday buildings are also deemed to be alternative solutions – for example, many foundations


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or large beams require special engineering or verification. You can have a standard timber framed house on top and special foundations underneath supporting it – it is common to see a standard NZS3604 house built on specifically designed foundations in sand dune or peat soil areas.

In addition to what the client wants, the designer has to justify to the Council how designs, materials and systems from overseas meet the NZ Building Code requirements.

Look, the details can get fairly complex – necessarily. So, the handy hint when dealing with the jigsaw of the Building Act, Building Code and Compliance Documents is to ask any designers, architects, and other industry people you may contract, what they know about these rules. Have they got a copy of any of the documents, what’s their opinion of them, do they pick any solutions from the Compliance Documents or do they deal with a lot of alternative solutions? If they don’t know what you are talking about when you ask these questions, and just go “Huh?” Walk away quickly and finds someone who understands the compliance issues - don’t play with someone who doesn’t know the rules; they are only going to get you into trouble.

5. Restricted building work and licensing in the building industry

Jo has bought a section and wants a build house, her neighbour Prashant wants a new roof for his house. Both are restricted work now and require a licensed designer and a licensed tradesperson to do or supervise the work.

Colin wants a brand new ensuite for his rental property. Just like before he has to use a qualified plumber.

Craig wants a skylight installed and a new wood burner. Neither of these trades are licensed. so he can install it himself or get an experienced person who sells and installs these products to do it for home.

Some building work is risky and should be done by licensed


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tradesmen. Some design work is also tricky and therefore it should be done by licensed designers. In the trades this has been true for plumbers, drainers, gasfitters and electricians for decades. In March 2012 this was extended to the residential space (both dwellings and residential apartments up to 10m in height) with the following work restricted to a licensed persons hands:

The design, construction and alteration of the

• primarystructure

• cladding(externalwalls,androofs)

and the design of fire safety systems for small-medium apartment buildings.

What does this mean?

It means that a licensed person has to do or supervise the work.

(also see the DIY Owner exemption section of this book).

The licensed areas cover:

1. Design

2. Carpentry

3. Roofing

4. External Plastering

5. Bricklaying and Blocklaying

6. Foundations (for relocatables only)


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Chapter 2 New Building Projects

1. Work that does not need consent

Joe and the DeckThe staff of one of the buildings Joe looks after wants

him to build a ground-level deck that they can use for their lunch breaks. Joe puts his builder’s apron back on, grabs some supplies from the trade store and gets cracking. He is confident he can go ahead without needing to tell the council.

Joe is correct; this deck does not require a building consent, but must still meet the requirements of the Building Code. That means it is to be made using the right sort of timber and fixings for its location, and put together in a safe and secure way.

Julie and the AlterationsOne of the tenants in Julie’s portfolio wants to do some

internal office alterations. The tenant wants to create a new reception, a meeting room and a staff area. The tenant goes ahead and does this without Julie’s or the landlord’s permission and without a building consent.

This is not good practice.• Firstly, the lease agreement should have spelt out that the

tenant needs to get prior permission from the landlord or their representative (i.e. Julie) to alter the building in any way.

• Secondly, this type of work needs a Building Consent. I wonder how many property managers do regular inspections

of their building portfolio to see what is going on and how many


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actively police their lease agreements? In my experience it’s only when a problem occurs that you find out what the tenant has been up to...and it’s a bit late by then!

Julie and her client will be drawn into this situation. To remedy the illegal building work the Council will require a number of steps to be taken and some money to be paid. Julie will have to explain to her client (the building owner) how this was allowed to happen under her watch.

It is good practice to get the tenant used to asking your permission and advising you of what they are doing. A simple email will generally do the trick. That way you have no surprises and know what is actually going on in the buildings you look after. It can be quite embarrassing if a council starts writing to the building owner (who after all a client) saying something is wrong. I would imagine in this case there would be some heated damage control conversations between Julie, the tenant and Julie’s client. To save everyone time and grief, Julie just needs to establish clear boundaries with the tenant to make sure they understand the approval process.

There are some common alterations to commercial buildings that do not require a Building Consent:• repairing or replacing small items like a broken window or a

toilet that’s not working.• building small items with low or no risk (such as a ground-level

deck) or small office partitions.

Be warned! Just because building work does not need a building consent - it may need a resource consent or have constraints on

location, height etc. imposed by the District Plan. Check out your Councils local District

Plan or seek planning advice.


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Here are the possibilities with building projects.

Building Consent

Resource Consent

Action

Yes Yes Building controls and planning advice needed

Yes No Building controls advice neededNo Yes Planning advice neededNo No Good to go!

For an up to date list of the types of work that do not require a Building Consent plus a guidance book, visit: www.buildingnetworks.co.nz

It’s always best to have a chat with the council before doing any building work, or at least surf their websites to see what guidance information and forms are available. Even if you haven’t got a project in mind just yet it pays to get your head around their interpretation of the rules so you can better inform your tenants and clients. Too often the council is the last organisation people go to, only to find out too late (once work has started) that they need consent. It’s a bit late then because you can’t get a Consent retrospectively.

2. Finding out information that affects your project

Joe and the PIM Joe wants to apply for a Building Consent to extend a

building by adding additional rooms and refurbishing the staff toilet facilities. While he could do the work himself he doesn’t have time for a job like this. He realises he needs drawings so goes to a designer recommended by a friend who draws up a set of plans and specifications to meet the requirements. After paying the designer he trots off the council with the plans and applies for the Consent.


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All is well with the design, and in a few days the council advises that the Building Consent is ready to be collected, but there is a catch. While the council has granted a Consent, the Project Information Memorandum (PIM) has shown that the building is classified under the Historic Places Trusts Act. While the council is happy with the building work as proposed, Joe cannot get contractors to start building until he has consulted with the Historic Places Trust to negotiate what work can or cannot be done to the building. This has put the whole project back some weeks if not months.

The purpose of a PIM is to tell the applicant all that the council knows about that project on that piece of land, and any other rules or regulations that may apply to the project. For example, if you have overhead power lines or the property is in a flight path you will be told the range of other agencies you also need to consult with. The Historic Places Trust has the power to refuse or allow work to proceed for classified buildings so as to preserve historic value.

If Joe or the designer had got the PIM first they would have avoided all of this stress and time delay. To be fair, the designer may have only been briefed to draw up the alterations. The designer could have presumed that Joe had other permissions sorted out. Its not always obvious which buildings have historical places classification, unless you research it.

You can apply for a PIM and Building Consent together, and it may speed up the process, but it can also just as easily lead to more work and cost in the long run. It should be obtained before detailed drawing begins, not after.

If you go to the council with a sketch plan and some basic information then you may find out ahead of time that there are extra design considerations you have not thought about or budgeted for. If your designer is from out of town he or she might not realise the specific district planning requirements involved in your local council area. The district plan may require specific foundation design or extra design requirements to cater for strong winds, snow loads, or different


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types of ground conditions. All of this requires additional design time and cost. It is easier to have this design information upfront.

Julie and the PIMJulie’s client decides to build a new commercial building.

She has budgeted for all known costs and planned occupation times, found a perfect site, bought it and had sketches drawn up. She applies for a PIM from the council. It says that the building (when finished) is subject to the Fire Safety Evacuation of Buildings Regulations 2006 which means the building will need a formally approved evacuation scheme. She now factors in the immediate and ongoing costs of an evacuation scheme, trial evacuations and other training for onsite staff.

This is an example of good pre-planning and research of factors other than just building consent.

There are two key agencies that you will find out about on a PIM. One is the Historic Places Trust, as discussed in Joe’s example. The other is the New Zealand Fire Service, regarding the Fire Safety and Evacuation of Buildings Regulations, as discussed in the above example. You will also find out any other related agencies that you may need to consult with, e.g. telecommunications, water supply, waste water supply, and civil aviation if you are in zones where these things are important. This can help in the planning and feasibility phase of a building project.

3. Getting a Building Consent

Julie and the building consentJulie’s client agrees to proceed with the design of the new

commercial building and Julie goes to an architect who has been recommended by a business associate. She is pleased with the preliminary work and engages the architect to look after


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the whole process, including dealing with the council’s rules.

This is an option for busy property managers who may prefer to get someone else to deal with the design detail and the council red tape. While that is certainly an option, it is always worth being aware that Julie is still responsible for compliance of the project – a mistake by the architect is still her responsibility.

Julie would be wise to keep a good tab on the consent process. Even though she is not a design professional herself she does understand paperwork and processes. It important to select a designer who communicates well with council, there are often technical matters which need to be negotiated. If there are any design mistakes or areas of non-compliance in the plans the council will start a laborious process of letter writing. These letters are known as ‘RFIs’ or Request for Further Information.

RFI letters are written from the council to the key contact person for the consent, so it gives the designer a second (sometimes third or fourth) chance at getting the drawings right. If the contact person is also the designer you (the property manager) may never know there has been multiple attempts to get the drawings right. This is an expensive and time consuming process and ultimately the building owner will pay. Meanwhile, you may have already paid for a complete design (to consent stage) and because of the RFI you may be asked to pay more for the redesigns.

The excuse often given is that ‘the council has been picky and asked for more information’. One of the key performance indicators you could put to the designer is to tell you how many RFIs they receive and what for – remember, they ought to be factoring in these design elements at the beginning of the process if they have done their research thoroughly. Or, you could be the key contact person and the council will communicate directly with you. You can easily arrange for the council to give you copies of all correspondence and information so that you are kept in the loop of the building consent process. You can then keep your designer honest about what the council is actually saying about the quality of the original


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consent application design. Ultimately you can plan for delays and additional costs.

Decide who will be the key contact person for the building consent application - will it be you, the property manager, the owner, or the tenant/lessee, or an agent such as an architect or builder? In any case, keep a close eye on all the checks and balances on what is happening. After all, your client is ultimately responsible the eye of the law for what is happening in your building, and they pay you to get things right on their behalf.

If you are going to be the key contact person, either visit your council directly or go to their website and download forms and checklists for building consents for the type of job that you are doing.

• Fill in the forms completely and attach all the information that they ask for.

• Do a self-check on the checklist provided as that will be done at the counter as well.

• Make sure you get good design advice. Ask your design professional what their relationship is like with the council. The minute they rant and rave about the council – drop them! You want someone who gets on well with the council and can wade their way through the rules for you.

• If it is a complex matter with a lot of different regulations and rules involved, ask for a pre-lodgement meeting with the council. More efficiency is gained by knowing upfront what the council is expecting in the way of documentation.

• Get involved and keep in touch with the process. You could end up with a debt on the property or unfinished works. Furthermore, you could end up with formal notices from the council called Notices to Fix which are lodged against the property and are openly available if you decide to sell at a later date.

• You will need some owner information for the building consent. For example, you will require the Certificate of Title which


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proves the ownership, plus many councils require proof of authorisation from the landlord for you to act on their behalf. A quick email will do that. The Certificate of Title can be quickly downloaded from Quotable Value (www.qv.co.nz), or Land Information New Zealand (www.linz.govt.nz). Importantly, some councils require a Certificate of Title no older than three months. This is typical in subdivision areas, but some require this as a universal rule.

• Ensure the building work is fully completed, and visit the site during construction

• For jobs outside your scope you may need a project manager to look after the coordination of all the trades and the paperwork for you.

• Make sure the Code Compliance Certificate (CCC) is applied for and obtained, and that all certificates relevant have been given to the council. (You can apply for it yourself as the key contact person).

• Check if there are any other issues you need to deal with at the council (e.g. Resource Consents, Certificates of Public Use, and any other appropriate licenses, such as liquor and health licences, etc.)

4. The importance of a Code of Compliance Certificate

Julie’s Job EndsNow that the Building Consent is obtained the architect is

thanked and sent on his way, and Julie takes over managing the project. Many months go by and the contractors she employed to do the building work have nearly finished. Julie is so busy that she has not been to the site for a while.

The Council has sent a reminder letter to the architect that it is nearly time to apply for a Code Compliance Certificate.


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Someone forgets to pass this onto Julie, and the Council thinks the architect is the agent for the project, whereas it is actually Julie. The Council has no record of Julie’s name as it did not appear anywhere on the consent documentation.

A Building Consent is a process finished off with a Code Compliance Certificate. Logic says (unless the Council is told otherwise) that they will contact the person who applied for the Consent to finish it. If this changes in the meantime (like it did when Julie took back control of the project) then she needs to tell the Council that all future correspondence comes to her. The architect in this job was only engaged to do the design work and so quite rightly has no responsibility to get the CCC.

Throughout the 1990s and through to about March 2005 you could get something called an ‘Interim Code Compliance Certificate’. This allowed building work to be partially signed off. It was a common thing for commercial buildings which were finished in stages or levels. You should watch out for the words Interim Code Compliance Certificate in council files, or Land Information Memorandums, with no corresponding CCC. This means the building still has no final signoff.

The longer you wait to apply for a CCC after building work has been done the harder it can be to get one. Some people wait for years, or in some cases a new owner applies for a CCC some years down the track, long after the builder is gone. They are then shocked to find that the Council may refuse to give them one because the building work is so old.

These days most councils like applicants to apply for a CCC within 2 years from the date they were given building consent. They will probably contact you near that time to remind you of your obligation to apply. If the work isn’t finished at that point you can ask for an extension. All of this information is probably given to you in an information pack when you applied for consent. Hold onto that pack in your office and read all the material thoroughly. Schedule the dates for significant events (like applying for the CCC).


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5. Public Use Certificates

Opening DayOne of Julie’s clients is a mall owner. Julie has worked

tirelessly to get retail tenants into the mall for opening day. One in particular is a large sportswear shop who has done a lot of promotion based around the key deadline of opening on Labour Weekend. The brochures have been printed, the adverts have been in the newspaper and all indications have been that building work would be completed and all tenants would be occupying the building space on time.

As time gets nearer it becomes quite apparent that the building contractors will not be completely finished, but finished enough for tenants to move their goods in and get ready for the big day.

But there is one problem – the Council advises Julie that because the building work is not finished (and therefore the building has no CCC), and will be open to the public, it will need a new permission called a Certificate of Public Use (CPU). If it isn’t issued in time the shops cannot open the scheduled day.

Of course, as it approaches the opening day Julie’s stress level has gone up - no kidding! So has that of the manager of the sportswear shop and the other tenants in the building. To get around this issue, Julie needs to be quick and smart, and ring the council – talking to someone senior and explaining the situation with a hope to fast track the issuing of the CPU.

A CPU can take up to 20 days to process, so, ideally it is good to apply for one a month or so ahead of the scheduled opening day to allow the council plenty of time to consider and process it. The basic requirement is an assurance of public safety from any live wires, safety systems and other potential dangers that may hurt the public before the final Code Compliance Certificate is issued.


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Chapter 3 Existing Buildings

1. Compulsory maintenanceJoe has inherited some contractors who do regular service

and maintenance work and is about to review their contract. He goes through the paperwork and finds some quotes for upgrade work in amongst maintenance bills.

One of the buildings Joe looks after has a problem with its Building Warrant of Fitness (BWOF). It has been out of date for a year. Joe has never dealt with BWOFs before and approaches the Council for some answers.

There are some compulsory maintenance checks which you are responsible for by law. These checks are spelled out in a document called a Compliance Schedule, which is issued by the council and must be kept where instructed to do so. (In general this will be on the premises, but not necessarily.)

A property manager can act as the owner’s agent and do some of the checks as well as issue the BWOF. There are also some checks that only a specialised person can do - Independent Qualified Persons (IQPs). You can find them in the Yellow Pages or your council will hold a register. An IQP needs to do an annual check - the more complicated the building system (and the older it is) the more checks they will have to do. Once the checks and maintenance has been done your IQP will issue you with: ‘Form 12A - Certificate of Compliance with Inspection, Maintenance and Reporting Procedures’. You will need a 12A for each of the safety systems which allows a BWOF to be issued to the building.

The things checked by IQPs are called ‘specified systems’, and include such things as:

• Firealarms• Sprinklers


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• Lifts,• Escalators• Mechanicalventilationsystems• Airconditioningunits

For a full list of what is included in a specified system – refer to the back of this book.

If they do not issue you with this form it may be because:

1. Some checks have not been done,

2. Owners or tenants checks have not been logged for the year,

3. Some part of the system is not working and needs fixing.

Joe was told by the contractor that the building systems are old and will need upgrading before they can be signed off. The estimate for the work runs into thousands. While Joe does have a budget for on-going maintenance, he is not convinced that this work is necessary. He has no base-line to work from and he doesn’t know where to turn.

Systems are checked based on the age of the installation. The BWOF process is designed to maintain what’s there (whatever the age of the system) in good working order. Watch out that you are not being encouraged to upgrade old systems unnecessarily. One day you will most likely need to replace the system, but in the meantime keeping it checked and maintained, and reporting on this process annually to the council is all you need to do.

As a property manager you should check in on the service contractors for the building annually, if not more frequently. Get them to explain where things are at, and even if they have been furnishing all the required paperwork. You don’t want a tenant exodus to jump up and surprise you because mismanaged outgoings have suddenly escalated beyond their means!

Systems that don’t meet the relevant specifications will need upgrading. To ensure compliance, the council has instant fines, Notices to Fix, and ultimately court prosecutions in their tool kit,


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and they will use them if necessary.

Juggling JulieAmongst Julie’s portfolio of buildings she has a great

number of BWOFs to manage. She does this very efficiently through spreadsheets and calendarising the key checks that need to be done. She juggles a number of different IQP contractors who service and maintain the systems within the building. On odd occasions the IQPs tell her that a system has defects that need fixing, although lately she has been finding more defects than usual, and wonders whether the systems really are that bad and why the contractors haven’t pointed this out before.

The BWOF is an annual cycle with dates varying depending on when the Compliance Schedule was first issued. The law requires all owner / occupier checks to be done, all inspection and maintenance of systems to be complete and all 12As to be issued by Independent Qualified Persons. Then the BWOF can be issued.

Without a valid BWOF you could:• Invalidate a sale• Invalidate the building’s insurance• Invalidate other approvals or licences to operate (e.g. liquor and

health licences)• Invalidate funding (e.g. Ministry of Education, Ministry of

Health funding).Records of all inspections and checks must be kept for two years;

legally they are to be filed with the Compliance Schedule. Building Networks has created a handy folder with instructions and guidance to keep all your records together - more details are at the back of this book.

This system of BWOFs has been in place since 1993, and yet many commercial building owners are unaware of their responsibilities. Councils are becoming increasingly vigilant about chasing the return


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of BWOFs on time and ensuring all the documentation is accurate. Councils can do audits of paperwork and the building to make sure owners are doing what’s right. Councils charge fees for these audits on an hourly or site visit basis. Logic says that the easier it is for the council to find the paperwork the cheaper it will be.

The council can also instantly fine you for any wrong-doing in this area. These are already set fees (like parking fines) and they start at $250.00. Not all councils enforce these fines but you don’t want to find out your council’s policy on this when they have already sent you one.

A property manager would be wise to keep a quality assurance eye on the BWOF paperwork. Once again you may not be technically trained but you can manage the paperwork. Do an internal audit of the system to make sure it works - before the Council does!

2. Alterations to existing buildingsOne of the buildings Julie looks after is up for lease. A new

tenant wants to move in but the building will need some modifications before they can do so. Between them Julie and the prospective tenant come to an agreement on who will pay for what, and they commit to a budget. Julie then talks with one of the council building control staff when she goes to pick up the building consent forms and obtain relevant documentation. She is told that in addition to the work the prospective tenant wants to do that there will need to be a further assessment of the building’s means of escape from fire, and access and facilities for people with disabilities. Julie is not sure what this will cost and realises this will potentially affect all the tenants in the building.

When a building is altered the Building Act requires the council to consider these other matters. The upshot is that the building consent applicant has to get a fire report and access survey to determine what features the building has and what is missing compared to modern Building Code requirements.


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Fire reports are done by fire engineers or people with expertise in these systems. One place to look for an engineering specialist is the Institution of Professional Engineers (IPENZ) website (www.ipenz.org.nz). You can also approach local IQPs who ought to be able to recommend local options.

3. Changing the use of a buildingOne of the old buildings Joe looks after used to be a

family villa. For the past 20 years it has served as a small educational facility. There are existing toilet and shower facilities in the building, and now Joe’s boss wants to covert the building into student accommodation. All Joe wants to do is move the tables and filing cabinets out and build wardrobes and bedrooms.

Technically this is called a ‘change of use’. According to the Building Act if you change what a building is used for then there are specific areas that the building must be assessed on.

In this case the building’s use will go from CS (Crowd Small) to SA (Sleeping Accommodation). This now requires the whole building to be assessed against the current Building Code for six things:

1. Means of escape from fire2. Protection of other property3. Sanitary facilities 4. Structural performance5. Fire rating performance:6. Access and facilities for people with disabilities.And if that’s not enough you need to make sure that the building

is no worse than before. For example of the building was well glazed and insulated and had access to natural light then these items cannot be compromised during the change of use process.

What does all this mean? Potentially a lot of money, and the project may not be able to go ahead - reports will be required from professionals


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to verify the building’s suitability for its purpose. This may lead to potentially expensive structural upgrades and more. The point being, of course, is that Joe needs to find this out before work gets started. Otherwise its very likely that the building work may not meet the required specifications, and may need to be completely redone.

Julie’s client has a two-storied building which has served as retail space downstairs and professional offices upstairs. The upper level was occupied by a physiotherapist who had treatment rooms. The client wants to use the existing bathroom facilities and just divide the upper floor into two apartments. He then intends to rent it out to two different tenants.

Some building work will need to be done to convert it into apartments, but again the whole building will need to be assessed for change of use. The purpose group has changed from WL (Working Low) to SR (Sleeping Residential). This could be a good rental income or sale opportunity, but Julie needs to factor in the potential costs of compliance in changing the use.

Julie should check the implications of this change before proceeding past the planning phase. Importantly all of the requirements should be thought about at planning time to identify whether it’s both practical and financially feasible for the client.

4. What to do if you find illegal building workJulie finds out that one of the tenants in her client’s

building has done some illegal building work. They have done this without permission from her as property manager, and have not got the right authorisations from council for the work. They are now instructing her to demolish the work and restore the building back to its original state.

One option for Julie is to get the tenant to pay for all the costs associated with the works and apply for a Certificate of Acceptance.

A Certificate of Acceptance can be used in situations where work has been done without a Building Consent (i.e. illegally). It can take 20


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working days from the date of application to get one. It’s like applying for a building consent - you’ll need plans and specifications and there are fees. You may not get a COA if the Council isn’t convinced the work is ok, or they may give you a limited approval.

This certificate will provide some verification that part or all of certain building work complies. But it has its limitations - otherwise we would all be opting for this certificate and not getting building consents!

The thing is, even though a Certificate of Acceptance has been issued councils still have the ability to issue a Notice to Fix and to prosecute if necessary. The bits of the building work they are happy with will have a certificate of acceptance whereas the bits they think does not comply may have to be pulled down. In that case they will officially issues a notice to fix instructing you to do just that.

It’s been a heck of a weekend, the region was lashed with rain, trees blew over, and roofs were ripped apart. Joe gets to work and finds he has some immediate building repairs to deal to. It’s important that the building is fixed ASAP as a tree has crashed through a roof and the building is open to the weather. Joe digs out his carpenter’s apron and gets stuck into it.

Joe is allowed to do this and can legitimately apply for a Certificate of Acceptance because the work was done under emergency. He can’t wait 20 days for a building consent as the building will get further damage if its not closed in. There tends to be more grace given for work carried out urgently due to an emergency, and ‘Acts of God’, but councils don’t look on it as favourably when someone should have legitimately obtained a building consent and had the time but chose not to do so.

Don’t worry about getting a COA for building work done before 1 July 1992 – it never needed building consent anyway. (Ah...the good old permit days... You cannot get a Building Permit anymore! The last permits were issued in 1991 and since 1992 permission to build has been called a Building Consent.)


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Chapter 4 The People of Building Control

1. Dealing with Councils

Tony and Sarah and CouncilTony and Sarah ring the staff at the council to obtain

information about building consents. They find out that there is a lot available in the form of information packs, check sheets, hand outs and booklets.

They fail to tell the council officer that they live in a suburb which is in the neighbouring council’s district. So, a lot of the information they have gleaned while helpful is not specifically relevant to their project.

To obtain some good advice for dealing with building consents and trades-people, visit the

Consumer Build website www.consumerbuild.org.nz

Tony and Sarah have fallen into a common trap that many people do. There are seventy-three local (council) authorities each with their own territorial boundary, and they each have a mandate to administer building controls in their patch. It is really helpful to tell the council where exactly the building is located before asking them more detailed questions.


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Find out which council area you are in by

going to www.lgnz.co.nz/lg-sector/maps

My best piece of advice to you is to treat council people like you want to be treated yourself. Remember these poor people have to deal with a lot of grumpy and sometimes obnoxiously rude people. It may sound trite but a smile and some good communication goes a long way.

Find out the names of the various people who may be involved in LIMs, PIMs, building consent vetting and processing as well as building inspectors. Many people identify councils with having inspectors only. Behind the scenes there are many pairs of hands your consent will travel through. Sometimes you can get in quick and ask about straightforward technical or legal knowledge that can help you sort some things out well before you have invested any time or further costs in whether a project can go ahead or not.

Identify who actually is doing the vetting as this person will look for whether you have the right amount of information present and that can be your first stumbling block. You may have to go back for more detailed advice.

Once the building consent is in the door it will go through a series of planning checks and there may be different people doing what is called plan processing. This will include building specialists and plumbing and drainage specialists. They may also farm some of this work out to specific specialists such as engineers, heating and ventilating contractors, and fire engineers etc.

Some complicated fire designs are also checked over by the Design Review Unit of the NZ Fire Service.

There are also a number of different building inspectors and on one project you may have four or five or more inspectors coming in to look at different parts of the construction. Each of these teams will


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have a leader or senior management person so if you feel you are not getting any headway with a particular staff member you might like to enquire as to who is the team leader and work with that person. Some larger councils’ have chief building officers or senior building officials as they are also known. These people may also be able to help you if you get stuck.

A last resort piece of advice - if you have been refused a Building Consent or Code Compliance Certificate from a council and you are not happy with the written reasons why, contact the Ministry of Business Innovation and Employment (Building and Housing Group) (MBIE). Their staff can talk to you over the phone or you could go for a formal ‘determination’. In a ‘determination’ the MBIE will make a ruling on whether the consent should be issued or not on a particular legal or technical issue.

There is more information about determinations available on www.mbie.govt.nz. The costs are small but the time and preparation for this process is the heavy component. It will be weeks not days before this decision is made and issued to you.

2. Getting the right information from Council:

Marco and Wiremu and the CouncilMarco and Wiremu have heard that dealing with a

council is time consuming and costly; their friends and associates in property investment often tell stories of their bad experiences. So this perception leaves Marco and Wiremu all fired up to have a real battle with their local council. They put more faith in their legal advisors and property friends and don’t think the council has any information that is relevant.

While we can all have bad experiences at times of poor customer services, most councils are keen to provide good service to their ratepayers. Council officers are people too and with good communication and a bit of mutual respect the process can go a lot


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smoother. Like it or not, councils are the gatekeepers of the process and the office of public record so, if you are going to own a building or do building work within a building, you are going to have to engage with a council.

Here is a list of information that councils hold that may be useful to you.

Council websitesThere is a lot of web-based information on council websites

including district plans, application forms, guides and other check lists that are available at either low or no cost.

When searching council websites look under

the words ‘building’, ‘building consents’, ‘licensing’, ‘consents’.

There may be other permissions you need to obtain such as Resource Consents, Liquor or Food Licences, or even sign permits. These topics are not covered in this book, but it is useful to do some research on council websites in this same area.

Property Information or Property fileThe council is required to keep all information related to your

property for the life of the building. There is usually a unique identifying number specific to your property and in the past a folder with all current information would be filed. Some Councils have bits and pieces of information all over the place (especially forreally old buildings). You may need to alert the Council a few days ahead so they can get the required information from archives ready for you to view. These days many councils scan and store records electronically,


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but in many cases you may find yourself pouring through old paper copies of plans and specifications relating to your building. If you are looking at the 1980’s, some records are still held on micro fiche.

You probably will be charged a fee for photocopying of records. Most enable you to look through the file for free but there may be research or collection fees. Check beforehand. Other councils will supply all of the required information on a DVD or CD for a small fee.

Land Information Memorandum (LIM)You don’t need to own the building to get a copy of this document. Anyone can apply for a LIM at any time. The LIM may tell you about:

• records of stormwater or sewage drains

• protection of buildings, for example, by the Historic Places Trust

• information on public and private waste systems on the site

• special land features such as erosion, flooding

• any rates owing on the land

• any permits, consents or requisitions, or other certificates previously issued by the local council

• zoning and what you can use the land for.

• any notices to the council by any statutory organisation that has the power to classify land or buildings for any purpose, e.g. Historic Places Trust.

• any notices to the council given by any network utility operator under the Building Act , e.g. Water supply, electricity, etc.

• any other information that the council thinks relevant.

Notices to FixThese are formal and legal advice notices from the council that work

has either not been completed or does not comply with the law. Be


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very careful to see that these Notices have been fulfilled and they are no longer current. (Prior to 2005 these were called Notices to Rectify).

3. The Building Inspector is your friendWhen Joe, our property manager was a builder, he once

had a run-in with a council. He is not looking forward to dealing with the new council which is in s bigger city and he anticipates having lots of road blocks to getting the building work underway.

Like many other building industry people Joe has a healthy disrespect for his local council. However, like in any other business relationship you can always find someone who is able to communicate well, provide the correct information and go through whatever hurdles are necessary in order to get the desired outcome. Joe would be wise to meet with the council and get all the relevant check lists and forms ready before he even thinks about doing any building work.

In the building consent process a lot of the road blocks occur because the design information isn’t accurate or up-to-date to start with. Then the council starts a laborious process of writing further information request letters back to the designers or the applicant themselves. This creates delays and by the time mail has returned back to the applicant, time can easily blow out.

There are seventy-three local (council) authorities, each with their own territorial boundary, and they each have a mandate to administer building controls in their patch. It is really helpful to tell the council where exactly the building is located before asking them more detailed questions.

Find out which council area you are in by going to: http://www.lgnz.co.nz/lg-sector/maps/

My strongest piece of advice to you is to treat council people like you want to be treated yourself. Remember that these poor people have to deal with a lot of grumpy and at times obnoxiously rude people. It may sound trite, but a smile and some good communication goes a long way. Get on a first name basis with the building inspectors and


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anyone else in council you have regular contact with.

Many people identify councils with having inspectors only. Behind the scenes there are actually many pairs of hands your consent applications will travel through. Sometimes you can get in quick and ask about straightforward technical or legal matters, knowledge that can help you sort some things out well before you have invested any time or further costs in whether a project can go ahead or not. Find out the names of the various people who may be involved in LIMs, PIMs, and building consent vetting and processing, as well as building inspectors.

There are also a number of different building inspectors, and on one project you may have four or five or more inspectors coming in to look at different parts of the construction. Each of these teams will have a leader or senior management person, so if you feel you are not getting any headway with a particular staff member you might like to enquire as to who is the team leader and work with that person. Some larger councils have chief building officers or senior building officials as they are also known. These people may also be able to help you if you get stuck.

As a last resort piece of advice - if you have been refused a Building Consent or Code Compliance Certificate from a council, contact the Ministry of Business Innovation and Employment (Building and Housing Group) (MBIE). Their staff can talk to you over the phone or you could go for a formal ‘determination’. In a determination the MBIE will make a ruling on whether the consent should be issued or not on a particular legal or technical issue.

There is more information about determinations available on www.mbie.govt.nz. The costs are small but the time and preparation involved for this process are the heavy components. It will be weeks not days before a decision is made and issued to you.


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4. DIY Owners - Builders

Summer is on its way and Catherine wants an extension to her holiday home. Her friends are a handy lot and they want to give her a hand to build it.

Jim wants a new home which he is going to make his permanent residence. Jim and his brother have built houses before and they are going to work on this project together.

In both of these examples the owners can do the work themselves under the Owner-Builder exemption rules. Let’s check out what is required.

The three requirements are:

1. You have to own the property and you already live in it or you are going to (This includes a bach or holiday home)

2. You have to do the work yourself, or with the help of your unpaid friends and family members

3. And you have not done this type of thing within the previous 3 years.

You will still need a building consent. This means plans need to be drawn up and the usual Council building inspectors will turn up and check the work.

Effectively it means you do not need to use a Licensed Building Practitioners (LBP).

You will need to fill in a couple of statutory forms and swear on oath in from of a JP that what you are saying n the forms is the truth. Here is an extract from the form:


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5. The secrets of the building industry

Dealing with designers and architects and trades-people

Julie’s client gives her authority to proceed with a proposed building project but asks her to come back with some idea of costs. She needs to find a reputable designer and contractors to do the work. Julie takes one look at the Yellow Pages and wonders where to start.

While Julie has a good working relationship with the local Council she needs to find a good designer. There are some key questions that she should ask the architect, or designer, prior to engaging them. There are also a range of questions she should ask the builder and subcontractors who provide the trades that will be required for this, and possibly future building projects.

Over the years I have learned many secrets of the building industry. It is not that the industry is trying to keep secrets, but as you would expect, that the general public don’t know the intricacies of how it works. I have had many conversations with people who believe all builders in this country are registered – this is not true. I have also met people who think the only person who can get a Building Consent


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is an architect – this is also not true. Lets take a look at some of the industry groups and how they work.

Designers:A word used to refer to architects, draughtspersons, architectural

designers, designers, engineers, and so on.

• Architects• Have a university degree based;

• Can be registered by the Architects Registration Board but this is voluntary;

• Once registered a compulsory professional development requirement is in place;

• An architect can operate without being registered;

• Many architects belong to the NZ Institute of Architects who have membership code of ethics and rules. Under that scheme an architect can be a part of an accredited practice to the NZIA.

• Architectural Technicians• Are not the same as architects;

• Are usually polytechnic trained and have a more detailed focus on how things are drawn to be built and fit together rather than the overall conceptual design.

• Draftsperson• May be polytechnic trained;

• May be a member of a design organisation such as the Design Association of NZ or the Designers Institute of NZ;

• Also provide more detailed specs and drawings


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• Engineers• Engineers can have a university degree or be polytechnic trained;

• Can be members of the Institution of Professional Engineers (IPENZ). IPENZ has rigorous codes of conduct amongst its members;

• Can become chartered or a CPENG engineer which is a formal registration process. Once they are ‘CPENG-ed’ they also have a compulsory professional development component of their ongoing practicing certificate;

• Are speciality designers with special areas of expertise such as civil, mechanical, fire, construction and so on;

• They can operate without being chartered;

• Ask what speciality the engineer has.

• Builders• Registration of builders in NZ started in 03/2012. There are two

main associations that have membership organisations within the building or carpentry fraternity. They are the Registered Master Builders Federation and the Certified Builders Association of New Zealand. Licensed Building Practitioners is for carpentry and site lead licences.

• Because builders have not had a compulsory qualification some are trade qualified and others are not

• In the meantime it is important to know that the builder that is being used is qualified and knows the Building Act rules.

• For more up-to-date information on Licensed Building Practitioners (LBP’s) see the Ministry of Business Innovation and Employment website www.dbh.govt.nz.

• Specialty Trades• Some specialist trades are registered. They are: Plumbers,

Drainlayers, Gasfitters, Electricians.


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• They are governed by specific rules for their qualification and practice.

• Electricians and Gasfitters are allowed to self certify their work• Plumbers, drainlayers, and other specialist trades have their

work double checked by council building inspectors. • Other speciality trades that also have their own trade groups are:

• Painters• Fire alarm installers and checkers• Concrete placers • Landscapers• Brick and block layers • Heating, ventilation and air-conditioning installers

and checkers.

• Licensed Building Practitioner Scheme (LBP)• MBIE is MBIE is responsible for the LBP scheme. As noted in

chapter 1 part 5 licensing of designers, builders etc is a more recent (2012) development.

Here is the list of licensing categories. • Bricklaying and Blocklaying• Carpentry.• Concrete Structure• Design 1, 2 and 3• External Plastering• Foundations• Roofing• Site 1, 2 and 3• Steel StructureFor up-to-date information refer to the Ministry’s website below. www.mbie.govt.nz


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Glossary of Building Law TermsLike any industry the building one has its own language. Building

law has specific technical and legal terms that may not mean much to you. This section contains a list of regularly used terms as well as abbreviations for those terms. These words are used throughout the book. You may find it useful to come back to this section from time-to-time to familiarise yourself with the language.

Alteration: Rebuilding, re-erecting, repairing, enlarging or extending a building.

Building Act 2004: The law that governs what you can and cannot build, the process for building consents and the rules of building control.

Building Consent: Consent issued by a Building Consent Authority for building work to begin in accordance with the approved plans and specifications. .

Building Consent Authority: another name given to a council when they issue building consents and code compliance certificates.

Code Compliance Certificate: a certificate issued by the council at the completion of building work, confirming that the building work complies with the building consent.

Compliance Schedule: a document issued by the council listing the inspection, maintenance and reporting procedures for specified systems and features in a building (such as lifts, fire alarms, air conditioning ) to ensure their continued safety of operation.

Determination: A binding decision on matters of doubt or dispute regarding compliance with the Building Act, Regulations and Code made by MBIE.

Land Information Memorandum (LIM): A report issued by a local council containing the information held by the council about a piece


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of land, including what the land can be used for under the district plan rules, rates information, and other restrictions.

Notice to Fix: Formal notice from a council that can direct all or part of building work to stop. If not followed you could end up with a fine or in court.

Plans and specifications: Drawing and words describing the building work.

Project Information Memorandum (PIM): A report, issued by the local council noting information likely to be relevant to the proposed building work such as potential erosion, subsidence, slippage, and flooding. It also includes names of other agencies or laws you need to consult with over the project

Territorial Authority (TA): City or district council.

Working day: Important because these are the days you can count for when certificates and permissions are being processed. It excludes statutory holidays, anniversary days and between 20 December and 10 January.


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Helpful websitesTraining resources in the Building Act www.buildingnetworks.co.nz and www.boinz.org.nzMBIE (Building and Housing) www.mbie.govt.nzAll NZ Law (Acts and Regulations) www.legislation.govt.nzLocal council boundaries www.localgovt.co.nzBuilding Surveyors in your area www.buildingsurveyors.co.nz Fire safety www.fire.org.nzQuotable Value www.qv.co.nzLand Information New Zealand www.linz.govt.nz

Professional and trades organisations

EngineersThe Institute of Professional Engineers www.ipenz.org.nzAssociation of Consulting Engineers NZ www.acenz.org.nz

Architects and designersRegistered Architects www.nzrab.org.nzDesigners Institute of New Zealand DINZ www.dinz.org.nzThe NZ Institute of Architects www.nzia.co.nzNZ Institute of Landscape Architects NZILA www.nzila.co.nzLandscaping NZ www.lianz.org.nzLicenced Building Practitioners Public Register wwwdbh.govt.nz

Inspectors and SurveyorsBuilding officials www.boinz.org.nz

NZ Institute of Building Surveyors www.buildingsurveyor.co.nz

NZ Institute of Quantity Surveyors www.nziqs.co.nz


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TradespersonsNZ Contractors Federation www.nzcontractors.co.nz

NZ Building Subcontractors Federation www.nzbsf.org.nz

Registered Master Builders Federation www.masterbuilder.org.nz

Certified Builders Association www.cbanz.org.nz

Registers of electricians and gasfitters www.ewrb.govt.nz

Electrical Contractors Association of New Zealand www.ecanz.org.nz/

Register of Plumbers, Gasfitters and Drainlayers www.pgdb.co.nz

Plumbers, Gasfitters and Drainlayers www.masterplumbers.org.nz

Fire Protection Association NZ Inc www.fireprotection.org.nz

Roofers www.roofingassn.org.nz

Association of Wall and Ceiling Industries of New Zealand www.awcinz.org.nz

Master Painters www.masterpainters.co.nz

Concrete placers www.mcpa.org.nz

Heating Ventilation & Air Conditioning Contractors Association www.hvac.org.nz

Institute of Refrigeration, Heating & Air Conditioning Engineers of New Zealand Inc. www.irhace.org.nz

Refrigeration Air Conditioning Companies Association www.racca.org.nz

Scaffolding and Rigging NZ (Inc) www.sarnz.org.nz


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About The Author:Rosemary (Rosie) Killip is the Director and lead learning and

development consultant for Building Networks NZ Ltd.

Rosemary provides education, training and advice on the Building Act, and the NZ Building Code like no one else. It’s not just boring old stuffy Building Law - her training is delivered with energy, passion and fun.

She brings with her practical insights and wisdom from 20 plus years of working alongside building compliance staff, Council and building inspectors as well as building owners..

Yes and 20 plus years of knowledge and practice under her belt does help!

Be educated, informed and inspired at

www.buildingnetworks.co.nz

Contact detailsBuilding Networks NZ Ltd

PO Box 12 463, Thorndon, Wellington 6144, New Zealand

Phone: +64 4 472 1702

Mobile 027 223 5747

Email: [email protected]

Web: www.buildingnetworks.co.nz


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Rosemary (Rosie) Killip brings with her substantial insider knowl-edge of how councils review and interpret the rules of the built environment. She provides education, training and advice on the Building Act, and the NZ Building Code like no one else. Rosie delivers training with energy, passion and fun. She distilled all she knows in a handy book for beginners. She has some secrets to tell and this book delivers.

Be educated, informed and inspired at

www.buildingnetworks.co.nz