2010 News
Media releases and other news updates.
Weathertight e-news Issue 9 - December 2010
23 December 2010: The latest issue of Weathertight e-news is now available. Read Issue 9 »
Codewords Issue 44
23 December 2010: The Department's latest building controls newsletter is available. Read the e-newsletter »
Landlord e-newsletter No.15
12 December 2010: The September edition of Landlord e-news has been released. Read the newsletter online »
Building Controls Update No. 112: Guidance on house repairs and reconstruction following the Canterbury earthquake
20 December 2010: The Department has issued a guidance document to assist the repair and rebuild of houses in land-damaged areas of Canterbury. The document was officially released by the Minister for Building and Construction on Monday 20 December. Read the BC Update 112 »
Consultation on Unit Titles Act 2010 fees regulations
29 November 2010: The Department invites your comments on the Unit Titles Act 2010 Fees Regulations discussion document. Have your say »
Consultation on Structure and External Moisture documents
29 November 2010: We would like your views on proposed changes to documents that the majority of designers and builders use day-to-day. The Department proposes to cite a revised NZS 3604 and to amend E2/AS1, among other things. There are also proposals dealing with steel-framed and concrete buildings. Please read the Structure and External Moisture discussion documents and make an online submission. »
Annual Report 2009-2010
21 October 2010: A summary of the last 12 months of the Department.
Local authorities join leaky homes package
20 October 2010: Local authorities committing to the Government's Weathertight Homes Financial Assistance Package will get their residents leaky homes fixed faster and benefit ratepayers, the Building and Construction Minister Maurice Williamson says. Read the Minister for Building and Construction's media release 
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New Zealand Housing reported
15 October 2010: The Department has published a comprehensive report on issues and trends affecting the New Zealand housing sector. Read the New Zealand Housing report »
The first product certificate under the Building Act 2004 has been issued
12 October 2010: Information on the certificate is on the current product certificates register. Read more »
Landlord e-newsletter No.14
11 October 2010: The September edition of Landlord e-news has been released. Read the newsletter online »
Market rent – 1 April 2010 - 30 September 2010
6 October 2010: Market rent is described (in the Residential Tenancies Act) as what a willing landlord might reasonably expect to receive, and a willing tenant might reasonably expect to pay for the tenancy, in comparison with rent levels for similar properties in similar areas. Find out the weekly rent being charged in different regions »
GST increase on fees from 1 October 2010
30 September 2010: Goods and Services Tax (GST) will increase from 12.5 to 15 percent from 1 October 2010. This means the GST payable on all fees administered by the Department will increase at that time. Read more »
Building and Construction Outlook quarterly report — September quarter
30 September 2010: The Building and Construction Outlook report for the September quarter has been published. Read the September quarter report »
The Residential Tenancies Amendment Act 2010
30 September 2010: The Residential Tenancies Amendment Act 2010 will become law on 1 October 2010. Read the full update here »
Market rent – 1 March 2010 - 31 August 2010
6 September 2010: Market rent is described (in the Residential Tenancies Act) as what a willing landlord might reasonably expect to receive, and a willing tenant might reasonably expect to pay for the tenancy, in comparison with rent levels for similar properties in similar areas. Find out the weekly rent being charged in different regions »
Canterbury Earthquake: Information for landlords and tenants
5 September 2010: The Department of Building and Housing is encouraging tenants and landlords affected by Saturday’s earthquake in Canterbury to work together, and if possible, maintain good communication in situations where rental properties have been damaged and may be uninhabitable. Read more »
Weathertight Homes Resolution Service (WHRS) claims statistics August 2010
2 September 2010: New Weathertight Services statistics for August 2010 have been published by the Department of Building and Housing. View the statistics to 31 August 2010 »
BCA Update August 2010
24 August 2010: The Building Consent Authority update for August 2010 has been published. The update contains information about the GST increase and the Building Levy, sector training on the National BCA Competency Assessment System, and the Building Act review. Read BCA Update August 2010 »
Simple House Acceptable Solution
20 August 2010: The Simple House Acceptable Solution is a resource to assist architects, designers, and builders in developing innovative and affordable houses that comply with the New Zealand Building Code. Read about Simple House »
Market rent – 1 February 2010 - 31 July 2010
16 August 2010: Market rent is described (in the Residential Tenancies Act) as what a willing landlord might reasonably expect to receive, and a willing tenant might reasonably expect to pay for the tenancy, in comparison with rent levels for similar properties in similar areas. Find out the weekly rent being charged in different regions »
Building Act review results and next steps
12 August 2010: A number of changes are to be made to the way building and construction is regulated, that will contribute to a more productive, efficient and accountable building and construction sector. Read more »
Home and Housed: A Vision for Social Housing in New Zealand
6 August 2010: The Housing Shareholders’ Advisory Group has released its report on social housing in New Zealand.
Expressions of interest
21 July 2010: Expressions of interest are being sought for Electrical Workers Registration Board. Read more »
New tenancy laws passed in Parliament
20 July 2010: Changes to the Residential Tenancies Act passed by Parliament today will better meet the needs of landlords and tenants in today's rental market, Housing Minister Phil Heatley says. Read the Minister's media release »
GST increase on fees from 1 October 2010
20 July 2010: Goods and Services Tax (GST) will increase from 12.5 to 15 percent from 1 October 2010. This means the GST payable on all fees administered by the Department will increase at that time. Read more »
Regulations to support the Unit Titles Act 2010 - summary of submissions
14 July 2010: In April 2010 a discussion document, Discussion paper on regulations to support the Unit Titles Act 2010, was released for public consultation. The discussion document outlined proposals for required regulations and possible regulations to support the Unit Titles Act 2010. Read the summary of submissions »
First MultiProof approvals issued to builders
9 July 2010: The first two MultiProof approvals have been issued to volume builders in Christchurch and Palmerston North, Building and Construction Minister Maurice Williamson announced today. Read the Minister's announcement »
Review of the Dam Safety Scheme
7 July 2010: The Department is currently consulting on the recommendations made in the Dam Safety Review. The consultation runs until 14 August 2010. Have your say »
Weathertight e-news Issue 7 – July 2010
5 July 2010: The latest issue of Weathertight e-news is now available. Read Issue 7 »
Thinking of living in a retirement village?
5 July 2010: The booklet 'Thinking of living in a retirement village?' has been produced by the Department. The publication provides important information on rights and responsibilities under the Retirement Villages Act 2003. View the booklet, under essential resources, on this page »
Market rent – 1 January 2010 - 30 June 2010
2 July 2010: Market rent is described (in the Residential Tenancies Act) as what a willing landlord might reasonably expect to receive, and a willing tenant might reasonably expect to pay for the tenancy, in comparison with rent levels for similar properties in similar areas. Find out the weekly rent being charged in different regions »
Weathertight Homes Resolution Service statistics for June
2 July 2010: As at 30 June 2010 the Department has received 6105 claims lodged for 7916 properties and completed assessments for 8134 properties. View the latest statistics »
Landlord e-newsletter No.13
1 July 2010: The June edition of Landlord e-news has been released. Read the newsletter online »
Appointments to Building Practitioners Board
1 July 2010: Building and Construction Minister Maurice Williamson has announced the appointment of Brian Nightingale and Bill Smith to the Building Practitioners Board. Read more »
Building Controls Update 107: Amendments to Compliance Documents
30 June 2010: The Department has published amendments to a number of Compliance Documents to update references to Standards and other documents. The amendments will take effect from 30 September 2010. They are available now and a 3-month transition period applies. Read BC Update 107 »
Codewords Issue 42
The Department's latest building controls newsletter is available. Read the e-newsletter »
Building and Construction Outlook quarterly report — June quarter
22 June 2010: The Building and Construction Outlook report for the June quarter has been published. Read the report »
Work needed to improve forms for retirements villages
16 June 2010: Disclosure statements for retirement villages need to be simplified to make them more useful for intending residents, Building and Construction Minister Maurice Williamson says. Read more »
Minister updates builders on Building Act Review
12 June 2010: Building and Construction Minister Maurice Williamson spoke to the Certified Builders Association of New Zealand annual conference about the Building Act Review, licensing, and other current issues. Read the speech here »
Dam Safety Scheme deferred
10 June 2010: The start date of the Dam Safety Scheme has been deferred, following an independent review of the proposed scheme. Read more »
Retirement villages e-newsletter issue 1
3 June 2010: The first edition of the Department of Building and Housing's Retirement Villages e-newsletter The Villager has been released. The publication provides important information to residents, operators, statutory supervisors and a wide variety of agencies and groups. Read the e-newsletter »
Key councils support leaky homes package
28 May 2010: Building and Construction Minister Maurice Williamson has announced that seven of the local authorities most affected by the leaky homes problem have voted to support the proposed financial assistance package in principle. Read the Minister's media release »
Statement of Intent 2010/13
20 May 2010: The Department's Statement of Intent has been released. Read more »
Proposed financial assistance package announced
17 May 2010: The Government announced a proposed financial assistance package to help homeowners get their leaky homes fixed faster. Read the Minister for Building and Construction's media release and find out more about the package
Unit Titles Act regulations consultation
29 April 2010: We would like your views on proposals for regulations to support the Unit Titles Act 2010 (the Act). The Act provides a legal framework for the ownership and management of unit title developments. Read the Minister of Housing's media release and read the discussion document »
Product Assurance Guide
26 April 2010: An industry guidance document has been released: Using the Product Assurance Framework to support Building Code compliance – A guide for manufacturers and suppliers. Read more »
New law for apartment blocks passed
6 April 2010: On 1 April 2010 the Unit Tiles Bill received its third reading in Parliament. Read more »
Further streamlining of the Licensed Building Practitioner scheme starts on 1 April 2010
1 April 2010: Single Site and single Design licences, based on new straightforward building categories, and a new Foundations licence class, will make licensing simpler for applicants.
Revised timber-framed buildings Standard NZS 3604
22 March 2010: Standards New Zealand has released for public comment, a draft of the revised timber-framed buildings Standard NZS 3604, the foremost Standard in New Zealand for the building and construction industry. The public comment period ends on 7 April 2010.
Review the draft (DZ 3604) and provide comments.
Publication of the revised NZS 3604 is scheduled for late 2010/early 2011.
Simple House Acceptable Solution
5 March 2010: New Zealanders wanting to own their first home should now be able to build it with ease thanks to the release of the Simple House Acceptable Solution. Read the Minister’s media release or download the document.
Section 363B and Dam Safety Scheme reviews
5 March 2010: As part of the Building Act Review, the Government has agreed to independent assessments of two areas where new provisions are about to come into effect - Section 363B and the Dam Safety Scheme. Read more about the Dam Safety Scheme review »
Review of the Unit Titles Act
4 March 2010: The Unit Titles Act is the law governing building developments where multiple owners hold a type of property ownership known as a unit title. Such building developments are typically apartment blocks, townhouses, office blocks and industrial or retail complexes. Read more about the review of the Unit Titles Act »
Consulting on the Building Act
26 February 2010: Following a review of the Building Act, Minister for Building and Construction Maurice Williamson today released a discussion document outlining proposals for its amendment. Read his media release or read the discussion document »
Housing Shareholders’ Advisory Group
16 February 2010: Finance Minister Bill English and Housing Minister Phil Heatley today announced the membership and Terms of Reference for the Housing Shareholders' Advisory Group. This group will address how better use can be made of the Government's more than $14 billion investment in social housing. Read the Ministers' media release and Terms of Reference
Streamlining the licenced building practitioner scheme
12 February 2010: From the 15 February 210, qualified building practitioners will find it cheaper, easier and faster to get their licences. Read more about Streamlining the licenced building practitioner scheme »
Building and Construction Outlook quarterly report — March quarter
12 February 2010: The Building and Construction Outlook quarterly report for the March quarter has been released. Read the report Is the recession nearly over for the building industry? »
Minor variations to building consents
10 February 2010: From 1 February 2010 the newly introduced section 45A of the Act enables a building consent authority (BCA) to grant a minor variation prior to or during construction without having to go through the formal process of issuing an amendment to the building consent. Read more about the guidance document »
MultiProof
1 February 2010: Volume builders can apply to obtain MultiProof for building designs that will be replicated multiple times. Find out more about this new service »