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Our responsibilities

During 2004/05, the Department provided services to both the Minister for Building Issues and the Minister of Housing. The Minister for Building Issues is the Responsible Minister for the Department of Building and Housing. The Minister of Housing is the Vote Minister for Vote: Housing, for which the Department is the Administering Department.

From its inception on 1 November 2004, the Department has had:

sole responsibility for:

  • ensuring an effective regulatory environment for the building and housing sector
  • regulating the building sector and the rental housing sector
  • delivering effective information, advice and dispute resolution services
  • providing purchase and monitoring advice to the government on Housing New Zealand Corporation
  • administering the State Housing Appeals Authority

lead responsibility for providing:

  • policy advice on the building sector and residential tenancy market including emerging trends and issues
  • policy advice on housing and building regulation
  • advice on the regulation of the residential rental market
  • occupational licensing within the building and housing sector

joint responsibility or a common interest (with Housing New Zealand Corporation) in:

  • defining housing outcomes for the sector
  • analysing the housing environment
  • influencing the wider government sector to ensure it meets government goals for housing
  • working within the social services cluster and economic, growth and innovation frameworks to influence and promote delivery of the government's outcomes for the building and housing sector
  • undertaking specific initiatives under the New Zealand Housing Strategy Programme of Action.

In 2004/05 the Department administered the following legislation and regulations.

  • Architects Act 1963 and Registered Architects Act 2005.
  • Building Act 1991.
  • Building Act 2004.
  • Chartered Professional Engineers of New Zealand Act 2002.
  • Construction Contracts Act 2002.
  • Engineering Associates Act 1961.
  • Residential Tenancies Act 1986.
  • Architects Regulations 2002.
  • Building Regulations 1992.
  • Building (Forms) Regulations 2004.
  • Building (Fee for Determinations) Regulations 2005.
  • Building Levy Order 2005.
  • Building (Specified Systems, Change the Use, and Earthquake-prone Buildings) Regulations 2005.
  • Chartered Professional Engineers of New Zealand Regulations 2004.
  • Chartered Professional Engineers of New Zealand Rules 2002.
  • Chartered Professional Engineers of New Zealand Regulations 2002 (No. 2).
  • Chartered Professional Engineers of New Zealand (Appeals) Regulations 2002.
  • Construction Contracts Regulations 2003.
  • Engineering Associates Fees Regulations 2002.
  • Residential Tenancies (Fees) Regulations 1998.
  • Residential Tenancies Regulations 1998.
  • Residential Tenancies Rules 1998.