Key findings of the review

7 - Weathertightness compliance

Purpose

To assess the Council's ability to process and inspect weathertightness compliance with particular attention to:

weathertightness design processing methodology
the level and detail of consent documentation accepted and approved
technical competency of both processing and inspection staff in relation to weathertightness compliance
the Council's inspection systems and procedures.

Background

In response to emerging reports of building failure, the Government initiated several reviews that collectively found that there had been a 'systemic failure' of the building system. The term 'systemic failure' illustrates that no single cause led to the failure; rather it was the result of a complex interplay between a number of factors. Some of the key factors involved included:

standards of design and construction that were set at the minimum level necessary to achieve compliance, providing no margin for error
a lack of information and capability on the design and construction side
inadequate review of consent applications and inspections of building work, which meant that specific problems were not being consistently identified and rectified
capability and capacity issues within the regulatory building control sector identified the need for better monitoring of emerging trends within the building control system.

The Building Act 2004 introduced a more comprehensive regulatory regime for the building control sector. The Acceptable Solution (a prescriptive means of compliance) for meeting Clause E2 External Moisture (weathertightness) of the Building Code was also updated and a number of guidance documents have been published by the Department on weathertightness compliance, requirements and construction methods.

Initial review

The Council did not have any formal policy or procedures for processing weathertightness compliance and documenting the reasons for its decision-making around compliance. On-site inspectors seemed to demonstrate limited technical weathertightness compliance expertise and knowledge. In addition to this, roles and responsibilities regarding weathertightness compliance were not clear to all staff.

Recommendations to and actions taken by the Council
Recommendations made to the Council	Action taken by the Council before the follow-up review
Develop a formal policy and procedures to underpin its weathertightness compliance regulatory activities. This should include: the required level of specification to be provided with weathertightness detailing information requirements for acceptance of alternative solution cladding systems on-site inspection procedures to ensure compliance is achieved during and after construction weathertightness consent processing and inspection checklists clearly defined roles and responsibilities of the Council's staff involved in weathertightness compliance.	The Council had not implemented this recommendation.
Ensure: adequate time and resources are allocated to the processing of weathertightness details within consent applications and to the inspection of weathertightness compliance the overall level of Council technical knowledge of weathertightness compliance is improved by using appropriate levels of practical weathertightness training.	The Council had not implemented this recommendation.
Require designers to provide site-specific construction details that demonstrate adequate weathertightness compliance.	The Council had not implemented this recommendation.
Ensure consent applications with inadequate weathertightness detail are not accepted.	The Council developed improved consent vetting and lodgement processes.
Develop strategies for targeting design professionals and other stakeholders to communicate Council expectations on the level of weathertightness detail for high-risk-category buildings.	The Council had not implemented this recommendation.

Follow-up review

The Council had made some progress in adopting the initial review recommendations. In particular, improvements made to the Council's consent vetting and processing systems were resulting in a greater emphasis being placed on weathertightness and checking site-specific construction details. The Department did find that some consent applications were still lacking adequate weathertightness detail.

At the time of the follow-up review, the Council had yet to develop a formal policy and procedure to ensure a consistent approach to, and application of, weathertightness compliance was being delivered. The Council was still not adequately informing design professionals and other stakeholders of its expectations on the level of weathertightness detail for high-risk-category buildings. The review team noted the Council had increased the number of weathertightness-related inspections it was undertaking (eg, on the building envelope).

Recommendations to and response from the Council
Recommendations to the Council	Response from the Council
Implement the recommendation from the 2004 initial review to develop policy and procedures to underpin its assessment of weathertightness compliance. This should include: formalising on-site inspection procedures to ensure compliance is achieved during and after construction formalising weathertightness consent processing and inspection checklists.	The Council advised it has substantially implemented the recommendations on weathertightness issues regarding staff training, and building consent application vetting and processing areas.
Develop strategies for targeting design professionals and other stakeholders to communicate the Council's expectations on the level of weathertightness detail for high-risk-category buildings.	The Council did not respond to this recommendation.

Conclusion

The Council has made progress in implementing the Department's recommendations. The Department encourages the Council to continue work to develop weathertightness communication strategies targeted at stakeholders.