Selwyn building consent company expected to get green light
Private company Building Consent Approvals Ltd is expected to soon start issuing building consents in the Selwyn district. Photo: Supplied
Building consents in the Selwyn district will soon be able to be issued by a private company.
The Selwyn Times understands an announcement will be made on Wednesday.
Until now, only the Selwyn District Council has been able to issue consents in the district.
It will be the first time a private company has been given the green light to issue consents in New Zealand.
Christchurch company Building Consent Approvals Ltd was given a building consent authority in October, pending approval from the Ministry of Business and Innovation.
It is understood the Minister for Building and Construction, Chris Penk, will be in Selwyn this week to make the announcement.
District council executive director development and growth Robert Love said the company will provide choice.
'Having a private BCA in the market provides choice for customers, so can be seen as healthy competition.'
So far this year, the district council has received 398 resource consents, down 8% compared to the 428 consents.
In April, the average processing time for consents was 35 days.
Love did not say whether the new company would mean consents were issued faster.
'The speed of consenting largely comes down to consenting volumes which fluctuate, and can be impacted by changes in legislation, which may mean processing of some areas takes longer as the Building Code becomes more complex,' he said.
Leading the project is Ian McCauley who has worked in building consent departments for multiple councils.
In October, McCauley told NZ Herald: 'It's been a hard slog over the last 18 months, but it's been worthwhile and paid off.'
Building Consent Approvals Ltd would not comment until the announcement was made public.
It is understood once the company starts issuing consents, its focus will be on lower-risk work, leaving more complex consents to the council.
A report to the council's audit and risk committee noted there was a risk the new company could mean a reduction in council workload and could see council staff move to Building Consent Approvals Ltd.
While any lost consents will mean a reduction in revenue, the company will still have to pay the council a filing fee for lodging a consent.
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3 days ago
- Scoop
Building Consent System Productivity On The Rise
Press Release – New Zealand Government Latest data shows 92.7 percent of building consent applications and 96.8 percent of code compliance certificates were processed within the statutory timeframe in the first quarter of 2025. Minister for Building and Construction Processing delays for building consents and code compliance certificates have dropped since the Government began publicly releasing council performance data, Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk says. 'One of the most common frustrations I've heard from tradies and aspiring homeowners since becoming Minister is how long it takes to get the paperwork sorted before building can begin. 'Just over a year ago, I directed MBIE to start publishing quarterly performance data so the Government could dig into the problem and show how well Building Consent Authorities (BCAs) are handling consent applications. 'The decision to put performance in the spotlight is paying off, and I wish to acknowledge councils who have moved quickly to expedite consenting processes. 'Latest data shows 92.7 percent of building consent applications and 96.8 percent of code compliance certificates were processed within the statutory timeframe in the first quarter of 2025. 'That's up from 88 percent and 93.6 percent respectively when reporting began last year. 'More work is getting done. In the first three months of 2025, 31,845 building consent applications, amendments and code compliance certificates were processed – almost 1,000 more than in the same period last year. 'These improvements reveal the impact of driving accountability, and we're just getting started. 'The Government is working hard to bring in practical reforms which will streamline the consent system and make building in New Zealand easier and more affordable. 'This includes new legislation empowering trusted building professionals to sign off their own work – slashing thousands of applications to ease system pressure, and requiring BCAs to conduct 80 percent of building inspections within three working days. 'This mandatory target will help councils prioritise their workloads more effectively. I expect the requirement to come into effect later this year. 'By setting clear standards and creating a regulatory system that drives building productivity, we will see more Kiwi families move into homes faster.'
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