Statement from John Gardiner, MBIE's Manager Determinations and Assurance

Our regulatory regime is performance-based and has some specific requirements

relating to our environment (eg relating to durability). While a range of factors

contributed to the leaky home issue, serious product failure was one factor and

shows why, over the lifetime of a building, robust product assurance is important.

There is no single, mandated process for getting products approved. Costs and time frames

depend on the process followed. Performance needs to be assessed against the New

Zealand Building Code, but overseas evidence and certification can be very useful if

appropriate.

Unfortunately, MBIEs experience is that overseas certification, when cited, is often not

accompanied by an analysis showing its relevance to New Zealand. Often the analysis would

be relatively simple. New Zealand has different climatic conditions, structural loadings,

industry design practice etc. In some cases these conditions are shared with other

countries, others not. In most cases analysing these differences Is not a major task but sadly

it is often not done, or done properly.

Over the past six months MBIE has therefore updated its guidance for building product

suppliers to show them how they can provide cost effective evidence of compliance with

the New Zealand Building Code. A major campaign to promote this is planned later this year.

The Government's recent announcement that it is investing in a single website for all

Building Code information to make it easier to access and comply with building regulations

will help practitioners across the sector to access key building information, including that

related to product assurance. (See link: http://www.beehive.govt.nz/release/building-code-

information-be-more-accessible http://www.beehive.govt.nz/release/building-code-

information-be-more-accessible)

A review of the Trans-Tasman product certification scheme - Codemark – has also been

undertaken to investigate how the scheme can be improved. Discussions about the review

and potential changes that may result from it are underway with the Australian Building

Codes Board.

The Government is also reviewing the joint and several regime to see whether some

changes would support Building Consent Authorities to take a less risk averse approach to

new products, methods and technologies and enable more competition and innovation in

the building sector.