Cost-effective quality: next generation building control in New Zealand — Building Act Review discussion document February 2010

• single storey, and
• floor area < 20 m2, and
• floor level < 1.0 m above ground level, and
• not closer than 1.0 m to any legal boundary or existing building, and
• not required to be licensed in terms of the Hazardous Substances and New Organisms Act 1996, and
• used in connection with an existing building

• All work is subject to planning rules and controls
• There is an existing exemption for 10 m² sleepout
• Should plumbing be exempt in these circumstances?

• single storey, and
• floor area < 20 m2, and
• floor level < 1.0 m above ground level, and
• not closer than 1.0 m to any legal boundary, and
• not required to be licensed in terms of the Hazardous Substances and New Organisms Act 1996, and
• built by a licensed building practitioner, and
• does not reduce the performance of the altered building relating to structural stability, means of escape from fire, fire-rating performance and weathertightness, and
• weathertightness risk score # 12

• All work is subject to planning rules and controls
• Should plumbing be exempt in these circumstances?
• Are the consequences of failure in private vs public buildings different?

• single storey, and
• floor level < 1.0 m above ground level, and
• not closer than 1.0 m to any legal boundary or existing building, and
• not required to be licensed in terms of the Hazardous Substances and New Organisms Act 1996, and
• built by a licensed building practitioner

• All work is subject to planning rules and controls

• single storey, and
• floor level < 1.0 m above ground level, and
• not closer than 1.0 m to any legal boundary or existing building, and
• not required to be licensed in terms of the Hazardous Substances and New Organisms Act 1996, and
• designed by a design-licensed building practitioner and built by a licensed building practitioner

• All work is subject to planning rules and controls
• What is the likelihood of a high fuel load and fire occurring in such a building that would cause damage to neighbouring property? Would a building consent mitigate this problem? Limit to fire hazard category 1?
• Is 100 m² an appropriate size limit?

• work done by a licensed building practitioner, and
• single storey building, and
• floor < 1.5 m above the ground

• Would not be limited to housing (for example, would include churches, shops, halls, schools)
• The replacement of a few piles is already covered by the existing exemption (a), but the complete or substantial replacement is not exempt

• work is done by a craftsman plumber registered with the Plumbers, Gasfitters and Drainlayers Board, and
• gasfitting and prescribed electrical work is done in accordance with the Plumbers, Gasfitters, and Drainlayers Act and the Electricity Act respectively, and
• the replacement water heater has a controlled heat source (gas or electricity) or the replacement water heater is open vented if it includes a storage cylinder

• Existing exemption (a) only allows like-for-like replacement in the same position
• Existing exemption (ad) allows plumbing to be moved within a room
• Proposal would allow replacement of a water heater with different type of heater (for example, instant gas for electric storage)
• Would allow replacement of a water heater in a different position (for example, outdoor integral heat pump for indoor gas storage)
• Would allow replacement of an open or valve-vented water heater with an open or valve-vented water heater (mains pressure cylinder for low pressure cylinder) if heat source is controlled
• Proposal would not allow valve- vented, uncontrolled heat source (eg, wetback, solar, geothermal) water heaters to be exempt

• fire performance is not reduced, and
• the moisture resistance of the building element is not reduced in wet areas, and
• skid resistance of floor finishes is not reduced

• work is done by a licensed building practitioner, and
• structural stability of the roof is not reduced (that is, no substantial increase in weight of cladding), and
• weathertightness is not reduced

• unlikely to cause moisture to accumulate in the building element, and
• does not block ventilation or drainage cavities, and
• not installed external to the existing building envelope

• Guidance needed to support good installation solutions/practices

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• fire, structural and weathertightness performance of the building is not reduced

• Guidance needed to support good installation solutions/practices

• used for space heating, and
• prescribed electrical work is done in accordance with the Electricity Act

• Replacement heat pump water heaters would be exempt from consent under proposal F above

• on the ground or first storey level, and
• area is < 20 m², and
• attached to, or used in connection with, a residential building, and
• not closer than 1.0 m to any legal boundary

• Existing exemption (ja) allies to all types of building but is limited to less than 15 m² in size
• All work is subject to planning rules and controls
• All work is subject to any local bylaw restrictions
• Should the exemption be limited in relation to wind (for example, not in high wind zones)?

• designed by chartered professional engineer or design-licensed building practitioner

• All work is subject to planning rules and controls

• area < 6 m², and
• < 3 m above the ground

• All work is subject to planning rules and controls

• designed by design-licensed building practitioner

• not attached to a building, and
• designed by a chartered professional engineer

• All work is subject to planning rules and controls

• designed by design-licensed building practitioner and construction is supervised by licensed building practitioner

• Existing exemption (g) applies when platform is less than 1.0 m above ground

• complies with NZS 3604, and
• construction is supervised by licensed building practitioner

• Existing exemption applies when platform is less than 1.0 m above ground

single storey, and

• floor level < 1.0 m above ground level, and
• not closer than 1.0 m to any legal boundary or existing building, and
• not required to be licensed in terms of the Hazardous Substances and New Organisms Act 1996, and designed by a design-licensed building practitioner

• This differs from proposal D above by allowing anyone to construct a non-habitable farm building
• All work is subject to planning rules and controls
• What is the likelihood of a high fuel load and fire occurring in such a building that would cause damage to neighbouring property? Would a building consent mitigate this problem? Limit to fire hazard category 1? Is 100 m² an appropriate size limit?

• single storey, and
• floor level < 1.0 m above ground level, and
• not closer than 1.0 m to any legal boundary or existing building, and
• not required to be licensed in terms of the Hazardous Substances and New Organisms Act 1996, and
• designed by a design-licensed building practitioner and built by a licensed building practitioner

• Differs from the above idea by removing the size limitation
• All work is subject to planning rules and controls
• Limit to fire hazard category 1?

• work is done by a craftsman plumber

• Existing exemption (ad) is intended to only allow existing plumbing to be moved; it does not allow another toilet or shower to be installed
• The intent is to allow an ensuite, a water heater or another toilet to be added to an existing building
• What limits should be placed on the type of building or amount of additions that can be exempted?
• Is a public record of such work needed to manage loads on water supply and/or sewage systems?

• designed, constructed and installed in accordance with NZS 5828: 2004

• What is a suitable definition for ‘playground equipment’?

• What is a suitable definition for ‘playground equipment’?

• do not have wetbacks
• installed by a craftsman plumber

• There are high consequences of failure if faulty installation causes a fire
• Which tradespeople would have the necessary competence to install solid fuel burners without building consent authority checks?

• subject to appropriate size limits

• Existing exemptions for 50 m² marquees open to the public and 100 m² marquees for private use
• What are the consequences of increasing the size of public marquees to the same size as private marquees?
• Should the number of fire exits be used to limit the exemption rather than size?

• subject to council inspection before occupation/use

• Consequences are potentially high if structure fails or outbreak of fire
• What types of temporary structure should not be exempt?

• designed and supervised by a chartered professional engineer, and
• erected by licensed building practitioners

• Should building consent authorities be notified?
• Should building consent authorities inspect prior to occupation?