Licensing Update
Issue 10 - September 2008
Welcome to the tenth issue of the Department of Building and Housing’s Licensing Update, keeping you up to date on developments with the Licensed Building Practitioner Scheme.
In this issue we cover:
We also answer some of the interesting questions you’ve been asking us over the last couple of months. Please keep them coming.
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Restricted building work consultation
Earlier this week, the Department released a formal consultation document that details the restricted building work regime.
As a reminder, from November 2010, it is intended that certain design and construction work on homes and buildings will only be able to be carried out or supervised by a licensed building practitioner.
This is known as restricted building work. This work is a sub-set of all building work and is work that is complex to do, and should therefore only be undertaken by a recognised competent person.
If you want to have a say on what you think this restricted building work should be, then you can read the consultation document here, or you can phone 0800 60 60 50 to request a hard copy.
Responses are due back by Thursday 11 September.
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Reponses to owner builder exemption
Throughout July this year, we also consulted on an exemption to the restricted building work regime.
This was on an exemption for owner builders (DIYers). There was a good response rate from both the industry and DIYers to the proposals.
The majority of views were in favour of the proposed exemption. However some expressed opposition to the proposal.
Those who opposed it did so for one of two reasons. Either it was because they believe there should be no restrictions at all on what building work people can do on their own homes. Or it was because they thought the exemption went too far and owner builders should not be able to do any restricted building work without the assistance of a licensed practitioner.
The Department is now working to prepare recommendations for final decisions on the exemption for the government, and we will keep you informed on the government’s decisions
A summary document of all the submissions will be placed on the Department’s website soon.
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First appeal to the Building Practitioners Board
Hearing appeals (and in the future complaints against practitioners) is one of the key roles of the Building Practitioners Board.
In June this year, the Board heard its first appeal. In this case, the appellant was appealing the Registrars decision to decline their Design 1 application. The assessor’s recommendation was that the applicant did not meet the required standard for Competencies 1 and 4.
The competencies for Design 1 are:
- Competency 1: Comprehend and apply knowledge of the regulatory environment of the building construction industry
- Competency 2: Manage the building design process
- Competency 3: Establish design briefs and scope of work and prepare preliminary design
- Competency 4: Develop design and produce construction drawings and documentation.
Each Competency also has supporting behaviours or “performance indicators” that explain the sorts of skills and knowledge that a competent person would exhibit.
The appellant appealed on the basis that three different territorial authorities had accepted their documents and issued buildings consents, and that this demonstrated their competence as a designer.
In reviewing the decision of the Registrar, the Board did not consider that the fact that a local authority accepts a designers’ documents as adequate for the purposes of issuing a building consent is a sufficient demonstration of the competencies required for Design 1 licensing.
The Board stated that
“an applicant for a Design 1 licence must demonstrate compliance with all competencies required by consistently meeting a sufficient number of the performance indicators.”
Therefore the Board confirmed the decision of the Registrar to decline the application for a Design 1 class. The full set of Competencies and performance indicators can be viewed on the Department website.
As more appeals (and complaints) are heard, all relevant details will be published on the Department website. The Department will also continue to inform you of the decisions via this newsletter.
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New skills maintenance activities approved by the Registrar
The list below covers new activities that have been approved by the Registrar and can count towards your skills maintenance requirements.
Please remember, you do not have to do any of these activities. You can choose to keep your skills up to date in many ways. These include supervising an apprentice, attending information or trade events, doing some reading of industry publications or even taking part in meetings but remember, the meeting must be relevant to the licence class you hold, 1 hour of activity equals 1 skills maintenance point.
How you make up the skills maintenance requirements is up to you. However you do need to keep a clear record of what you have done so you can show the Registrar if requested.
| Activities and Publications approved by the Registrar |
BRANZ
3 points |
Sustainable Design Seminar series – Passive Design |
| Licensing classes |
Design 1, 2 & 3 |
| Cost |
Seminar only: $85.00 (inc GST)
Seminar and Energy book: $119.00 (inc GST) |
| When / where |
Roadshow format, then available via web-streaming |
| To find out more |
http://www.branz.co.nz and click on “Seminars” |
| |
RESENE
2 points |
Specifying for Sustainability: demystifying systems, products and tools |
| Licensing class(es) |
Carpentry; Site 1, 2 & 3; Design 1, 2 & 3 |
| Cost |
Free |
| When / where |
DVD – and quiz |
| To find out more |
http://www.resene.co.nz |
| |
| BARRIER FREE NZ |
Accessible Journey series
(2 day seminar) |
| 10 points |
Module 1: Experiencing the Accessible Journey
Module 2: The Law, Access and the Accessible Journey
Module 3: Designing the Accessible Journey
Module 4: Assessment and of the Accessible Journey |
| Licensing classes |
Carpentry; Site 1, 2 & 3; Design 1, 2 & 3 |
| Cost |
$500 (+GST) plus assessments |
| When / where |
Road-show format |
| To find out more |
http://www.barrierfreenz.org.nz |
| |
| Publications approved by the Registrar |
| CARTERS |
Trade Leader articles
Carters publication issued monthly |
| 1 point |
‘Money Matters’ article by Glenn Beuvink |
| 1 point |
‘Legal Matters’ article by Edmund Lawler |
| Cost |
Free |
| Licensing classes |
Carpentry; Site 1 & 2 |
| To find out more |
http://www.carters.co.nz and click on ‘Trade’ and then Trade Leader |
| These two articles in Trade Leader have been pre-approved for the next year. Licensed Carpentry, Site 1 and Site 2 building practitioners reading one or both of these articles can claim the approved points towards their skills maintenance. |
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Questions and answers
The following are a selection of the questions that practitioners have been raising with the Department. If you have questions about the scheme that you would like answered, you can contact us on 0800 60 60 50 or info@dbh.govt.nz
In your last Licensing Update, you listed some courses that had been approved by the Registrar. However, most of these cost quite a bit. What other skills maintenance options are there for people like me who cannot attend these courses?
There are many options you can choose to keep up your skills maintenance.
The activities that we list each edition are a selection from those organisations that have formally applied to have their activities approved.
However, there are many more options for you if you cannot attend these.
The important thing is that you keep a clear record of what you have done. Some of the activities you can undertake yourself which do not cost anything are:
- Attending meetings or trade events
- Being part of an industry committee
- Taking part in discussion groups
- Reading industry or trade publications
- And supervising an apprentice
You can also collect points by:
- Attending conferences
- Taking part in some sort of training
- Doing your own individual study
- Or doing a workplace safety course.
The range of options is wide, and we expect that every licensed practitioner should be able to find enough things to allow them to meet their points requirement.
I am a licensed building practitioner and I want to use the LBP logo. Am I able to do this?
Yes. Once you are licensed you can use the LBP logo to promote yourself as licensed.
When you become licensed, you receive a pack with an ID card in it, There is also a form you can fill in if you want to use the logo.
All you need to do is fill this in and send it back to use. When we have it on file we will post you a CD with different sized logos.
Once you have the logo you can place it on your business card, your website or even your Yellow Pages advertising.
I have changed my phone number and now I want to change my details on the Register of Licensed Building Practitioners. How do I do this?
Once you are licensed, it is your responsibility to keep the Register up to date. If your details change, all you have to do is fill in the change of details form on the Department website.
Or you can call the 0800 60 60 50 number and ask for a copy of the form to be sent out to you.
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