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Statement of Intent 2005/2008

The Department of Building and Housing

The Department of Building and Housing (the Department) was established in November 2004. Its primary focus is the building and housing sector. Over a 14-month period the Department will bring together in one organisation building and housing regulatory and dispute resolution functions and services from across a range of government agencies. Initially the Department combines the Ministry of Housing and the Building Industry Authority, together with the building policy functions from the Ministry of Economic Development (MED), and related functions from the Ministry of Social Development and Housing New Zealand Corporation. Additional functions to be transferred into the Department include the Weathertight Homes Resolution Service from the Department of Internal Affairs on 1 July 2005 and the Electrical Workers Registration Board from MED in February 2006. The consolidation of the government's building- and housing-related activities is designed to improve and streamline the delivery of building and housing services to the public, ensure an effective regulatory system and deliver good quality advice to government.

The Department:

  • has sole responsibility for:
    • ensuring an effective regulatory environment for the housing and building sector
    • regulating the building sector and rental housing sector
    • delivering effective information, advice and dispute resolution services
    • providing purchase and monitoring advice to the government on Housing New Zealand Corporation
    • administering the State Housing Appeals Authority
  • has lead responsibility for providing:
    • policy advice on the building sector and residential tenancy market including emerging
      trends and issues
    • policy advice on housing and building regulation
    • advice on the regulation of the residential rental market
    • occupational licensing within the building and housing sector
  • has joint responsibility or a common interest (with Housing New Zealand Corporation) in:
    • defining housing outcomes for the sector
    • analysing the housing environment
    • influencing the wider government sector to ensure it meets government goals for housing
    • working within the social services cluster and economic, growth and innovation frameworks to influence and promote delivery of the government’s outcomes for the housing and building sector
    • undertaking specific initiatives under the New Zealand Housing Strategy Programme of Action.

From 1 July 2005 the Department will administer the following legislation and regulations.

  • Architects Act 1963.
  • Building Act 1991.
  • Building Act 2004.
  • Chartered Professional Engineers of New Zealand Act 2002.
  • Construction Contracts Act 2002.
  • Engineering Associates Act 1961.
  • Residential Tenancies Act 1986.
  • Retirement Villages Act 2003.
  • Weathertight Homes Resolution Services Act 2002.
  • Architects Regulations 2002.
  • Building Regulations 1992.
  • Building (Forms) Regulations 2004.
  • Chartered Professional Engineers of New Zealand Regulations 2004.
  • Chartered Professional Engineers of New Zealand Rules 2002.
  • Chartered Professional Engineers of New Zealand Regulations 2002 (No 2).
  • Chartered Professional Engineers of New Zealand (Appeals) Regulations 2002.
  • Construction Contracts Regulations 2003.
  • Engineering Associates Fees Regulations 2002.
  • Residential Tenancies (Fees) Regulations 1998.
  • Residential Tenancies Regulations 1998.
  • Residential Tenancies Rules 1998.

Structure

As at 31 March 2005, the Department had 192 full-time employees, 28 part-time employees and a number of people undertaking contracting roles as part of consolidating functions into the Department.

Employees are spread across Wellington-based head offices (81 employees), Porirua-based Tenancy Services Centre (58 employees) and 21 regional offices located throughout the country from Invercargill to Whangarei (81 employees).

Figure 1: Staff distribution

Figure 1: Staff distribution.