Got it Nailed

Got it Nailed - November 2019

Issue 33 - November 2019

Building Better Relationships

-Jayson Ellis, Building Control Manager

The difference between a good business and a great one can be the success of the relationships you generate. It is with this in mind that I have started getting out of the office and visiting local businesses at their place of work.

With many forms of electronic communication these days, we find ourselves unintentionally hiding behind computer screens and other devices. We have forgotten about one of the best ways to communicate, the old fashioned face to face conversation.

I know the millennials amongst us will be scoffing at the thought of communicating in any way other than their electronic device (just kidding), but I am making it a mission of mine to try and build better relationships with as many in the local building industry as I can. I have already engaged with some of our customers that we deal with on a regular basis, discussing the good, the not so good, and things that we could both improve on as well as training opportunities.

So if you would like me to visit you at your work place to discuss your concerns or ideas then please give me a call or email so we can arrange a time that suits.

P – 03 687 7466
E – Jayson.ellis@timdc.govt.nz

Ensuring you build to approved plans

Since the start of November we have been tightening up our policy on having approved plans on site.

It is important that when you are constructing a building that has a building consent, all contractors on site are building to the approved plans and specifications. This ensures that compliance with the consent is being achieved.

It is these approved plans that the building control officers will be checking work that has been completed against, which is a legislative requirement.

Therefore it is now mandatory for all approved documents to be onsite to allow the inspection to take place. The approved documents can be in the form of hard copy (paper) or in an electronic format (iPad or laptop), but NOT on a phone or small tablet.

However you choose to provide this information, it must be a complete set, legible, accessible and usable.

The building officer will decide whether the format of how you have provided the approved documents to them is satisfactory. Should these requirements not be complied with, the inspection will be failed and you will be required to arrange another inspection, which may incur further costs.

This requirement is to ensure the inspection process can be as efficient as possible, making sure the building work is in accordance with the consent and that all contractors working onsite are familiar with and are using the approved consented documents.

If you have any questions relating to this you can contact Murray Winmill on 03 687 7492 or Jayson Ellis on 03 687 7466.

Digitising Building Files

As part of Council's long term plan to convert all paper based documentation into an electronic format, this project has kicked off with the scanning of the building files (aka property files). This is a project that will be ongoing for approximately two years, with the scanning component being carried out by a specialist company off site.

As this is a major project, with the files going off site to be scanned, it may result in some delays in viewing your file. So we ask that you bear with us through this process and we will endeavour to provide the information to you as quickly as possible.

The future benefits of this project will make the information easier and more efficient to access for both Council and the public alike.

Service Consents (connecting to council infrastructure - water - sewer - stormwater)

Council has undertaken improvements to the linkages between Building Consent and Infrastructure Services Consent processes.

Why Change?
In the past these two consenting processes have run independently of each other. This means a building project could obtain a CCC without necessarily complying with other regulatory requirements for the project. This may result in delays at time of sale of a property due to the Infrastructure Services Consent either not being obtained, physical works not being satisfactorily completed or outstanding documentation not being supplied.

What does this mean?
Council will now be including an Infrastructure check as part of the CCC process to ensure that items identified on either the Building Consent Supplementary Information or the Project Information Memorandum have been complied with.

How will this affect you?
In some cases the issues of non-compliance will be notified and will continue to be resolved independently (for example formation of vehicle access).
In the case of connection to public infrastructure (water, sewer, stormwater), instances of non-compliance will be required to obtain “Infrastructure Compliance Certification” prior to issuing the CCC for the Building Consent. This is enforceable under Clauses G12.3.2 and G13.3.3 of the Building Code.
For any further questions relating to this you can contact the Infrastructure Consents Team on 03 687 7200.

Building Platforms & Site Works

Often the first stage of a building project, especially on an empty lot, is to level the site and create a “building platform”. Many of these platforms either cut into the sloping site or are built up by additional soils or metals and compacted to create that level platform.

This type of work is defined as “building work” under the Building Act 2004 and must be approved by Council (as part of a building consent) BEFORE the work is undertaken. In most situations an engineer’s design and producer statement will be required to verify compliance.

Therefore if you are the main contractor or an earthworks contractor, it is your responsibility to ensure that you are carrying out this work in accordance with the building consent, which means that you need to sight the approved plans before you do anything.

PLEASE BE AWARE that carrying out building work without a consent can result in hefty penalties so please ensure you are doing the right thing.

Retaining Walls

As the name suggests these walls retain stuff, for example the ground, buildings or driveways, and can be located anywhere. The design of a retaining wall is to be carried out by a CPEng engineer and will require design and producer statements.

A building consent is required for any retaining wall greater than 1.5m in height (from its supporting ground) and for any retaining wall that is subject to a surcharge. A surcharge is the additional force applied to the retaining wall from either a building in close proximity, a driveway or some other load (your engineer will determine this).

New subdivisions (in particular residential) can include retaining walls strategically located around some or all of the sections. Generally this is not an issue, however once a dwelling is erected, these retaining walls may become subject to a surcharge and or require a barrier if the fall is 1.0m or more, as they are now associated with a dwelling.

So as you can see, what initially started out as a simple retaining wall has the potential to develop into something more than what was considered in the first place. Therefore, if retaining walls are associated with your project, please make sure you undertake the necessary due diligence before any work commences.

Your Consent Needs You!

Do you know if all the consents relating to your property have been signed off (CCC issued)?

A Code Compliance Certificate or CCC is one of the most important documents you can ever have. The CCC is confirmation that your building work has been completed in accordance with your consent.
There are many consents within our district that do not have their CCC issued and yours may be one of them.

A number of issues can arise from having no CCC. These can be anything from insurance claims being denied to Council refusing to issue CCC.

The building owner is ultimately responsible under the Building Act, however if you have been contracted by the owner to deal with the consent you have certain contractual responsibilities as well. Therefore it is very important that an application for CCC is submitted to Council as soon as practicable once the building work has been completed so we can get the consent process completed.

Pre-Application is Key

As an industry you'll be aware of the documentation required to be provided with each application, but what do you do when you’re unsure?

A good idea is to involve other experts in design areas that you may not be familiar with, eg Fire, Structural or Geotech engineers, complex claddings, Plumbing and Drainage, Ventilation or Hazardous substances. Our industry has many specialisms, and it is important that you make use of this knowledge and experience.

Once you believe that you have some or all of the info needed, I would encourage you to arrange a “Pre-Consent” meeting, especially for those more complex projects. To arrange a meeting you can contact the Building Advisory Officer by calling 03 687 7236.

IMPORTANT NOTE: When completing your application either online or in hard copy, please ensure that your design is sized to fit pages of A3 size (max), as anything bigger proves to be time consuming to process as you can only view a small amount of the information at any one time, therefore potentially increasing the consent cost.

Once you are ready to submit your application please take the time to check it over, ensuring that you are providing all necessary information before you submit it to Council.

You can access more info from these pages:
https://www.timaru.govt.nz/services/building
https://www.timaru.govt.nz/services/building/building-consents/forms-and-checklists

Producer Statements

Producer statements have an important place in the building and construction industry. These documents (an alternative solution) can be used as a means of compliance and a tool for the Building Consent Authority (BCA) to be satisfied on reasonable grounds. However they are not a “given” as the BCA will only accept them in certain situations and if specific criteria have been met.

Please make sure that when you submit a producer statement, or you incorporate it with the building consent application, they are completed in full, identify the relevant code clauses, have a design summary, an inspection/monitoring schedule and that the author of the statement is suitably qualified and authorised to provide it.

Refusing a Building Consent

The Building Unit are looking at reviewing its policy on refusing building consents. The review outcome is designed to reduce any unnecessary time and money relating to the technical checking process of an application.

Unfortunately many applicants have been using this process, including the requests for further information (RFI’s), to effectively have the BCA peer review their designs and tell them what else they need to provide. Additionally we as Building Control Officers will be reviewing how we craft our RFI letters to ensure they can be interpreted better by the recipient. All of these issues have slowed the process down making it less efficient, less effective and costlier.

More information of this review will be sent out and published on the Timaru District Council website once completed, however if you have suggestions or ideas on how this might work best for you then please email Jayson.ellis@timdc.govt.nz

We intend to collaborate with other local Councils so we can achieve a more consistent approach. Once we have compiled all the info we will be conducting workshops with local designers and builders on how this process will be carried out and what it will mean for you.

Building Warrant of Fitness Audits

Auditing BWOF’s is an important process, “checking the checkers”, that ensures building owners and Independent Qualified Persons (IQPs) are meeting their obligations, thus ensuring people will be safe while they are working in or visiting that building. These audits may be undertaken as regularly as once a year or as appropriate according the complexity of the buildings use. The audit will involve an onsite inspection of the building and a review of the maintenance records for those specified systems your compliance schedule.

Sections 100 to 108 of the Building Act 2004 outline the owner’s obligations to ensure that a compliance schedule is accurate, that the inspection maintenance and reporting procedures are fully complied with, and that records are available at the time of the Council’s onsite audit inspection. These sections of the Act also identify the consequences for the building owner should any non-compliances be identified from the audit.

During the onsite audit inspection the Council officer will be checking;

The current and signed Warrant of Fitness Certificate (form 12) is displayed in a public place on site;
That the owners inspection manual is present, has the compliance schedule attached, is up to date and has the completed owner inspection records;
Evidence of two year’s worth of “inter-year” inspections from all the IQP providers. This will mean a list of completed monthly / 3-monthly / 6-monthly inspection reports of the systems as listed on the compliance schedule.

Note: These are important as this is where many audits fail
The auditor will also walk through the building to ensure that the compliance schedule is accurate to the systems in the building. The officer is likely to check consent records to ensure that systems installed have been undertaken with the appropriate approvals. Unconsented systems will be subject to a Notice To Fix and or a Certificate of Acceptance process.
You may wish to have your IQP present at the audit.

Section 108 of the Building Act 2004 Infringement offences and fees
A person commits an offence if the person:

Fails to supply to the territorial authority the building warrant of fitness; or
Fails to display a building warrant of fitness that is required to be displayed under this section; or
Displays a false or misleading building warrant of fitness; or
Displays a building warrant of fitness otherwise than in accordance with this section.

A person who commits an offence under this section is liable on conviction to a fine not exceeding $20,000.

Specified Systems

Specified systems help ensure a building is safe and healthy for people to enter, occupy or work in. They require ongoing inspection and maintenance to ensure they function as required. If they fail to operate properly, they have the potential to affect the health or life of those people.

The building owner will be issued with a Compliance Schedule at the same time as their Code Compliance Certificate and it is the responsibility of a building owner to ensure the specified systems continue to perform as was intended when they were installed.

If you wish to undertake building work that will either affect an existing specified system or to install a new or additional specified system, this work will require a building consent to be obtained and/or your Compliance Schedule may need to be amended as a result.

Due to the nature of this type of work being life safety features, it is very important that you inform Council of your proposed changes, provide all relevant information and documentation with your consent application and/or amendment to your Compliance Schedule. As there are significant penalties for those who do not comply, please ensure that you are familiar with your responsibilities.

For further information you can contact Mary Gazzard 03 687 7468 or mary.gazzard@timdc.govt.nz

Where is my consent at?

Some of you will have had consent applications submitted to Council and then have been put on hold for varying reasons, for example RFI’s (Request for Further Information), or the owner wants to change the scope of the project etc.

This can sometimes mean that the application sits around in limbo, waiting. Therefore we would like to get these applications to a conclusion one way or the other which will mean contacting the applicant after 60 days (from being put on hold) to determine whether we can grant the consent or refuse it.

You can follow the progress of your consent application via the TDC website at: https://www.timaru.govt.nz/services/rates-and-property/application-search

Other updates

IMPORTANT CHRISTMAS DATES

20 December 2019:
Working days stop counting.
10 January 2020:
Working days start counting for the year.

Council offices are closed from 25 December 2019, and reopen 6 January 2020. However; while the statutory clock has stopped we still continue to receive, grant and inspect building consents.

Worksafe Reminder

Worksafe are issuing a reminder to workplaces that they have a responsibility (under the Health and Safety at Work Act 2015) for others interacting with their worksite, as well as those completing work on it.

This was due to an incident regarding the death of a man who fell from a mobility scooter on a damaged piece of footpath, which has resulted in a building development company being fined $100,000 by the Manukau District Court.

The footpath had been damaged by heavy vehicles during the development of a Papatoetoe housing site.

Some reminders to avoid incidents like this occurring:

Develop, implement, and communicate a site access plan.
Block off any damaged footpaths, establish a safe alternative route for pedestrians.
Provide contractors with adequate Health & Safety information & inductions.

All workplaces should think broadly about the impacts of their activities on the health and safety of everyone on site.

STANDARDS NEW ZEALAND

Standards New Zealand have a process that reviews and updates their standards and as a part of this process we are very fortunate to have some of the building unit staff are involved in these reviews.
Murray Winmill is in the working group for NZS, and Paul Hansen has been recently appointed to the BOINZ working group that is reviewing NZS 3604:2011. This is a great opportunity for our staff to have input on a practical level thus ensuring we can achieve changes that will provide the most value for everyone that uses these standards.

Remember you can now get access to 120 New Zealand standards and these are FREE for you to download. Some of the standards include: NZS 3604:2011, NZS 4229:2013, NZS 4121:2001, NZS 4218:2004, to name a few.

You can access these standards by going to Standards New Zealand website

EARTHQUAKE-PRONE BUILDINGS:
The process of identifying priority buildings that are potentially earthquake-prone and contacting their owners is currently underway, with the local emergency agencies and school buildings first off the rack.

We have followed this up by contacting all the potential priority buildings owners in Geraldine, Temuka and Pleasant Point and we are now working on the Timaru area.

If you are a building owner and you have questions on how this process will affect you, please feel free to contact Jonathan Craig on 03 687 7264 or jonathan.craig@timdc.govt.nz and he will be able to provide the help and guidance you will need.

Getting to know the building team

Vetting & Statistical Administrator – Andrew Feary

I am the Vetting & Statistical Administrator. I vet all applications to ensure all the necessary information is provided before it gets loaded for the technical guys to check. Every month I compile all the building statistics which then gets sent off to Statistics NZ; Ministry of Business, Innovation & Employment (MBIE); Building Research Association New Zealand (BRANZ); Quotable Value (QV); and various businesses who have subscribed. I also assist in the Building Advisory Office with Dave Williams, answering public queries relating to building matters.

Born & raised in Christchurch; I have been in Timaru for about 5 years now; where previously I was in Auckland & London. I have been with Timaru District Council in the Building Unit for a few years now; prior to which I had spent many years in the public service (Ministry of Justice; New Zealand Customs Service; & Royal New Zealand Navy).

Outside of work, I help entertain my two daughters and try not to annoy my wife (too much, at least). On the odd occasion when my wife allows, I will be out exploring the various country roads on my gravel bike or partaking in some cyclocross (offroad cycling on road bikes – it’s a strange European thing) races in Christchurch during the winter months.”

Building Control Officer- Marion Finn
I work in the Building Unit as a Building Control Officer. My position within the processing team is a technical role which involves checking building consent applications for compliance with the NZ Building Code, Building Act 2004 and other relevant legislation and keeping update with industry changes. Another small part of my role is to provide drainage information for the LIM team.

Building Control Officer - Monica Hakkaart
I have been with the TDC for over eight years, starting in the administration team and then moving into the processing of building consents. I am currently on maternity leave, starting a family and really enjoying this new part of life.

Building Control Officer - Paul Hansen
I have spent my career within the construction industry both in New Zealand and overseas working within a very diverse and interesting range of projects. I have been at Council since 2009 which has involved both inspecting and processing building consents and some compliance work as well. I currently live in Fairview with my partner and two children where we have an active lifestyle. I love scuba diving and fishing, skiing, mountain biking and just getting out there.

Building Control Officer - Kirk Downes
I have been with the Timaru council for a little over a year now having moved down from Christchurch. I am a Building Control Officer working in both processing and inspecting building consents.

Building Control Officer - Paule Crawford
I’ve been at the Council for two years working in the processing team, after working in the rebuild in Christchurch a few years back and being all over NZ prior to that.
I joined the council after a stint in the joinery side of the industry when I first moved back to South Canterbury.
When I’m not at work you’ll usually find me riding a bike somewhere as I’m trying to get fit to raise some money for the Central South Island Charity Bike Ride, so lots of training required!

Building Control Officer - Taare Parekura
I have been with the TDC building team for just over 3 months as a Building control officer within the inspections and processing teams. I moved up from the Queenstown Council as a senior building control officer. I have been in building controls since the Canterbury earthquakes and prior to that I have worked within the enforcement and regulatory side of local government.
I moved to Timaru to be closer to my parents and have just brought a nice little house in this wonderful piece of the country and already have massive plans for having it on the next grand designs series.
In my spare time I love exploring the country, BBQ’s and I am always on the road either in the car or as the weather get better, the bike.

Building Advisory Office

The Timaru District Council’s Building Advisory Service is a unique and valuable free service that is available to the public during normal business hours, five days a week. The purpose of this service is to provide information relating to buildings and building consent matters.

The staff have a vast range of knowledge and if they can’t immediately help with your enquiry, they will investigate and get back to you promptly. You can contact the Building Advisory office on 03 687 7236 or email david.williams@timdc.govt.nz or you can come into the Councils main building on King George Place during normal business hours, no appointment necessary.

Final Thoughts

"Consequences are the result of actions,
These can be positive or negative,
Taking the time to consider consequences,
Will result in making the best decision.” – Jayson Ellis

Last updated: 24 Feb 2021