'Broken' and 'plagued' by issues; why builders and plumbers think an app could help solve NZ's consenting conundrum

Technology should be used by consenting authorities to speed up sign-off on building works, a building industry association says.

A submission from Master Builders on the review of the building consents system says consenting authorities’ processing technologies are out of date, they often make incoherent decisions, and the Ministry of Building, Innovation and Employment (MBIE) does not use its regulatory powers enough, or with confidence, to direct consenting authorities on how they must interpret regulations.

As part of the Building System Reforms programme the government is undertaking, MBIE has asked for submissions on the consenting system.

The review is looking at the regulatory institutions involved in the building industry, how they are regulating, and how the overall regulatory system is performing.

The Registered Master Builders Association, which represents more than 3000 commercial and residential builders, says in its submission the consenting system is “plagued” by issues that result in significant delays and inexcusable inefficiencies, “escalating development costs to homeowners and the sector”.

It says there has been slow uptake by building consenting authorities (BCAs) of alternative materials (use of plasterboard alternatives were touted as part of the solution for the GIB shortages hamstringing the sector), and says “BCAs should not be anti-competitive”.

The association says among the incoherent decisions are examples of inspectors refusing to undertake remote inspections using the Artisan app developed by building research and product certification outfit BRANZ.

Master Builders says consenting authorities should be required to use technology and rely on qualified professionals where appropriate.

“The use of technology for online applications and virtual inspections can lower the number of staff required to work across the consenting system,” it says.

The solution?

It is the BRANZ app some in the sector say could be a useful tool in improving consenting times, and outcomes.

The app lets builders take photographs of their work as they go, which can then be submitted to the consenting authority through the app. The council inspections team can then review the work without stepping a foot on the building site.

Inspectors and builders can communicate directly through the app and work together to solve problems, BRANZ general manager of digital and technology Sunil Surujpal says.

“In some cases, we have seen the wait times for inspections reduce from days to hours, and typically that results in cost savings for all parties. It means builders can run their sites more efficiently, and BCAs can enable their inspectors to work more flexibly and more productively.”

For the homeowner, the free-to-use app gives them a record of their build that would be useful long after consent is granted, he says.

So far, the app is in use by a “small number” of consenting authorities including in Auckland and Marlborough. It is also being used by the government home builder, Kainga Ora, Surujpal says.

Auckland Council inspection manager Jeff Farensohn says Artisan is underutilised and he would “love to see it scale up”.

He says the app could be adopted and used as part of a Master Builders guarantee or certified builders warranty, and used as a quality assurance tool by builders, with the inspection part “a great knock-on effect or nice consequence to have on top of it”.

Master Plumbers chief executive Greg Wallace also sees potential in the app.

Wallace says Artisan could give confidence to consenting authorities and consumers that plumbers can self-certify their work. Electricians and some other trades including gasfitters can self-certify, but industry pleas to see this rolled out for plumbers have largely been ignored.

He says plumbers in Australia and the United Kingdom have this ability, and requiring consenting authorities to sign off work adds costs and delays to jobs.

“What we are looking for is remote inspections,” Wallace says.

He says using the Artisan app would make inspections efficient and done in “real time”.

“Councils can’t keep up with consenting. In some years we wait for weeks with open drains. Why should we wait for an inspector to turn up for what’s often a five-minute job once they finish talking about the latest All Blacks’ loss? We are not building a reflective, innovative model.”

Farensohn says the "big feedback" the council had received about Artisan from builders was complaints that using it takes too much time. He says for a general inspection a builder might need to take 45-minutes up to an hour uploading to Artisan, and if a builder needs a fairly quick inspection it’s still easier to log an inspection rather than do it themselves.

Surujpal says BRANZ knows it can take time to get used to using the app. He says it has done “a lot of work” to increase support to its users, and has a help portal, gives support to troubleshoot issues and has comprehensive training.

BRANZ was working to encourage more BCAs and builders to use the app, he says.

“Ultimately, we think technology like this has the ability to help lift New Zealand’s overall build quality and compliance to the Building Code. It will continue to deliver real advantages in terms of time and cost savings as more users come on board.”

A one-page summary document published by MBIE for the consultation process identifies four “desirable outcomes” from a high-performing building regulatory system, and also current barriers.

The ministry document says MBIE is not the “strong regulator originally contemplated”, consenting can be variable and unpredictable, performance is not well monitored and capacity and capability restraints are undermining the system.

Once MBIE has received submissions it has been tasked with developing options to improve consenting systems and will then seek feedback on these options.

Consultation on the building consent review closes on September 4.