The Government says processing delays for building consents and code compliance certificates have dropped since it began publicly releasing Council performance data just over a year ago.
Last year, Building and Construction Minister, Chris Penk, directed the Ministry of Business, Innovation & Employment to begin publishing quarterly performance data to reveal how well Building Consent Authorities (BCAs) were handling consent applications.
“One of the most common frustrations I’ve heard from tradies and aspiring homeowners since becoming Minister is how long it takes to get the paperwork sorted before building can begin,” said Mr Penk.
“The decision to put performance in the spotlight is paying off, and I wish to acknowledge councils who have moved quickly to expedite consenting processes.”
Latest data shows 92.7% of building consent applications and 96.8% of code compliance certificates were processed within the statutory timeframe in the first quarter of 2025 – up from 88% and 93.6% respectively when reporting began last year.
“More work is getting done. In the first three months of 2025, 31,845 building consent applications, amendments and code compliance certificates were processed – almost 1,000 more than in the same period last year,” said Minister Penk.
“These improvements reveal the impact of driving accountability, and we’re just getting started.
“The Government is working hard to bring in practical reforms which will streamline the consent system and make building in New Zealand easier and more affordable.
“This includes new legislation empowering trusted building professionals to sign off their own work – slashing thousands of applications to ease system pressure, and requiring BCAs to conduct 80 percent of building inspections within three working days.
“This mandatory target will help councils prioritise their workloads more effectively. I expect the requirement to come into effect later this year.
“By setting clear standards and creating a regulatory system that drives building productivity, we will see more Kiwi families move into homes faster,” he said.
- Building Consent System Performance Monitoring Data for the first quarter of 2025 is published on the MBIE website:
https://www.mbie.govt.nz/building-and-energy/building/building-system-insights-programme/building-consent-system-performance-monitoring.
