Kiwi DIY tradition protected under licensing

Building and Construction Minister Clayton Cosgrove today outlined a proposal to ensure the Kiwi Do-It-Yourself (DIY) tradition will be protected when occupational licensing is introduced in the building sector on a voluntary basis from this November.

In a speech to the Certified Builders Association of New Zealand annual conference in Dunedin, Mr Cosgrove said the government was committed to the licensing regime, but would not allow it to undermine the Kiwi DIY tradition of having a go.

"Let me make the government's position crystal clear. We want buildings designed and built right the first time. I have also given the public a commitment that DIY will be protected, so we need to strike the right balance," Mr Cosgrove said.

Mr Cosgrove said some in the industry want DIY building work banned, but said he would not give the sector a license to print money. However, he recognized that transparency was needed so consumers can make informed choices.

"One option is to require DIY builders to place a notice on the Land Information Memorandum report (LIM) showing that a non-licensed person did the construction work and not a professional Licensed Building Practitioner (LBP). This means any future buyers know the score up-front. They either take a chance on the quality of the build, and get all the necessary pre-purchase inspections and due diligence, or they walk away and buy the other house down the street built by an LBP, with all the protections and accountability that comes with that."

"It is called freedom of choice," Mr Cosgrove said.

Mr Cosgrove said the government or the industry cannot stop an unlicensed builder from building a house, or adding a room to an existing house. "Short of following everyone home from Carters or Placemakers and checking out what they are up to, there is nothing anyone can do about that," Mr Cosgrove said.

"The reality is that most DIY builders only tackle straight-forward houses and additions – those with simple roofs, wide eaves and conventional cladding. Subject to the normal building consent and sign-off process, anyone should be able to build a traditional house, the bach, or the sleep-out. Farmers should still be able to build the hay shed or tractor shed."

"Beyond these simple buildings are the more complex constructions that have caused us problems in the past, with weathertightness in particular, where an LBP would be required," Mr Cosgrove said.

Mr Cosgrove said DIY construction accounts for a very small percentage of the multi-billion dollar construction sector. However he said he was still keen to hear the industry's views on the DIY issue, so the right balance is struck before licensing becomes mandatory in a few years time.

The licensed building practitioner scheme is one of a suite of reforms designed to restore the building and constructions sector's world-class reputation by lifting skills and professionalism, enhancing accountability and raising consumer protection.

Other reforms include reviewing the Building Code from top to bottom; the auditing and accrediting of building consent authorities to improve their performance; new measures to improve the energy efficiency of our homes and workplaces; the completed implementation of a new system to speed up the resolution of leaky homes disputes; consumer information programmes; investigating a home warranty scheme and a product certification scheme, and the rebuilding of the apprenticeship system.