Brace Yourself: Issue #1

In these newsletters, we cover the latest building industry news, trends, and tips. In this particular issue we cover CCC process changes, new eDocs, and online payments.

New web videos

We know that Building Regulations can be complicated, so we are trying to make the information easier to understand...

As part of our focus on improving the level of information we provide to the community we have invested in a series of web videos that we hope you'll find useful and informative.

We have six new videos that we have added to our website:

These videos provide useful information through easy to follow short animation clips. If they prove to be successful we'll continue to look at ways in which we can expand our video library.

New residential building consent checklist

From 1st August 2018 we'll be releasing a new version of our CS19.3 Residential Building Consent Application and Processing Checksheet

The CS19.3 Checksheet is a critical part of our Building Consent Application documentation. It provides an open-book approach to the Building Code requirements that have to be satisfied with your consent application. If you complete the checksheet fully and provide clear references to the plans or specification page numbers that demonstrate compliance, then there should not be any need for requests for further information (RFIs) which causes delays to your processing.

To view the new CS19.3 revision 7 click here. Some highlights of the new form include:

We have created a PDF editable version as well as a Word version. This should make the form more accessible to non-Microsoft users who prefer PDF over Word.
Length of the checksheet has been redced from 21 to 17 pages
Technical references to standards, regulations, QLDC forms and the relevant Acceptable Solutions & Verification Methods have been provided throughout the document. These will help give you guidance on what they relate to and where to find the correct reference information to ensure you have satisfied the design requirements
All technical questions have been reviewed and rationalised where appropriate to reduce double ups
A bookmark guide/table of contents has been created in the PDF version to allow you easily navigate through the document

We want all Architects, Designers, Project Managers, LBPs and home owners to have a clear understanding of the design requirements that must be satisfied for Building Consent processing. Our goal is to help people get it 100% right first time; not to catch people out with RFIs.

We hope that the new version form helps with your self-assessment of design documentation to ensure you have covered all your bases. We believe it should be easier to fill out so we encourage all applicants to make use of it immediately. We will still accept applications with the older revision 6 checksheet - you'll simply be advised of the change during processing so that you can move onto the new version for your next application.

We're also working on more new checklists for other types of Building Consents, including commercial and garages. Watch this space!

CS19.3

CCC process changes

We are making changes to our CCC process to make it clearer, fairer and more transparent

Due to the significant amount of growth in the district our Inspections team has been under pressure to keep up with the level of CCC application demand. We are working hard to clear a backlog through a combination of recruiting more staff, creating dedicated roles and improving our processes.

The process review has revealed that a big part of the problem is the poor quality of documentation that is provided with the CCC application and the lack of rules around the Final Inspection. These issues lead to Request for Information emails and delays in the CCC processing.

Our objective is to make the CCC application requirements clearer so that applicants can ensure that they submit all the required information 100% correct first time. Currently in can be as low as 10% correct, which leads to significant processing delays. We want to have an open-book approach with no surprises or hidden requirements that applicants are unaware of.

To help achieve this we've created a new CCC Application & Processing Checklist. This checklist will need to be completed and submitted as a separate document along with your Form 6 CCC Application form. We have created a checklist for Residential projects and for Commercial and provided you with the option of either PDF or Microsoft Word format..

CS 33R CCC Residential Checksheet- PDF (520KB) (NEW)
CS 33R CCC Residential Checksheet- WORD (178KB) (NEW)
CS 33C CCC Commercial Checksheet- PDF (469KB) (NEW)
CS 33C CCC Commercial Checksheet- WORD (242KB) (NEW)

As well as the new checklist we are also making changes to how we undertake Final Inspections. In future, you will need to submit your CCC Applications before the Final Inspection can be booked. The application will be checked by Building Support and then a technical review will be completed by the Building Inspection team. Once they have confirmed the documentation is correct and accounted for you will be given approval to book the Final.

This process change will allow applicants to make sure that all Building Consent conditions, inspections, amendments, minor variations, DCN fees etc are completed before the inspector goes on site to undertake the Final Inspection. We want all potential CCC issues to be resolved up-front, rather than dragging on after the Final Inspection has been conducted.

We appreciate that these changes will have an impact on many of our applicants however we are confident that they will result in a far better outcome for everyone.

To allow you to prepare for the change we have produced a simple guidance document (see below) and we will operate a grace period to the 1st of October 2018 where will will inform applicants about (but not enforce) the need to submit a CS 33 Application & Processing Checklist and the need to obtain approval before booking a Final Inspection.

Guidance for CCC Applications

Historic building consent CCC applications

Not everyone applies for their Code Compliance Certificate at the end of their project build.

Sometimes people don't realise it's their responsibility to request a CCC, others might think their builder will take care of it. Some projects are never finished or people simply forget to submit their application. Whatever the reason it can lead to significant problems when you go to sell your property or re-finance it.

Many home-owners who discover they don’t have a CCC find themselves in a stressful situation when they lodge their application. There is often a lack of understanding that obtaining a CCC is not a straightforward rubber-stamping process. QLDC has to undertake a number of due diligence checks to ensure on reasonable grounds that the building work is compliant.

When a significant period of time has passed since the build completion the CCC processing is even more complex. The Building Code has specific time periods set out for durability of materials and building elements. The longer that building work has been left before applying for a CCC, the harder it is to determine whether these minimum time periods will be complied with. In cases where the building work is already 5 or more years old, elements of the work may have already exceeded their expected durability or manufacturer’s warranty.

To help you through the process of applying for CCCs for historical Building Consents, we've creating a new guidance document. Within this you will find information that explains the following:

Applications can be refused due to lack of information about the building construction. In such cases an independent “suitably qualified” building consultant may need to be engaged to undertake a full inspection of your building (e.g. remove wall claddings) and confirm that the construction complies with the building code
For building consents over 5 years old a B2 Durability Modification Application (AF 23.1) will need to be completed. This is a declaration in which the owner acknowledges that the durability timeframe for the building elements has been reduced due to the delays with the CCC application.

All CCC applications for historical building consents need to be evaluated carefully. While the goal is to arrive at a successful outcome for the applicant, there may be situations where we cannot be satisfied that the building work complies.

IS3.4

Online payments here

We've made it easier to confirm your balance and make payment of your building consent fees

A new online payment service has been launched which allows you to enter an application number or invoice number to show the balance outstanding to be paid. You can then make payment through the option of credit card or through direct credit transfer from a number of banking partners.

Click here for the link to the new online payment portal.

You can select to make payment on the Application initial fee (what you need to pay upfront) or the Invoice statement that you have been sent for the ongoing charges that are associated with your building consent.

If paying online isn't your thing, we still have the following payment options available:

Direct credit bank transfers from your personal or business accounts. The account number to use is 02 0948 0002000 000. You need to use your BC number as a reference so please wait until this is provided to you
In person at the Counter. Again please have your BC number for reference when making payment

Changes to fees and charges

From 1 July 2018, our fees and charges for Building Services have changed

While we understand that fee increases are never welcome, unfortunately they reflect the pressure that is being placed on QLDC to keep up with the growth in the local construction industry.

The proposal to increase fees was presented to Council back in March and was then sent out for public submission. The fee changes were then approved by Council on 28th June.

The fee changes include increases to hourly rates and the initial fees for Building Consents. We have updated our Building Consent Initial Fee Calculator to reflect these new fees.

Although the fee changes will be unwelcome they reflect the overall cost pressure that everyone in the district faces. We have undertaken a benchmarking analysis of other comparable councils and we believe that QLDC still provides very good value compared to other regions.

Building Consent Comparison2

Click here for a full schedule of new fees and charges for 2018/19.

New eDocs launched!

We're thrilled to have launched a new version of our eDocs online document viewing portal

Click here to access the new eDocs.

QLDC has developed the eDocs website as an information portal to facilitate the fast and transparent accessing of Building Consent and Resource Consent application information. The eDocs service is part of an “open-data” approach to making Local Government information more readily accessible to the QLDC community.

The previous eDocs system was launched in 2012 and has provided a level of transparency and openness that remains largely unmatched by any other local government council in New Zealand.

The new eDocs sysem has a number of improvements including:

Improved interface that makes it much easier to navigate and use the system
Ability to run on Apple OS systems
Improved search ability to see all Resource Consents and Building Consents that are associated with a property
New information that shows the description and date/time of the current status of your application e.g. Waiting for Further Information, BC Issued 25/07/2018, CCC Application 25/07/2018
Improved sorting of search results so you can easily see the latest documents or email correspondence that is associated with an application
New functionality that allows you to see what property your section was subdivided from, or what sections it was developed into
Increased security settings
Ability to manage your password and user profile
New functionality that allows you to save common searches

We know that email correspondence is a critical part of all applications as it allows you to track the status of application processing. Within eDocs you will find all the key emails that have been sent for your application. These are labelled as “Corro-out” for QLDC sent emails, and “Corro-in” for all emails we receive back. These are saved newest to oldest so you’ll always be able to easily view the latest email correspondence for your application.

The increased security settings will that all existing users will need to register as a new user. Please follow the online instructions to register. A confirmation email will be sent when you create your log on for the first time. Check your junk email inbox if you don't receive this confirmation email.

edoc

Building trends

2017 saw our Building Services team process a record number of consents, mirroring an equally impressive output by the building industry.

The team processed just under 2000 building consents for the year with a value of $804m. For a small district, we pack a big punch.

So what’s happening in 2018? After a softer start to the new year, with January and February building consent applications down on 2017 we have started to see activity climb close to 2017 figures. In June we recorded one of the highest number of building consent applications for a number of years.

Building inspections are also at record levels with over 1500 inspections carried out in May. It will be interesting to see where the rest of the year heads. If Resource Consents are a strong indicator (at record levels as well) due to building consents following on from subdivision applications, then this unprecedented level of building activity still has plenty of gas in the tank.

This level of activity places a serious strain on staff resources. Like all building industry sectors in the region the Building Services team faces challenges getting experienced qualified staff.

To combat this and still provide satisfactory levels of service to the community we engage contractors to cope with the overflow of work and are also in the process of training a significant number of new building control officers so we can reduce as much as possible our reliance on external contract staff. We're grateful for the industry’s patience while staff complete their training and become fully productive.

National Comparison (NZ Stats-May 2018)

We have the fourth highest volume/value of New Residential Building Consents in the country behind, Auckland, Christchurch and Tauranga. The June-2018 results form Stats NZ are shown below. We take some pride in the fact that we manage this volume with a small team of 36, which is significantly less than any other comparable BCA.

National stats4

Building Consent Application Trending

We had a slow start to 2018 in terms of BC applications but since March demand has been high. May-2018 was one of our highest month on record for applications with 194 coming in the door.

BC Apps

Building Consents Processed to Target (20 Working days)

We’ve worked hard to improve our performance with regards to our percentage of building consent processed within 20 working days. We are currently tracking 99% of consents processed to target.

BC to target