11. Question No. 11—Building and ConstructionANAHILA KANONGATA'A-SUISUIKI (Labour) to the Minister for Building and ConstructionQuestion No. 11—Building and Construction11. ANAHILA KANONGATA'A-SUISUIKI (Labour) to the Minister for Building and Construction: What recent announcements has she made about delivering more warm dry safe houses to New Zealanders?Hon JENNY SALESA (Minister for Building and Construction): Faakalofa atu ki a mutolu oti. Happy Niue Language Week. Last Friday I announced the first tranche of changes to the Building Act 2004 that will make high-quality large-scale manufacture of warm dry prefab houses a reality. Off-site manufacturing and modern methods of construction are the future of construction. These modern methods of construction can mean reductions in cost up to a 60 percent reduction in construction time and up to a 77 percent reduction in construction waste. By introducing a nationwide end-to-end manufacturer certification for off-site manufacturing we're able to cut the red tape on a number of building consent inspections that are required while continuing to ensure high-quality durable homes are built.Anahila Kanongata'a-Suisuiki: How will the proposed changes speed up building consents?Hon JENNY SALESA: In addition to the changes for off-site manufacturing we heard a lot from industry and from the public that one of the main reasons for delays in councils issuing building consents is a lack of information about the building products they are using. We know building consents are placed on hold by an average of up to 21 working days due to councils issuing requests for information on the building products and it costs around a thousand dollars for each week of delay. That's why we're introducing minimum information requirements for manufacturers and suppliers of products. This will speed up consenting by ensuring councils builders tradies and DIYers have the information that they need about the building products that they're using.Anahila Kanongata'a-Suisuiki: What other announcements will help deliver better homes and buildings? Hon JENNY SALESA: We're also making changes to lower the building levy which will reduce the cost of building consents while allowing the Ministry of Business Innovation and Employment (MBIE) to maintain a high-performing building regulatory system. We're also increasing the maximum financial penalties in the Building Act to make sure that builders engineers and tradies are complying with the law and helping to drive out the cowboys.Andrew Bayly: When will the Minister actually deal with the real issue of traditional consenting and make sure that that process is sped up and made more flexible and quicker so we can build a lot more houses?SPEAKER: Order! That's not an area of responsibility for this Minister.Andrew Bayly: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. Sorry I thought the building and construction—SPEAKER: Oh sorry. I thought the Minister wasn't the Minister responsible. I thought the local government Minister was. Am I wrong? I am wrong. I'm sorry. The Minister will answer the question. Hon JENNY SALESA: The amendments to the Building Act 2004 that I announced on Friday are one of the things that we're doing as a Government. We're bringing through—and I'll be announcing it soon—the other areas of work. We have a whole lot of work that we're doing in building and construction. There are a whole lot of issues that were left to us but in terms of building consent that is one of the reasons why we have announced that we will go through with off-site manufacturing. It will ensure that consents are much more efficient.