Dyson Ruth: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to MinistersText is incorporated into the Bound VolumeDyson Ruth: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers[Sitting date: 13 June 2013. Volume:691;Page:11127. Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume.]6.Hon RUTH DYSON (Labour—Port Hills)to theMinister for Building and Construction: When did he or anyone in MoBIE first become aware that the Christchurch City Council was placed on notice by the International Accreditation New Zealand (IANZ) of its intention to revoke the Council’s Building Consent Authority Accreditation?Hon MAURICE WILLIAMSON (Minister for Building and Construction):The independent accrediting agency International Accreditation New Zealand wrote to Christchurch City Council on 30 May and copied that letter to the Ministry of Business Innovation and Employment. The letter gives the council notice of the intention to revoke its accreditation if substandard performance and poor systems are not corrected by 28 May. The ministry briefed me on 4 June about that and on 6 June my officials met with the council. I seek leave to table the report of International Accreditation New Zealand.Mr SPEAKER: Leave is sought to table that report. Is there any objection to that? There appears to be none. It can be tabled.Document by leave laid on the Table of the House.Hon Ruth Dyson: Mr Speaker just as a—Hon MAURICE WILLIAMSON: I had better correct that I am sorry. It is “by 28 June”.Hon Ruth Dyson: Thank you for that correction. For how long has the Ministry of Business Innovation and Employment been involved with this issue what problems have been identified and what solutions have been found?Hon MAURICE WILLIAMSON: Accreditation for the Christchurch City Council under the International Accreditation New Zealand regime dates right back to 2007 when the council failed on a number of occasions to actually get accreditation and whena number of people worked with it—this was under the previous Labour Government. I can give the member the dates when the council failed to get accreditation—let me give them—starting back in November 2007 then in April 2008 and it finally got across the line in October 2008. Of recent times ministry officials have worked extensively with the council trying to assist it in meeting its requirements to maintain its accreditation. Sadly they have been unable to convince the council of things that needed to be done.Hon Ruth Dyson: Given that amount of work was he surprised this notice was given to the council by International Accreditation New Zealand; if so why?Hon MAURICE WILLIAMSON: No I am not surprised. International Accreditation New Zealand is an independent accreditation authority. It works completely independently of Ministers. Its role as set up by the previous Government is to check on every certifying authority and make sure it meets the requirements laid down in the Act. In fact what it found with Christchurch City Council was that a number of issues have failed to be met on a number of occasions and that when remedial action was put in place it still did not do it.Hon Ruth Dyson: Has the Ministry of Business Innovation and Employment been providing regular updates on this issue to him; if so how was that information communicated to the Minister for Canterbury Earthquake Recovery?Hon MAURICE WILLIAMSON: The ministry cannot provide detailed updates on this on an ongoing basis given that International Accreditation New Zealand went in and did its evaluation in May and it was at the end of that evaluation that they both wrote to the ministry and to the council on that same day—30 May I think; I have got the letter here—and it was only at that point we were aware that International Accreditation had come to the conclusion that it was not meeting the criteria. So I repeat again the whole aim of the Government is to make sure that consents are done properly and they are done without devaluing quality but also that they are done in a timely manner. I heard onMorning Report this morning that a particular Mark McGuinness from the Belgian Beer Cafe Torenhof took 89 days to get a consent through the council and it was costing him $70000 a week for that delay.Hon Ruth Dyson: Does he share the view of the Mayor of Christchurch when the Mayor said: “I am confident that we will be able to clear the backlog and process all consents within the statutory timeframe. We are confident we can retain our accreditation as a building consent authority.”; if he does not share that view what are the consequences of his view for the people of Canterbury?Hon MAURICE WILLIAMSON: It is not relevant what my view on this is; it is an independent agency that determines whether the accreditation is kept or not. I will not intervene in that process. But we are looking at what options the Government might invoke if in fact that accreditation is withdrawn. And I say to the House that if it is withdrawn it will be the first time since the whole consenting regime was ever put in place. We have had a couple of councils get into a bit of trouble but with work and time they have always maintained their accreditation. So if 28 June comes and the Christchurch City Council loses it Ministers are now looking at what various options—Hon Ruth Dyson: What?Hon MAURICE WILLIAMSON: Well the Building Act is not clear. The member says: “What?”. Actually it is the Building Act passed by her Government that does not say what options are available. It never canvassed the option of a certifying authority losing its accreditation.Hon Ruth Dyson: Point of order Mr Speaker. [Interruption ]Mr SPEAKER: Order! Is this a point of order or a—Hon Ruth Dyson: It is a point of order.Mr SPEAKER: A point of order and it will be heard in silence.Hon Ruth Dyson: In light of the media comments this morning from the chair of the planning and regulatory committee of the council Sue Wells and the Mayor Bob Parker that he had not heard from Maurice Williamson or Gerry Brownlee I seek leave to table their email addresses and cellphone numbers to improve the communication in future.Mr SPEAKER: Order! I am not prepared to put that to members.