Field Taito Phillip: Building Bill — Third Reading 
Field Taito Phillip: Building Bill — Third Reading 
[Volume:619;Page:14911] 
Hon TAITO PHILLIP FIELD (Minister of State) 
 on behalf of the  
Associate Minister of Commerce (Hon John Tamihere) 
: I move  
That the Building Bill be now read a third time 
. This bill is the culmination of a thorough review and I pay tribute to the literally hundreds of stakeholders who have offered advice during its development. 
The bill marks an important milestone in the development of an appropriate regulatory framework for the building industry that both the industry and consumers have been seeking. Like a well-designed building the changes reflected in the bill are a complementary and integrated package. They are designed to work together to minimise risk of future regulatory failure. The Opposition claims that the bill is over-regulation. That ignores the impact that too little control has had on ordinary New Zealanders. I believe that the bill represents a position of balance. We want New Zealanders devising innovative solutions to building problems but we also want buildings that do not fail. 
The performance-based approach has been retained but adapted to provide greater information on the outcomes sought their measurement and best practice on how to achieve them. There are changes to improve monitoring and enforcement of the building control system and to ensure the competence of those who provide the services—the designers the builders and other critical sub-trades. The performance standards and the licensing regime are designed to ensure that people who use buildings can do so safely and without endangering their health; that buildings have attributes that improve the well-being of people who use them; that people can escape from buildings if the buildings are on fire; and that buildings are constructed and designed in ways that promote sustainable development. 
This bill strengthens the building regulatory regime by providing the framework to ensure that inputs into buildings are high quality. The building code will be comprehensively reviewed within 3 years to make sure that it is clear enough about the standards we expect buildings to meet. The bill provides for the development of compliance documents that set out how the building code standards may be met and for best-practice guidance documents to provide information to territorial authorities in recognition that they are co-regulators in respect of this legislation. It requires registration and audits of building consent authorities and as part of this process they will need to be accredited that they can do the job and do it well. 
The bill provides for the licensing of building practitioners for the first time and sets the framework for the licensing system but the detail of how it will work in practice will be set out in regulation after consultation with the industry. On Monday the Associate Minister of Commerce the Hon John Tamihere released a discussion document on this subject. 
The bill also provides greater consumer protection. It gives express recognition to the importance of standards of design and construction in achieving its objectives increases the emphasis on durability and standards of maintenance and provides for mandatory standard warrantees. Sustainable development will be promoted by the development of building standards in relation to energy efficiency energy conservation water efficiency and water conservation. 
In conclusion this bill shows that the Government is concerned about ordinary New Zealanders and I look forward to it being passed into law. I commend this bill to the House.