Smith Murray: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
Smith Murray: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
[Volume:606;Page:3910] 
7.  
MURRAY SMITH (United Future) 
 to the  
Minister of Commerce 
: Since assuming responsibility for the Building Industry Authority on 1 January 2003 how many meetings if any has she had with its Chief Executive and what was the substance of those meetings? 
Hon LIANNE DALZIEL (Minister of Commerce) 
: 
 I am meeting the chief executive for the first time today. I have had two other meetings with the chairman of the Building Industry Authority on 22 January and 26 February as part of a schedule of monthly meetings that I have arranged with the chairman. I also receive weekly briefings from my commerce officials with regard to the Building Act review. 
Murray Smith 
: What has the Minister said to the Building Industry Authority concerning the importance of the Building Industry Authority urgently investigating the nature and extent of the weathertightness problem in New Zealand as per recommendation 13 of the Hunn report and does the Minister consider that the decision of the Building Industry Authority in response to recommendation 13 that it will carry out only research that examines what other research has been done is a satisfactory response to recommendation 13; if not what will she do about it? 
Hon LIANNE DALZIEL 
: I am still awaiting with interest the report of the select committee into the weathertightness issues. I believe that the select committee will comment on matters that relate to the recommendations of the Hunn report. We are giving priority to those matters at the same time as reviewing all aspects of the Building Act legislation and the framework for the regulation of people who work in the industry. 
H V Ross Robertson 
: What changes has the Building Industry Authority made to ensure that it has the capacity to meet its new challenges? 
Hon LIANNE DALZIEL 
: The Building Industry Authority has recognised that the significant increase in its workload has put pressure on what effectively is a very small organisation. To address its capacity pressures the Building Industry Authority has appointed Richard Martin to lead the new work programme—that is the new work directly arising out of the recommendations of the Hunn report that are included in the new statement of intent. 
Dr Wayne Mapp 
: If the Minister is giving such urgency to these matters why are New Zealand homeowners and the construction industry still waiting for a new building code on treated timber which was announced in this House by the Minister of Finance last year? 
Hon LIANNE DALZIEL 
: I am aware that complaints have been made about the continued use of untreated timber and the fact that the Building Industry Authority should be recommending that only treated timber should be used in the meantime. I am also aware that there have been public statements that there ought to be only the use of untreated timber while treated timber is being reviewed by the Environmental Risk Management Authority. The bottom line is that these are matters that relate to the future of how the industry will be managed. I hope that we will be in a position to satisfy that member in about a week’s time. 
Brent Catchpole 
: What progress has the Building Industry Authority made in achieving its plan made in the statement of intent to carry out a full investigation of the leaky-homes problem to ascertain the full extent and the cost of the problem or was this statement in the Building Industry Authority statement of intent merely lip service to disguise the inaction of its chief executive? 
Hon LIANNE DALZIEL 
: I am very confident that the board with the support of the monitoring group chaired by Paul Carpinter will manage what essentially is a transition period during the Building Act review. I announced last week that the discussion document would be out in about a week’s time. I am still confident of meeting that deadline that I have imposed on myself. That document will look at a broader scope for the Building Act to include consumer protection clarification and strengthening of the roles of the regulators including monitoring enforcement and looking at the registration of appropriately qualified building professionals. These things should have been done back in 1991. We are getting on to it now. 
Murray Smith 
: What independent performance monitoring has the Minister put in place to ensure that the Hunn report’s criticisms of the Building Industry Authority that it was: “difficult to access; slow to respond; defensive in its responses;” and that “its advice rulings and determinations are too vague” are being addressed given the absence of any proposal by the Building Industry Authority to survey its stakeholders on that issue? 
Hon LIANNE DALZIEL 
: The monitoring group that I referred to before chaired by Paul Carpinter was established with the support of the Ministry of Economic Development which is why as Minister of Commerce I now have responsibility for this area. That group is working very closely with the Ministry of Economic Development to ensure that the discussion document that goes out reflects the views of industry and stakeholders so that we can make the changes to the legislation that are required.