Barry Maggie: Building Amendment Bill (No 3) — Third Reading 
Barry Maggie: Building Amendment Bill (No 3) — Third Reading 
[Volume:678;Page:932] 
MAGGIE BARRY (National—North Shore) 
: 
 I spoke in the second reading of the Building Amendment Bill (No 3) when I signalled my support in particular around the measures changing the law relating to DIY projects—something close to my heart. After 12 years on the garden show I can say that DIY does not need to be stifled. It does need to have some controls around it and to be done to standards but we do not need to hold back a great New Zealand pastime. I think the bill has got that balance very correct and I am happy to speak today at the third reading of this bill. 
Already the Minister for Building and Construction Maurice Williamson has eloquently signalled that there has been wide support from the sector from the industry for this. All the major players have been consulted. The Local Government and Environment Committee heard submissions. The bill has been very widely looked at consulted on and thought through. I commend this bill. I think it is the result of a very comprehensive review of the Building Act 2004 and it does form part of a package of changes that have been aimed at lifting the overall performance and productivity of the building and construction sector which is something that I would think everyone in this House approves of. 
The changes are intended to encourage those working in the sector to improve their skills and their capability and to build right first time and that is the essence of it. Building it right first time is the key. We need to increase efficiency and productivity but it has to be done correctly. The changes that have been put forward in this bill have of course not been taken lightly because although there has been gradual improvement in the building industry since that Building Act was introduced in 2004 the Building Act review did find that the current system is more costly than it needs to be that it is less efficient than it could be and very important that it does not provide incentives to improve productivity. So the review that was conducted by the Department of Building and Housing which also consulted widely with the industry combines with the process that Parliament has applied to it. 
Other members the honourable Nicky Wagner and Nikki Kaye have detailed the four main key changes in this. I have spoken before with great approval of the DIY aspects and I like the fact that they are exempted from the restricted building work rules that have now come into effect. Risk-based consents are not going to be introduced until we are entirely confident that there is a very strong base of licensed building practitioners strengthened contracting requirements and greater consumer protection measures so that we can all ensure that building quality and public safety are maintained. So we are not doing this in haste and we are not doing it lightly. 
This is a Government that prides itself on its record of cutting red tape and improving efficiencies and productivity. I think this bill is a very good estimate of it and it does that very well. But it is important to note that we are going to achieve the savings only once we activate the risk-based consenting system and as I said that is going to happen later when we have confidence. We are not doing this in haste; it has been done with due consideration almost exhaustive consultation and a great deal of thought and deliberation. Therefore I commend the Building Amendment Bill (No 3) to the House.