First private business wins step towards consenting, inspecting, approving new buildings

A Christchurch business has become the first non-Crown entity to gain accreditation to be registered to grant consents, issue code compliance certificates and certify new building works, which has been the sole preserve of councils and a Crown business in the past few years. Ian McCauley, a director of Building Consent Approvals, said that business was on October 24 granted a certificate of accreditation. “It’s been a hard slog over the last 18 months but it’s been worthwhile and paid off.

“I believe we’re the first non-Crown entity to be approved,” McCauley said of the move, which had initially started under the Labour Government. The system has until now been the sole preserve of territorial authorities via councils or Kāinga Ora via Consentium, which says it is the only nationally accredited and registered non-territorial authority building consent authority in New Zealand..