You can apply online, find the appropriate checklist and provide information that is relevant to your building project. When is a Building Consent required? A Building Consent is required for most work including; new buildings, swimming pools, retaining walls over 1.5m, demolition and more.Apply for a Building Consent
When You Need a Building Consent
The Building Act
The Building Act 2004 provides for the regulation of building work, the establishment of a licensing regime for building practitioners, and the setting of performance standards, to ensure that:
- people who use buildings can do so safely and without endangering their health; and
- buildings have attributes that contribute appropriately to the health, physical independence, and wellbeing of the people who use them; and
- people who use a building can escape from the building if it is on fire; and
- buildings are designed, constructed, and able to be used in ways that promote sustainable development.
To achieve this purpose, the Principal Act, which is supported by the Building Amendment Act 2012, requiring anyone proposing to do building work to obtain a Project Information Memorandum (PIM) and a Building Consent Authority (BCA) before commencing building work.
Who administers the Building Act?
The Ministry of Business Innovation and Employment (MBIE) is the Government Department responsible for administering the Building Act 2004.
What is a Building Consent Authority?
BCAs are regional or Territorial Authorities or private organisations registered under section 273 of the Building Act 2004 and are responsible for performing building control functions under Part 2 of the Act.
Kaipara District Council (KDC) is a local Territorial Authority that has been accredited as a BCA; herein referred to as Council.
What is a Building Consent?
A Building Consent is the formal approval issued by a Building Consent Authority (BCA) that certain works meet the requirements of the New Zealand Building Act, Building Regulations and Building Code.
The following MBIE links provide helpful information:
You cannot undertake any building work that requires a Building Consent without this approval. Most building work requires a Building Consent but some minor work is exempt under the Act.
Exempt work is listed on Schedule 1 of the Building Act 2004. This may be viewed on the web on building.govt.nz/
