Govt outlines changes to building consenting regime

Chris Penk says it is the biggest shake-up in decades. (Image: NZME)

Mon, 18 Aug 2025

The Government aims to protect ratepayers by adjusting building liability settings, thereby relieving councils from the burden of covering the costs of defective work for which others are responsible.It’s believed this change will help address “risk-aversion” amongst councils, which the Government says are “hesitant to sign off on building consents and inspections because they could be held liable for all defects, leaving ratepayers to foot the bill”.This is part of what is being described by Building and Construct...

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