Following the Minister’s announcement this morning about building and consent system productivity increases, Master Builders has issued the below statement in response.
Master Builders welcomes new figures released by the Government today which show we are heading in the right direction when it comes to building consent reform.
The data, shared by Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk, highlights early improvements in inspection timeframes and progress. We’ve been calling for change to the way consents and inspections are handled for years, and today’s update shows we are now on the right path.
According to data from the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment, 92.7 percent of building consent applications and 96.8 percent of code compliance certificates were processed within the statutory timeframe in the first quarter of 2025.That’s up from 88 percent and 93.6 percent respectively when reporting began last year. These numbers are an encouraging sign that Government’s focus on lifting performance is starting to make a difference on the ground.
A recent survey of our members shows 71 percent had experienced delays with consenting that had impacted delivery. The current system is fragmented, with 67 different Building Consent Authorities (BCAs) interpreting the same building code in different ways. It is common for identical plans to be submitted to different BCAs and receive different outcomes. Delays of two or three weeks between inspections are common and that has knock-on effects for homeowners, subcontractors, and project planning. That’s why we’re so supportive of reforms that bring clarity, targets, and a risk-based approach.
We anticipate that as the Government’s work to solidify inspection timeframes continues, we will continue to see these numbers move in the right direction. As always, we look forward to working alongside the Government as this much needed reform of the consenting system continues.