It would appear so, if Hastings Council chief executive Nigel Bickle gets his wishes.

The Government recently announced a raft of changes to the building consent system.

Here in Hawke’s Bay, securing building consents has been a perennial sore spot for both individual property owners and even more so for large contractors and developers operating over multiple sites in different jurisdictions. Those working across the Bay have particularly complained of different standards, rules, interpretations and practices employed by councils, sometimes literally with different expectations for the same work.

For their part, councils have operated on a very risk adverse basis to avoid liabilities for defective building. Minister for Building and Construction Chris Penk commented: “Right now, councils 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.

“Currently, building owners can claim full compensation from any responsible party – and it’s often councils, with the deepest pockets and no option to walk away, that end up paying out. The risk-aversion this creates leads to frustrating delays and extra cost for builders and homeowners.”

The measures announced will limit parties’ liability to only the share of work they carried out.

Of equal – maybe greater – interest, the changes announced will allow councils to voluntarily consolidate their Building Consent Authorities function with each other. 

“Builders can be rejected on paperwork that would be accepted by a neighbouring authority simply because each BCA applies the rules differently,” said Penk.

This is an important streamlining opportunity our HB councils have been discussing.

BayBuzz asked the Hastings and Napier Councils for comment. 

Said HDC chief executive Nigel Bickle: “These reforms directly reflect many of the themes raised at the building industry forum we hosted in Hastings in May this year, where around 150 stakeholders from local government and the building and development sector gathered to discuss the future of the industry.

“We strongly support the shift from joint and several liability to a proportionate liability model. As Minister Penk noted, the current system has unfairly burdened councils and ratepayers with costs they were never responsible for…”

“We are also pleased to see Cabinet’s decision to remove the legislative and regulatory barriers that currently prevent councils from consolidating BCA functions. At our forum, there was clear recognition from industry leaders and council representatives alike that the status quo is no longer fit for purpose. Consolidation of consenting functions – whether regionally or nationally – was strongly supported as a practical step to reduce duplication, streamline processes, and build resilience across the sector.

“In Hawke’s Bay, there is already an appetite to collaborate across councils, government, and industry to improve efficiency and productivity. The opportunity to explore a regional BCA aligns well with the aspirations expressed at our forum, and we look forward to engaging constructively with MBIE officials and our neighbouring councils on how this can be progressed.

“We know the challenges of housing supply, affordability, and commercial infrastructure are significant, but today’s changes are an important step toward building a system that is smarter, fairer, and better equipped to deliver for our communities. Hastings District Council is committed to being part of this journey.” 

No doubt about CEO Bickle’s passion for reform in this space!

NCC’s chief executive Louise Miller was also supportive, commenting:

“Napier City Council welcomes the Minister’s announcement on liability rules and the opportunity to work with our neighbouring councils to explore the potential of a regional BCA. 

“As a Hawke’s Bay region, we have already expressed an interest in pursuing collaborative opportunities, and this approach will continue as we assess the impacts and benefits of these changes and brief our elected members. No work has begun at this stage, the first steps will be to scope the work and carry out due diligence to understand what the changes allow and how this could be progressed.”

The prospect of a Regional Building Consent Authority would seem to be a no-brainer. BayBuzz eagerly awaits councils’ “due diligence” on the opportunity.

One more step toward full amalgamation!