The Ministry for Regulation has today announced a Regulatory Review into the building and construction sector.
The review is focused on building work that can be carried out without a building consent under Schedule 1 or Schedule 1A of the Building Act 2004. It will examine whether additional low-risk building work could be exempt from requiring a building consent, and whether the current exemptions can be made easier to understand and use.
The Ministry for Regulation wants to hear your views on possible changes to building consent exemptions. Your feedback will help shape advice on how the system could be improved.
The scope of the review includes:
building consent exemptions (which are set out in Schedule 1 of the Building Act 2004), and the interface between Schedule 1 and Schedule 1A for small standalone dwellings;
whether Schedule 1 can be expanded to exempt additional low risk building work;
inconsistencies within the current exemption framework, including cases where relatively low-risk work requires consent while higher-risk work may be exempt; and
opportunities to improve clarity and usability of the exemptions for homeowners, builders, and territorial authorities.
The Ministry wants to understand:
what you believe works well
what problems you have experienced or observed
whether you think any changes are needed.
Participants are also being invited to comment on other parts of the building regulatory system, including regulatory requirements, consent and approval processes, guidance, accreditation, monitoring, enforcement, and the roles of different people and organisations.
Responses are being sought from homeowners, building owners, businesses, tradespeople, professionals, councils, industry organisations and anyone else with relevant experience.
Frustratingly, the survey is only open for 11 days, and closes on 26 October 2026.
Members are encouraged to contribute directly to the consultation. To do so, head to the consultation website and answer the survey: Click Here.
Members can also provide feedback directly to SPASA via email to Ben Makepeace, Policy Manager: [email protected], and SPASA will make a submission on those members’ behalf.
If members do make their own submissions, SPASA would appreciate receiving a copy to assist in its advocacy activities.
Members can download a copy of the survey questions: Click Here.