In a significant move to combat the rising costs of construction and streamline the building process in New Zealand, the Minister of Building and Construction, Chris Penk, has announced a comprehensive shakeup of the building products sector. This initiative is poised to lower prices and increase the availability of high-quality building materials, potentially transforming the landscape of New Zealand’s construction industry.
The government’s plan involves a strategic overhaul of the Building Act, with a focus on eliminating the red tape that has long hindered the use of overseas building products.
By recognizing building product standards from trusted international jurisdictions, the government aims to reduce the time-consuming and costly process of verifying standards for new products.
One of the key changes includes requiring Building Consent Authorities to accept products that comply with specific overseas standards, provided they are equivalent to or exceed New Zealand’s own standards. This move is expected to significantly expedite the approval process for new building materials, fostering a more competitive market and offering builders a wider array of options.
The approval of building products certified through reputable certification schemes overseas will be streamlined. For instance, the recognition of the Australian WaterMark certification scheme could immediately grant access to over 200,000 products for use in New Zealand.
International Building Supplies exclusive partnership with AUPUP, the procurement arm of Vanke Group, China’s number one developer and Global Fortune 500 company, allows International Building Supplies direct access to an extensive network of over 8000 manufacturers of building materials.
This exclusive partnership enables International Building Supplies to extend unparalleled buying power, quality, and range to the New Zealand construction industry on a significant scale.
