Group wants building industry revamp

By ANNE GIBSON

A new building lobby group is calling for a complete overhaul of the $6 billion-a-year construction industry to combat the leaky homes crisis.

The newly formed Construction Industry Council, representing 19 professional institutes, associations and groups, has recommended more stringent construction standards, better house design, more regular building inspections and a new accreditation system.

Its suggestions include:

* More on-site inspection of building work at critical stages of construction. "In particular, there may be a need to have a more stringent inspection regime for particular types of construction that pose a higher risk profile from leaking, for example, houses with flat roofs and no eaves," the council wrote.

* Recommending a new accreditation system "to ensure competency of practitioners in all sectors to undertake various levels of work scale and complexity".

"Such a scheme might include those who have responsibility for design, documentation, certification and construction."

* Changes to the building code. "Too often, the minimum standards imposed by the code have become the maximum."

* Raising the standard of housing design and giving home buyers more detailed documents.

"Customers should have available to them a checklist of procedures and requirements that they should ensure their architects, designers and builders comply with."

* A new cavity wall building system to allow a second line of defence against houses leaking.

* Developing a new builder audit and checking system to ensure the industry complies with existing rules.

* Introducing new training systems both theoretical and practical.

* Warning homeowners to take steps to safeguard themselves against rotting homes:

"Homeowners should ensure that those professionals providing them with expert advice on their home construction are properly qualified and belong to a professional organisation, which will have its own code of practice or ethics for its members."

* Pushing for a legislative overhaul and discussing with the Government's insolvency law team the need to find a solution to the practice of companies avoiding responsibility to customers or suppliers by closing down one venture then starting up under another name.

* Examining the possibility of requiring developers to post a bond to cover future obligations to home buyers and subcontractors.

The council also wants to smooth out the boom-and-bust nature of the construction cycle.

And it wants to talk to the Government about the economic environment which creates building booms and busts.

The new council grew out of the Construction Liaison Group, which has been running for 10 years.

Its chairman is Contractors Federation chief executive John Pfahlert of Wellington.

* If you have information about leaking buildings,
email the Herald or fax (09) 373-6421.

Further reading
Feature: Leaky buildings

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