30 May 2006

Review of the Building Code welcomed

Auckland City welcomes the recently announced review of the Building Code as an opportunity to encourage development that will meet the needs of a growing city.

The Government this week launched a review of the 15-year-old Building Code, which sets the performance-based standards for building design and construction.

Auckland City's principal building officer, Bob de Leur, says the building industry has advanced at pace over the past decade and the current Building Code needs a revamp.

"We welcome this review and the opportunity it provides to bring in new standards and targets which are better suited to the modern building environment and sustainable development.

"Auckland is New Zealand's biggest city and that means a large proportion of future development will occur here, so the council has a major interest in this review.

"We want to see a new Building Code which works for the city and helps us to see quality urban design that is future-proofed for Auckland's growing population," Mr de Leur says.

The council will make a submission on the Government's document, "Building for the 21st Century - Review of the Building Code".

Mr de Leur says Auckland City has already indicated its desire to see new standards introduced around the construction of apartments.

"We'd like to see minimum standards introduced for the size of apartments, controls around noise exposure and targets for the provision of living space in apartments.

"There's also room to introduce controls across the wider urban environment to provide for the protection of natural light for properties and to see a higher level of energy efficiency becoming a requirement in new homes," Mr de Leur says.

He says the review will take some time, but says it is important to get the standards right so that the new Building Code meets the needs of the industry for many years to come.

The council has until 31 August to make a submission on the review of the Building Code.

ENDS

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