Build better newsletter February 2024

The Objective Build Portal is up and running. There are definitely a few nuances to get our heads around, just like any new system. Please keep feeding back anything that is weird and wonderful as we will continue to work with Objective if things are not working well for industry. Known issues are listed below and fixes are in place:

CCC Refused status – this was stopping any further work on the application in Objective Build. This has now been fixed so you will be able to continue with the existing CCC application no matter the status.

Uploading documents – we have added required documents (other) for miscellaneous documents and photos if required.

CCC applications when the BC is older than 2016 – flick us an email or give us a call before you complete your application in Objective Build. We will push the BC through to Objective Build so you have the consent to link to.

As far as migration goes, it was very successful and we are enjoying the new functionality this system gives us. We hope, once you are used to using it, that you will enjoy as much as we do.

Phew! What a headline!

Council is receiving a number of applications where the Certificate of Design Work is incorrectly completed or for building work that is not restricted building work.

Restricted building work relates to residential construction and design, for certain houses and small to medium apartment buildings. It applies to new construction, or alterations to an existing building.

For the purposes of restricted building work a house is a free-standing, fully detached building consisting of a single residential unit. It does not include detached garages, sheds or commercial applications.

Restricted building work includes:

• The primary structure
• External moisture management systems
• Design of fire safety systems (for small to medium apartment buildings)

For a full list of definitions refer to the Building (Definition of Restricted Building Work) Order 2011
The most common mistakes we see from licensed building practitioners when completing the Certificate of Design Work are the following:

General

Please ensure all restricted building work involved within the project is identified on the form, and details of the restricted building work are completed.

External moisture management systems

Ventilation system: For the purposes of restricted building work this relates to subfloor ventilation, roof and wall cladding cavities etc. It does not include mechanical ventilation for bathrooms, laundries, kitchens etc.
Water proofing: For the purposes of restricted building work this relates to external waterproofing such as tanking of basements, membrane decks and membrane roofs. It does not include internal waterproofing such as wet areas, or wet area showers.

Fire safety systems

The design of fire safety systems is only restricted building work when it involves small to medium apartment buildings. It is not restricted building work when it relates to a single residential unit.
For the purposes of restricted building work, a small to medium apartment building contains two or more residential units, does not contain commercial facilities, and is less than 10m in height.
It is a requirement under the NZ Building Act 2004, Section 45(2) & 45(3) that a certificate of design work accompanies a building consent application which contains restricted building work, therefore it is important the certificate correctly identifies all restricted building work involved in the project and is completed correctly.
As always, we are here to help, so if you are unsure or would like some guidance, flick us an email or give us a call.

We’ve had a few instances where builders are being advised to start building work and no building consent has actually been issued. This can be costly and create a number of issues, particularly when you try to book your first inspection.

The new Objective Build portal has an area where the agent can assign the builder to the consent and allow them access to view all the paperwork including the issued building consent and inspection site notices. It’s a great idea to ask for these permissions so you can keep track of where the consent is at.

I would also recommend asking for a copy of the building consent prior to putting the first peg in the ground.

Our Environmental Planning team are running hot at the moment with a lot of changes to come.

Council is running a plan change to implement the Code of Practice (CoP) in the SDC District Plan. Upon the implementation of the CoP, SDC’s Subdivision, Land Use and Development Bylaw 2012 will be revoked. We expect to finalise this process in early 2025.

The CoP is a document which;

• sets out network asset design and construction requirements for SDC
• seeks to ensure subdivision, land use and development within the Southland District takes place in an environmentally, socially and culturally sustainable manner whilst balancing the need to be technically robust.

Landscapes

The landscapes project aims to help protect some of the incredible natural spaces in Southland for future generations and comply with national legislative requirements. Areas are being identified via expert reports and through engagement with communities, iwi and interested parties. We expect to start a formal process to change the SDC District Plan to reflect this later in the year.

National planning standards

The team are working to create consistency with what other councils are doing across New Zealand. They are implementing a new mapping system to make viewing the rules applicable to your property easier. This is on track to be released in April this year.

If you have any questions for the team, you can email dp@southlanddc.govt.nz or phone on 0800 732 732.

LINZ have communicated a change to what you use for cadastral survey data from 1 July 2024. Please ensure you are familiar with this upcoming change. You can read more about this here.