Building Consent Liability Reform: Government Rewrite

Hear’s a summary of‍ the article, focusing on the key points:

New Zealand government to Change Building Liability Laws

The New Zealand government is planning to change the laws around building ⁣defects and ⁣consents to address delays and rising costs in the construction industry. Here’s a breakdown:

Problem: The current “joint and several liability” system means that councils ⁤can be held fully responsible for all building defects, even if they onyl contributed a small part. This makes them hesitant to approve consents and inspections, leading to ⁤delays and increased building costs (50% higher than in Australia). Proposed Solution: The government will introduce a bill to move to “proportionate liability,” where each party ⁤involved in a building project is only‍ responsible for the portion of‍ work they carried out.
Impact: This aims to reduce⁣ the financial risk for councils and encourage them to approve projects more quickly.It’s intended to ease the cost burden on ratepayers.
Owner Protection: The government says building owners will still