Applying For Building Consent

When applying for a building consent we highly recommend applying through the Simpli portal. Simpli is a partnership between Central Government (Ministry of Business, Innovation & Employment) and Local Government (local councils) to improve performance, consistency and service delivery across the building consent system.

Alongside the new application forms, a comprehensive set of guides have been designed to support you to understand and complete the applications for building work. The guides and application forms are available on the Simpli website or alternatively can be found here.

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Step 1 – Prepare your building consent application

You must first prepare your building consent application, and include all required information and documentation.

The form must be completed in full, including the list of building code means of compliance; this should be completed by the designer.

Depending on the building consent work being done you may be required to provide additional information. Page 5-13 outlines these additional requirements. (Link to Building Consent Process Accepting and Processing Building Consents)

Ensure your application form is correct and complete.
It is important that all the sections are completed and information is provided on how the building work will comply with the building code. Applications will not be accepted if any of the information is missing. Mail applications will be returned by mail if not accepted.

Step 2 – Apply for a building consent

Next you will need to lodge your building consent application with us. The preferred method for Council is lodging your application online. Alternatively you can lodge at any Council Service Centre or via email.  Please note there is a $198.00 additional fee applicable to any Hard Copy Applications.

A reminder that if the application form is not filled out accurately and in full. It will not be accepted. The initial vetting check is for the content of the application only. There is a more detailed check for accuracy of the information supplied during processing. 

Building work cannot begin until the building consent is issued.

Step 3 - Processing Your application

Once you lodge a building consent application with us, we have 20 working days to process it. The application is checked for compliance with Council bylaws, District Plan and other legislation, such as vehicle access, earthworks, water reticulation, public drainage and, in the case of commercial premises, areas such as health, trade waste, Building Warrant of Fitness.

During this time we may request further information from you. If this happens, the 20-day clock is stopped.  When a response to an  RFI is received it will be checked for completeness  before the clock would restart.  For example, if five items were requested the BCA  would check that the number of items were present then start the clock before reviewing the received items for correctness.

Where an application includes a National Multiple-Use Approval (Multiproof) Certificate, the application must be processed within 10 working days. The clock may be stopped while waiting on information in response to a Request for Information.

The following are the Five Conditions that may be added to a consent:

Agents authorised by the BCA are entitled, at all times during normal working house or while building work is being done, to inspect the building work.

When building work has a specified intended life; the consent will specify certain conditions that must be complied with at the end of that specified life (for example, alteration, demolition, or removal).

When building on land subject to natural hazards there will be a condition that the building consent authority will notify the consent to the Registrar-General of Land which may result in an entry on the Record of Title.

When building over two (or more) allotments there will be a condition that the respective allotments must not be transferred or leased except in conjunction with each other. Note: this is only relevant when the allotments are held by the same owner in fee simple.

Section 67 of the Building Act 2004 allows Territorial Authorities to grant a building consent subject to waiver or modification of the Building Code. If a building consent is granted subject to a waiver or modification, the Territorial Authority must notify the Chief Executive of MBIE under section 68 of the Building Act 2004.

  • quality of drawings
  • incomplete forms
  • compliance with the Building Code is not clearly demonstrated
  • not all relevant approvals are included.

Step 4 – The outcome of your application

After we complete the processing and reach a technical decision, the clock stops. We then let you know the outcome and sent an invoice for any outstanding fees and charges.

If you applied online, you will receive the decision through your online account.

If you applied in person or by post, we will confirm your consent decision by email.

If the applicant wishes to disagree with a technical decision made by the Building Consent Authority, they may seek a Determination from the Ministry Building Innovation and Employment (MBIE) using this link.

Step 5 – Issuing your building consent

Once your application has been processed, Council are satisfied on reasonable grounds that it meets all provisions of the Building Code and all fees and charges are paid, we will grant and issue your building consent.

Please ensure you read your building consent documentation.Your building consent contains a Required Items Checklist with useful information about matters which you need to comply with while undertaking your building project.

The Required Items Checklist will also contain a list of inspections required to be made by Building Officers during the building work and a list of documents required from all trades involved. The identified specialists must provide documentation of the inspections they undertake in support of their producer statement.

You can also find additional information on Building inspections here.

Step 6 – Start your building work

Once we issue the building consent, the building work must start within 12 months, unless we agree to an extension.

  • building consent application number
  • project location
  • progress to date
  • anticipated completion date
  • reason for extension

You must send the extension of time request to commence or complete work should be made in writing to the Team Leader Building Services, Tararua District Council, PO Box 115, Dannevirke 4942.

Step 7 – Inspections

The purpose of inspections is to examine whether the work being carried out meets building code standard.

When performing an Inspection, the Building Consent Officer will seek to verify that the building is constructed according to the Consented Documents.

When performing an Inspection, the Building Consent Officer will record their observations on an Inspection Checklist. Including whether the inspection has been passed or failed.

You can find more information and book an inspection here.

Step 8 – Issue a Code Compliance Certificate

After the final inspection has passed, you will need to formally apply for a Code Compliance Certificate via the Simpli Portal. A Code Compliance Certificate means that the building work complies with the Building Code and the Building Consent. Without a Code Compliance Certificate you may experience difficulties insuring your property or selling it in the future.

When applying for a Code Compliance Certificate the applicant must submit all required documentation as specified on the Consent and required plans must have sufficient detail.

It is a requirement of Section 93 of the Building Act that the BCA make a decision at 24 months from the granting of consent whether or not to issue the Code Compliance Certificate.

If the BCA has not been able to establish that the work has been completed to the extent required by the consent, the Code Compliance Certificate will be refused.

If you believe you are not going to complete the project within the 24 month period, an application for an extension of time can be applied for prior to the 24 month date. You must explain clearly why the project has not been completed. The BCA will consider the application and decide if an extension of time is justified or not.

The Building Consent Authority must be “Satisfied on Reasonable Grounds” (s94 of the Building Act 2004) that if constructed according to the consented documents the building will comply with the Building Act 2004 and the Building Code.

If the applicant wishes to disagree with a technical decision made by the Building Consent Authority, they may seek a Determination from the Ministry Building Innovation and Employment (MBIE) using this link.

  • Completed Code Compliance Application Form
  • Memorandum of Licensed Building Practitioners – Record of Work (for each type of building work completed) * Certificates relating to energy work
  • Evidence that specified systems are capable of performing to the performance standards set out in the building consent (if changed from the building consent)
  • Other documents from personnel who carried out the work

Making a Complaint

If during this process you feel our team has not held upheld their requirements as a Building Concent Authority you are able to make a formal complaint.

Please ensure that all complaints are made in writing, and relate to the BCA’s performance of its building control functions. Where complaints are received verbally, the complainant is asked to put the complaint in writing.

An initial response will be provided within 2 working days to acknowledge the complaint and advise a timeframe for investigation and response.

Our team will endeavour to provide an outcome of our investigation in writing within two weeks of the complaint being received. If the nature of the complaint is such that further time is required to investigate it the Manager - Regulatory Services will advise the complainant of the new timeframe.

Please send your written complaints via mail to:

TARARUA DISTRICT COUNCIL,
PO Box 115,
Dannevirke, New Zealand
ATT: Building Consent Authority

Alternatively, you can reach us via email: make a complaint