Issue 30 - December 2018

Information is key

As an industry you'll know that filling out applications forms can be a bit of a pain. However ensuring that you have completed your application in full and it has accurate information, is one of the most important components of the consent process.

When you are completing your application forms either online or hard copy, please take the time to check it over and that you are providing all necessary information before you submit it to council.
You can access more info from these pages:

https://www.timaru.govt.nz/services/building
https://www.timaru.govt.nz/services/building/building-consents/forms-and-checklists

Christmas 2018

We have made it to the end of another year and for many of us the chance to have a well deserved break!

As many of you will know the business day clock stops on the 20th December 2018 and starts again on the 10th January 2019 in accordance with the Building Act.

My team and I will also be having a break over this time with some back on the 3rd and most back on the 7th.
Our ability to carry out inspections over this time prior to the 7th will be limited and therefore I suggest booking your inspection from the 7th onwards.

We have enjoyed providing building services to the industry and community over the year, so on behalf of the building team I wish you all a very happy and safe holiday period and look forward to catching up with you in the new year ready to do great things for our district.

Keeping you up to date

We want to make you feel informed along the consent process, so application information can now can be accessed via the council’s web site here: Application Search

You can enter your consent number (from the acknowledgement letter) and this will show the “Tasks” that have been either completed or still in action. Should you wish to contact us with regards to your consent you can email david.williams@timdc.govt.nz or phone 03 687 7236.

Producer Statements

Producer statements have an important place in the building and construction industry. These documents (an alternative solution) can be used as a means of compliance and a tool for the BCA to be satisfied on reasonable grounds. However they are not a “given” as the BCA will only accept them if certain situations and specific criteria have been met.

Please make sure that when you submit a producer statement, or you incorporate it with the building consent application, they are completed in full, identify the relevant code clauses and that the author of the statement is suitably qualified and authorised to provide it.

Code Compliance Certificate (CCC)

A code compliance certificate or CCC is one of the most important documents you can ever have. The CCC is confirmation that your building work has been completed in accordance with your consent.

However there are many consents within our district that do not have their CCC issued, of which many building owners will be unaware.

This can result in a number of issues from insurance claims being denied to council refusing to issue CCC due to the amount of time that has elapsed. Therefore it is very important that you apply for you CCC as soon as you can once the building work has been completed.

Other updates

EARTHQUAKE-PRONE BUILDINGS UPDATE:

The Timaru District Council has just finished the public consultation process for determining the priority thoroughfares and strategic routes of the district.

This means that we can now (in the new year) start the process of identifying priority buildings that are potentially earthquake-prone and contacting their owners.

This will involve a lot of work and will keep my team very busy over the next few years as they work through this process. If you are a building owner and you have questions on how this process will affect you, please feel free to contact Jonathan Craig on 03 687 7264 or jonathan.craig@timdc.govt.nz and he will be able to provide the help and guidance you will need.

>SWIMMING POOLS:

We are well underway with the 3 year cycle of inspecting the safety features of pools and pool fencing. There are approximately 470 pools within our district that require an inspection by council and we are well on track to ensure they are all inspected by January 2020.

If you are a pool owner and you have been contacted by my team you will be aware of how this process works and if not we will be in contact with you within the next 12 months. To help with this process it is a good idea to check out you pool fencing to make sure that it is compliant prior to the inspection.

For details of these requirements you can visit;
https://www.timaru.govt.nz/services/building/residential-pool-safety

Building Advisory Office

The Timaru District Council’s Building Advisory Service is a unique and valuable free service that is available to the public during normal business hours, 5 days a week. The purpose of this service is to provide information relating to buildings and building consent matters.

The staff have a vast range of knowledge and if they can’t immediately help with your enquiry, they will investigate and get back to you promptly. You can contact the Building Advisory office on 03 687 7236 or email david.williams@timdc.govt.nz or you can call in during normal business hours.

Final Thoughts

"Simple ideas are easier to understand,
"Ideas that are easier to understand are repeated,
"Ideas that are repeated change the world."

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