Improving building standards in New Zealand
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Statistics sourced from the latest Census relating to the building industry make sobering reading for any prospective home owner. The collected responses indicate that, as at 2001, only 30% of those contractors working within the construction field described themselves as “qualified.” This is a situation that both the Government and its appointed training partner, the Building and Construction Industry Training Organisation (BCITO) are focused on rectifying. To this end, they are introducing a code of licensing relating to correct building practices and competencies. This building licensing arrangement will take effect on a voluntary basis from 2007, leading up to a mandatory adoption of its directives from 2009. Sovereign Homes is one Group Home Builder that is taking this development seriously by preparing for it now. “We require every contractor we work with to engage with the BCITO,” says Sovereign's Brian Donald. “At the base level, they must be qualified in both Structural Elements and Waterproofing.” This requirement involves construction professionals across a range of disciplines, including:
Pieter Burghout of the BCITO believes better training and an overall lift in professional standards can only be good for the industry and its consumers alike. “Consumers have a right to feel confident that the home they pay good money for has been built by competent tradespeople. Equally, those competent tradespeople have a right to be recognised and rewarded for the greater skills they provide.” If you want to be sure that your builder is as qualified as they need to be, simply ask them what plans they have in place to meet the requirements of the new licensing laws. These laws are your protection against the effects of shoddy workmanship in the future.
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