Read the Go Ahead newsletter to get building and property services information updates.

List of new building consent exemptions available

New building consent exemptions came into effect on 31 August 2020.

For information on exempted building work, visit building.govt.nz(external link), the Council web page or go to the NZ legislation website(external link).

Note: All work must comply with the building code and any other legislation or regulations (in particular the district plan(external link)) even if a building consent is not required.

Information we need about your specified systems

We’ve developed guidance [DOCX, 66 KB] and a template [DOCX, 66 KB] to help you provide the details we need with your building consent application about the specified systems.

Applications for a building consent need to include compliance schedule information for:

  • a new building with any specified systems
  • building work in an existing building that includes modifying or adding to the specified systems that would require an amendment to an existing compliance schedule

The compliance schedule lists the building’s specified systems, their performance standards and the inspection, maintenance and reporting procedures needed to keep them in good order.

You need to provide details of the design features of any specified systems and the proposed procedures for inspection, maintenance and reporting.

New online street numbering form

We have introduced an online street numbering form to make it easier when applying for a new address, additional address or to update a street address.

Enable and Orion will not process any new connections without a plan approved by us.

Submitted forms are received by the street numbering team and we’ll get back to you within five working days.

For enquiries relating to the online form, please email: streetnumbering@ccc.govt.nz.

Building consenting fee changes

Some of our fees have changed following the adoption of the 2020/21 Annual Plan. The changed fees came into effect from 28 July 2020.

Exemptions

There are now three fixed fee types for exemptions.

  1. Residential exemptions: $590
  2. Commercial exemptions: $800
  3. Marquee exemptions: $490

Building warrant of fitness, compliance schedule

A revised fee for ‘application for amendment to a compliance schedule’ and the descriptions for this are:

  • Application for amendment to a compliance schedule: $125 Plus $40 per system (New)
  • Annual base fee for administering a Building warrant of fitness (BWOF): $125
  • Annual variable fee for administering a Building warrant of fitness (BWOF) per system*: $40
  • Issue compliance schedule or amended compliance with code compliance certificate: $200
  • BWOF audit fee: $250

Property file services

When you order a copy of an electronic file, there are now two separate charges, one for commercial files and one for residential: 

  • Electronic residential property file: $30
  • Electronic commercial property file: $60

 

To view our full fee schedule, visit building consents fees or regulatory and property information services fees

Minimum floor level requirements

Within our district there are two minimum floor level requirements established from flood modelling and other available data.

The minimum floor level to meet the building code is established by calculating the modelled flood level for a one in 50 year event on a property and adding a 400mm freeboard. This requirement applies only to buildings with the classified use of housing, communal residential and communal non-residential buildings.

The district plan requires a minimum floor level for a new building if the property is within a Flood Management Area (FMA). The district plan minimum floor level may take precedence over the building code level.

Minimum floor level requirements for a property may change as new information affects flood modelling.

The minimum floor level to meet the building code is determined based on the best available information when you apply for a building consent. We recommend you recheck the minimum floor level during the planning and design process to ensure you are using the latest information.

During a resource consent assessment, we don't check the minimum floor level against the building code requirements so it is important you understand what is required before you apply.

If your site is in the District Plan Flood Management Area, the floor level can be fixed to provide more certainty for design. If this is in the Fixed Minimum Floor Level Overlay, the Flood Management Area requirements are automatically fixed by the District Plan and permitted activity floor levels cannot alter without a change to the District Plan.

Elsewhere in the District Plan Flood Management Area, the minimum floor level requirement can be fixed for two years by obtaining a Minimum Floor Level Certificate. This does not mean the minimum floor level will automatically meet the building code requirements, so it pays to check that both requirements will still be met.

Check if your property is in the District Plan Flood Management Area and the Fixed Minimum Floor Level Overlay(external link).

For properties in the District Plan Flood Management Area, but outside the Fixed Minimum Floor Level Overlay, you can apply for a Minimum Floor Level Certificate [PDF, 135 KB].

Check if the floor level requirements for your property have been released on the floor level map. If they’re not shown, you can request them by emailing floorlevels@ccc.govt.nz.

Our website has other information regarding Floor level requirements.

For guidance on how minimum floor level requirements apply to your project: