Parliament bill

Building and Construction Sector (Self-certification by Plumbers and Drainlayers) Amendment Bill

Royal assent · Introduced by Hon Chris Penk · National Party

Last checked
July 15, 2026 15:51
Source captured
July 15, 2026 15:51
Source
View on Parliament.nz

What this bill does

The bill passed its third reading 101–21; the vote was not unanimous. According to the Minister, building-consent inspections can delay plumbing and drainlaying work and add costs, particularly where building consent authorities have limited capacity. The bill aims to offer an optional faster pathway for eligible plumbing and drainlaying work while retaining oversight of higher-risk work. The bill lets Board-endorsed plumbers and drainlayers certify specified work as meeting a building consent. Owners provide the certificate when seeking code compliance, and the building consent authority must accept it for that work rather than inspect it; the Board sets standards and can audit, suspend, or cancel endorsements.

AI-assisted summary based on the bill text and linked Hansard debates.

Latest voting result

May 27, 2026
Third reading: Passed Party vote

Ayes 101 · Noes 21

  • National Party Aye · 48 votes
  • Labour Party Aye · 34 votes
  • ACT Party Aye · 11 votes
  • NZ First Party Aye · 8 votes
  • Green Party No · 15 votes
  • Te Pāti Māori No · 4 votes
  • Ferris, Tākuta No
  • Kapa-Kingi, Mariameno No

View the vote in Hansard

Earlier votes (1)

April 23, 2026

Second reading: Passed Party vote

Ayes 102 · Noes 21

  • National Party Aye · 49 votes
  • Labour Party Aye · 34 votes
  • ACT Party Aye · 11 votes
  • NZ First Party Aye · 8 votes
  • Green Party No · 15 votes
  • Te Pāti Māori No · 5 votes
  • Ferris, Tākuta No

Arguments raised in Parliament

AI-assisted summary of the linked Hansard debates. Each point is grounded in the cited transcript.

Arguments for

Qualified plumbers and drainlayers can replace building-consent-authority inspections with self-certification, saving practitioners, councils, and building owners time and money.

Building consent authorities can redirect limited inspection resources from eligible plumbing and drainlaying work to higher-risk work, improving regulatory efficiency.

The Plumbers, Gasfitters, and Drainlayers Board can audit self-certifiers and discipline defective practice, which is intended to preserve oversight and consumer confidence after routine inspections are removed.

Rural and provincial building owners can avoid delays caused by inspector travel and availability when endorsed practitioners self-certify eligible work.

Arguments against

Homeowners may be left with expensive latent defects because plumbing failures can be hidden underground or in walls and the bill does not itself require practitioners to keep insurance current.

Nuance and qualifications

The scheme reallocates rather than removes building-consent-authority oversight, because councils still assess plumbing and drainlaying design against the building code before granting consent.

Building owners and businesses retain a choice to use ordinary building-consent-authority inspections instead of self-certification, trading potential speed and savings for direct council assurance.

Bill text

Building and Construction Sector (Self-certification by Plumbers and Drainlayers) Amendment Bill

Version published May 26, 2026 00:00.

Building and Construction Sector (Self-certification by Plumbers and Drainlayers) Amendment Bill The Parliament of New Zealand enacts as follows: 1 Title This Act is the Building and Construction Sector (Self-certification by Plumbers and Drainlayers) Amendment Act 2025 . 2 Commencement This Act comes into force on 30 June 2026. However, sections 16 , 38(1) and (2) , 39 to 41 , 44, and 45 46 and section 18 , as it relates to section 87AI of the Plumbers, Gasfitters, and Drainlayers Act 2006, come into force on the day after Royal assent. 3 Principal Act This Part amends the Building Act 2004. 4 Section 7 amended (Interpretation) In section 7(1), insert in their appropriate alphabetical order: certificate of compliance means a certificate of compliance issued under section 87AD of the Plumbers, Gasfitters, and Drainlayers Act 2006 self-certifiable drainlaying has the meaning given in regulations made under section 172 of the Plumbers, Gasfitters, and Drainlayers Act 2006 self-certifiable drainlaying has the meaning given in section 4 of the Plumbers, Gasfitters, and Drainlayers Act 2006 self-certifiable plumbing has the meaning given in regulations made under section 172 of the Plu…
Read full bill text
Building and Construction Sector (Self-certification by Plumbers and Drainlayers) Amendment Bill The Parliament of New Zealand enacts as follows: 1 Title This Act is the Building and Construction Sector (Self-certification by Plumbers and Drainlayers) Amendment Act 2025 . 2 Commencement This Act comes into force on 30 June 2026. However, sections 16 , 38(1) and (2) , 39 to 41 , 44, and 45 46 and section 18 , as it relates to section 87AI of the Plumbers, Gasfitters, and Drainlayers Act 2006, come into force on the day after Royal assent. 3 Principal Act This Part amends the Building Act 2004. 4 Section 7 amended (Interpretation) In section 7(1), insert in their appropriate alphabetical order: certificate of compliance means a certificate of compliance issued under section 87AD of the Plumbers, Gasfitters, and Drainlayers Act 2006 self-certifiable drainlaying has the meaning given in regulations made under section 172 of the Plumbers, Gasfitters, and Drainlayers Act 2006 self-certifiable drainlaying has the meaning given in section 4 of the Plumbers, Gasfitters, and Drainlayers Act 2006 self-certifiable plumbing has the meaning given in regulations made under section 172 of the Plumbers, Gasfitters, and Drainlayers Act 2006 self-certifiable plumbing has the meaning given in section 4 of the Plumbers, Gasfitters, and Drainlayers Act 2006 self-certification endorsed plumber or drainlayer has the meaning given in section 4 of the Plumbers, Gasfitters, and Drainlayers Act 2006 5 Section 45 amended (How to apply for building consent) After section 45(1)(bc), insert: bd if the building work includes self-certifiable plumbing or self-certifiable drainlaying work (whether or not the building work includes other sanitary plumbing or drainlaying) and the applicant wishes to rely on section 94(2)(aa) ,— i state the name of each self-certification endorsed plumber or drainlayer who will do, assist in doing, or supervise the self-certifiable plumbing or self-certifiable drainlaying work that is the subject of the application if they are engaged at the time of the application; and ii be accompanied by a declaration— A in the form approved by the chief executive (if any) stating that the plumbing or drainlaying work is self-certifiable plumbing or self-certifiable drainlaying work; and B given by a self-certification endorsed plumber or drainlayer, registered architect, or chartered professional engineer, or by a licensed building practitioner who is licensed in a class designated in regulations made under section 285 to carry out or supervise design work; and i state that the applicant wishes to rely on section 94(2)(aa) ; and ii state the name of each self-certification endorsed plumber or drainlayer who will do, assist in doing, or supervise the self-certifiable plumbing or self-certifiable drainlaying work that is the subject of the application (if they are engaged at the time of the application); and After section 45(1), insert: 1A A declaration provided under subsection (1)(bd)(ii) does not, in itself,— a create any liability in relation to any matter to which the declaration relates; or b give rise to any civil liability to the owner that would not otherwise exist if the person giving the declaration were not required to give the declaration. 6 Section 49 amended (Grant of building consent) After section 49(1), insert: 1A A building consent authority may only grant a building consent in relation to plumbing or drainlaying work for which the application is made in reliance on section 94(2)(aa) if— a a self-certification endorsed plumber or drainlayer will do, assist in doing, or supervise the work; and b the building consent authority is satisfied on reasonable grounds that the work is self-certifiable plumbing or self-certifiable drainlaying work. 7 New section 89A inserted (Owner must notify names of self-certification endorsed plumbers or drainlayers engaged in building work) After section 89, insert: 89A Owner must notify names of self-certification endorsed plumbers or drainlayers engaged in building work 1 The owner must, as soon as practicable, give the building consent authority written notice of the name of every self-certification endorsed plumber or drainlayer who— a will issue a certificate of compliance in relation to the plumbing or drainlaying work; and b was not stated in the application for the building consent under section 45(1)(bd) . 2 After any self-certifiable plumbing or self-certifiable drainlaying work commences under a building consent, the owner must give the building consent authority a written notice if— a a self-certification endorsed plumber or drainlayer who was included in the application for a building consent under section 45(1)(bd) ceases to be engaged in relation to the self-certifiable plumbing or self-certifiable drainlaying work under the building consent; or b another self-certification endorsed plumber or drainlayer is engaged to do, assist in doing, or supervise the self-certifiable plumbing or self-certifiable drainlaying work and will issue a certificate of compliance in relation to that building work. 3 The notice under subsection (2) must— a state whether either or both of the circumstances specified in subsection (2)(a) and (b) apply; and b be given as soon as practicable; and c name the other self-certification endorsed plumbers or drainlayers concerned (if any). 8 Section 92 amended (Application for code compliance certificate) After section 92(3A), insert: 3B The application under subsection (1) must be accompanied by a certificate of compliance issued by a self-certification endorsed plumber or drainlayer, and any prescribed supporting documents, if the application for the applicable building consent relied on section 45(1)(bd) . 9 Section 94 amended (Matters for consideration by building consent authority in deciding issue of code compliance certificate) After section 94(2)(a), insert: aa must accept a certificate of compliance issued by a self-certification endorsed plumber or drainlayer in relation to self-certifiable plumbing or self-certifiable drainlaying work as establishing that the work to which the certificate applies complies with the building consent; and After section 94(3), insert: 3A If the owner fails to provide a building consent authority with a certificate of compliance in relation to self-certifiable plumbing or self-certifiable drainlaying work for which a building consent has been granted under section 49(1A) , the failure is a sufficient reason for the building consent authority to refuse to issue a code compliance certificate in respect of the self-certifiable plumbing or self-certifiable drainlaying work. 3B If a building consent application under section 45 did not rely upon subsection (2)(aa) , the building consent authority may not rely on subsection (2)(aa) when deciding whether to issue a code compliance certificate. 11 Section 216 amended (Territorial authority must keep information about buildings) After section 216(2)(b)(ivb), insert: ivc certificates of compliance: 11A Section 238A amended (Information to be supplied by stand-alone building consent authority) After section 238A(3)(c)(iv), insert: v certificates of compliance (where relevant): 12 Section 392 amended (Building consent authority not liable) After section 392(1)(ca), insert: cb a certificate of compliance issued by a self-certification endorsed plumber or drainlayer under section 87AD of the Plumbers, Gasfitters, and Drainlayers Act 2006: 13 Schedule 1AA amended In Schedule 1AA ,— a insert the Part set out in Schedule 1 of this Act as the last Part; and b make all necessary consequential amendments. 14 Principal Act This Part amends the Plumbers, Gasfitters, and Drainlayers Act 2006. 15 Section 4 amended (Interpretation) In section 4, insert in their appropriate alphabetical order: endorsement means an endorsement that a person is a self-certification endorsed plumber or drainlayer under section 51D self-certifiable drainlaying has the meaning given in regulations made under section 172 self-certifiable plumbing has the meaning given in regulations made under section 172 self-certification endorsed plumber or drainlayer means a person endorsed as a self-certification endorsed plumber or drainlayer under section 51D In section 4, definition of register , after requires, the register kept under , insert Part 2AA or . 16 Section 30 amended (Board may prescribe other registration and licensing matters) After section 30(1)(c), insert: ca prescribe the terms and conditions subject to which endorsements are granted; and After section 30(1)(d), insert: da prescribe the minimum standards that persons must meet in order to obtain an endorsement as a self-certification endorsed plumber or drainlayer, which must include standards relating to technical competency, experience, ability to meet potential civil liability, and business and administrative practices; and 17 New sections 51A to 51H and cross-heading inserted After section 51, insert: Obtaining endorsement for self-certification 51A Requirements for self-certification endorsement A registered person may be endorsed as a self-certification endorsed plumber or drainlayer if the person satisfies the Board that they— a hold a current practising licence as required by the Board; and b have complied with the application requirements in section 51B ; and c meet the minimum standards for endorsement ( see section 30(1)(da) ); and d are not precluded from holding an endorsement because of any action taken by the Board under section 106; and e have paid the prescribed fee (if any). 51B Applications for self-certification endorsement 1 An application for an endorsement must— a be sent or delivered to the Registrar; and b be in the form required by the Board; and c contain, or be accompanied by, the information and documentation required by the Board; and d be accompanied by the prescribed fee (if any). 2 The Registrar must refer any application received by the Registrar under this section to the Board for consideration under section 51C . 51C Board to consider application 1 The Board must consider each application for an endorsement as soon as practicable after receiving it. 2 In considering an application for an endorsement, the Board must,— a if the applicant has previously had their endorsement cancelled or suspended, have regard to the reasons for that cancellation or suspension; and b observe the rules of natural justice; and c without limiting those rules, give the applicant— i notice of any matter that might result in the application being declined; and ii a reasonable opportunity to make submissions to the Board on the matter. 51D Board may endorse practising licence or decline application 1 If the Board is satisfied that the applicant may be endorsed under section 51A , the Board may endorse the applicant’s practising licence and must then— a notify the applicant in writing of the endorsement; and b notify the applicant in writing of any terms and conditions of the endorsement under section 51E ; and c direct the Registrar to enter details of the endorsement on the applicant’s practising licence in the register. 2 If the Board declines to grant an endorsement to the applicant, the Board must notify the applicant in writing of— a the Board’s decision; and b the Board’s reasons for declining the application; and c the applicant’s right of appeal to the District Court against the decision. 3 As soon as practicable after receiving the Board’s direction under subsection (1) , the Registrar must enter details of the applicant’s endorsement in the register. 4 Despite subsection (1) , if any fee or other money payable to the Board under this Act by the applicant has not been paid, the Board may refuse to grant their endorsement until that fee or other money is paid. 51E Endorsement subject to terms and conditions 1 An endorsement is subject to any terms and conditions that the Board thinks fit. 2 The terms and conditions may include, for example,— a terms and conditions of the kind referred to in section 30: b a condition that imposes limits on the circumstances in which a particular self-certification endorsed plumber or drainlayer may do, assist in doing, or supervise work: c a condition that imposes limits on the work that a particular self-certification endorsed plumber or drainlayer may do, or assist in doing, or supervise under the endorsement. 3 The conditions referred to in subsection (2)(b) and (c) may be in addition to, or instead of, any other limits that would apply in respect of an endorsement. 4 The Board may, by written notice to a self-certification endorsed plumber or drainlayer, revoke, amend, or add to any term or condition imposed under subsection (1) . Duration and renewal of self-certification endorsement 51F Duration of self-certification endorsement 1 An endorsement must specify the date on which it expires. 2 The date of expiry must not be later than 3 years after the date on which an endorsement was granted or renewed. 3 An endorsement continues in force until the date of its expiry unless sooner suspended or cancelled. 51G Applications for renewal of self-certification endorsement 1 An application for the renewal of an endorsement— a must not be made earlier than 3 months before the endorsement expires; and b must be sent or delivered to the Registrar; and c must be in the form required by the Board; and d must contain, or be accompanied by, the information and documentation required by the Board; and e must be accompanied by the prescribed fee (if any). 2 The Registrar must refer the application to the Board for consideration under section 51H . 3 If the application is made before the endorsement’s date of expiry but the endorsement has not been renewed before that date of expiry, the endorsement continues in force until the application is determined. 51H Renewal of self-certification endorsement 1 The Board may renew a self-certification endorsed plumber’s or drainlayer’s endorsement if the Board is satisfied that— a the applicant has complied with the application requirements in section 51G ; and b the applicant meets the current minimum standards for endorsement prescribed under section 30(1)(da) ; and c there is no reason to believe that the applicant has breached any term or condition of the endorsement during the period before the endorsement is renewed; and d the applicant is not precluded from having their endorsement renewed because of any action taken by the Board under section 106. 2 If the Board renews a person’s endorsement, the Board must direct the Registrar to— a record the renewal of the applicant’s endorsement for the period (not exceeding 3 years) that the Board thinks fit; and b notify the applicant in writing of the Board’s decision; and c notify the applicant in writing of any terms and conditions on the endorsement; and d enter details of the renewal of the endorsement in the register. 3 If the Board does not renew a person’s endorsement, the Board must notify the applicant of— a the Board’s decision; and b the applicant’s right of appeal to the District Court against the decision. 4 Despite subsection (1) , if any fee or other money payable to the Board under this Act by the applicant has not been paid, the Board may refuse to renew their endorsement until that fee or other money is paid. 17A New section 56A and cross-heading inserted After section 56, insert: Audit of self-certification endorsed plumbers and drainlayers 56A Board may audit self-certification endorsed plumbers and drainlayers 1 The Board may audit a self-certification endorsed plumber or drainlayer at any time. 2 The audit must be for 1 or more of the following purposes: a to establish that the self-certification endorsed plumber or drainlayer meets the minimum standards for endorsement, as prescribed under section 30(1)(da) : b to establish that the self-certification endorsed plumber or drainlayer is complying with any terms and conditions prescribed under section 30(1)(ca) or imposed on their endorsement under section 51E : c in relation to any certificate of compliance issued by the self-certification endorsed plumber or drainlayer, to establish that the plumber or drainlayer— i made an assessment that the self-certifiable plumbing or self-certifiable drainlaying work was carried out in accordance with the relevant building consent; and ii that assessment was made in accordance with the standard reasonably to be expected of a self-certification endorsed plumber or drainlayer. 3 For the purpose of conducting the audit, the Board may, by written notice served on the self-certification endorsed plumber or drainlayer, require the plumber or drainlayer to— a produce for inspection, within any reasonable period that the Board may specify, any document or class of document in the possession or under the control of the plumber or drainlayer: b provide, within any reasonable period that the Board may specify, any information or class of information that the Board may require. 4 The Board may take copies of, or extracts from, any of the documents referred to in subsection (3) . 5 Every person who is required to supply information or documents to the Board has the same privileges in relation to the supply of the information or documents as witnesses have in any court. 18 New Part 2AA inserted After section 87, insert: 2AA Self-certification of self-certifiable plumbing and drainlaying 87AA Purpose of this Part The purpose of this Part is to regulate the activities of self-certification endorsed plumbers and drainlayers in order to ensure the purposes of this Act are achieved. 87AB Interpretation of this Part In this Part, unless the context otherwise requires, perform , in relation to self-certifiable plumbing or self-certifiable drainlaying work, means to do, assist in doing, or supervise that work. 87AC Self-certification endorsement required A registered person may issue a certificate of compliance for any self-certifiable plumbing or self-certifiable drainlaying work only if— a they are a self-certification endorsed plumber or drainlayer; and b they performed the work while being a self-certification endorsed plumber or drainlayer. Issuing of certificate of compliance 87AD Issuing of certificate of compliance 1 A self-certification endorsed plumber or drainlayer must issue a certificate of compliance for any work that they wish to certify. 2 A self-certification endorsed plumber or drainlayer may issue a certificate of compliance only if the plumbing or drainlaying work was carried out in accordance with the applicable building consent. 3 For the purposes of this section, building consent has the same meaning as given in section 7(1) of the Building Act 2004. 87AE Content of certificate of compliance A certificate of compliance issued under section 87AD must— a be in the form required by the Board; and b contain the information prescribed in regulations made under section 172(1)(fb) . 87AF Provision of certificate of compliance 1 A self-certification endorsed plumber or drainlayer must lodge every certificate of compliance they issue with the Board. 2 That certificate of compliance must be accompanied by any supporting documents— a that include any information prescribed by regulations made under section 172(1)(fb) ; and b that contain any particulars prescribed by the Board; and c in the form prescribed by the Board. 3 The self-certification endorsed plumber or drainlayer must also provide the certificate of compliance and any accompanying supporting documents to the owner. 4 This section must be complied with within 10 working days after the plumbing or drainlaying work is completed. Public register of information relating to certificates of compliance 87AG Board to establish public register 1 The Board must ensure that a register of information relating to certificates of compliance and supporting documents lodged with the Board under section 87AF(1) is established. 2 The register must include information relating to certificates of compliance and supporting documents as prescribed by the Board. 3 The register must be kept by, or as directed by, the Registrar. 4 The register must be available to be searched by the public free of charge. 87AH Application of certain sections about register of plumbers, gasfitters, and drainlayers 1 Sections 73 and 81 to 87 apply, with any necessary modifications, as if the register referred to in those sections were the register of information relating to certificates of compliance established under section 87AG . 2 In applying section 81,— a the reference to the information specified in section 74 must be read as a reference to the information relating to certificates of compliance and supporting documents prescribed by the Board under section 87AG(2) ; and b the reference to the Registrar making any amendment to the register should be read as a reference to the Registrar amending the register or directing it to be amended. Implementation and monitoring 87AI Chief executive to implement and monitor endorsements 1 The chief executive may— a develop, establish, and manage the register established under section 87AG in collaboration with the Board; and b support the Board in making any changes to the register established under section 70 that are necessary to ensure that sections 72 and 74 as they relate to endorsements are complied with; and c provide operational advice and support to the Board in relation to the Board’s duties under sections 51A to 51H and to anything incidental that is necessary for carrying out, or giving full effect to, those sections; and d support the Board in taking any steps necessary to educate those who may apply for an endorsement under section 51B or the general public on matters set out in sections 51A to 51H , Part 2AA , or section 49(1A) of the Building Act 2004. 2 The chief executive must monitor the establishment and continued operation of this Part by the Board and the impact of this Part on the performance of the building sector under the Building Act 2004. 3 The functions of the chief executive in this section are functions for the purpose of section 53(1A)(b)(i) of the Building Act 2004. 4 In this section, chief executive has the same meaning as given in section 7(1) of the Building Act 2004. Audit of certificate of compliance 87AJ Board may audit certificates of compliance 1 The Board may conduct an audit of any certificate of compliance and supporting documents lodged with the Board under section 87AF . 2 The Board may conduct an audit to establish that— a the person who issued the certificate of compliance was a self-certification endorsed plumber or drainlayer at the time the certificate was issued: b the certificate of compliance was issued in relation to work that was self-certifiable plumbing or self-certifiable drainlaying work: c the certificate of compliance was issued in relation to work that complies with the building code as defined in section 7(1) of the Building Act 2004: d any work that was performed for which a certificate of compliance has been issued was carried out in compliance with the relevant building consent issued under section 49 of the Building Act 2004. 19 Section 53 amended (Review of registered person’s competence) After section 53(2), insert: 3 The Board may, at any time, review the competence of a self-certification endorsed plumber or drainlayer to do, assist in doing, or supervise self-certifiable plumbing or self-certifiable drainlaying work, whether or not there is reason to believe that the person’s competence may be deficient. 4 In conducting a review under subsection (3) , the Board must consider the following matters: a whether, in the Board’s opinion, the self-certification endorsed plumber or drainlayer meets the current applicable minimum standards for endorsement; and b whether, in the Board’s opinion, there is any reason to believe that the self-certification endorsed plumber or drainlayer may endanger the health or safety of members of the public; and c whether, in the Board’s opinion, the self-certification endorsed plumber or drainlayer has done, assisted in doing, or supervised self-certifiable plumbing work or self-certifiable drainlaying work to the standard reasonably to be expected of a self-certification endorsed plumber or drainlayer; and d whether, in the Board’s opinion, the self-certification endorsed plumber or drainlayer has issued any certificate of compliance under section 87AD in accordance with the standard reasonably to be expected of a self-certification endorsed plumber or drainlayer issuing a certificate of compliance. 20 Section 54 amended (Procedure on review of competence) In section 54(3)(b), after licence , insert or endorsement . 21 Section 55 amended (Competence programmes) In section 55(1)(a), (b), and (c), replace or provisional licences with , provisional licences, or endorsements . In section 55(3)(a), after or the practising licence , insert or endorsement . In section 55(3)(b), after registration , insert or endorsement . 22 Section 56 amended (Unsatisfactory results of competence programme) In section 56(1)(a), (b), and (c), replace or provisional licence with , provisional licence, or endorsement . In sections 56(2) and 56(2)(a), after licence , insert or endorsement . 23 Section 57 amended (Cancellation and suspension generally) In section 57(1), replace or provisional licence with provisional licence, or endorsement . In section 57(1)(c),— a after a licence , insert or an endorsement ; and b replace or licence with , licence, or endorsement . In section 57(2), replace (if any) is with and any endorsement the person holds (if any) are . After section 57(3)(b), insert: c a person’s endorsement— i in accordance with section 56 (which concerns competence); or ii in accordance with Part 3 (which concerns disciplinary proceedings). In section 57(4), replace or provisional licence with provisional licence, or endorsement . In section 57(5), replace or a practising licence with , practising licence, or endorsement . 24 Section 58 amended (Effect of suspension) After section 58(3), insert: 3A If a person’s endorsement is suspended, the person— a is not a self-certification endorsed plumber or drainlayer for the period during which the endorsement is suspended; and b is not authorised to issue a certificate of compliance in relation to any work that they did, assisted in doing, or supervised during that period; but c continues to be registered and hold any licence they held at the time their endorsement was suspended (unless their registration or licence is also suspended). In section 58(4),— a replace or provisional licence with provisional licence, or endorsement ; and b replace or licence with , licence, or endorsement . 25 Section 59 amended (Board may cancel registration or licence if obtained wrongfully) In the heading to section 59, replace or licence with , licence, or endorsement . In section 59(1),— a replace or provisional licence with provisional licence, or endorsement ; and b paragraph (a), after licence , insert or endorsement ; and c paragraph (b), replace or issued with the licence with , issued with the licence, or endorsed . 26 Section 72 amended (Purpose of register) In section 72(1)(a)(i),— a replace or employer licence with employer licence, or endorsement ; and b replace or licence with , licence, or endorsement . In section 72(1)(b),— a after a licence , insert or endorsement ; and b replace or licence with , licence, or endorsement . 27 Section 74 amended (Matters to be contained in register) After section 74(1)(c)(v), insert: va whether the person holds an endorsement; and vb the expiry date of any endorsement; and In section 74(1)(c)(vii), replace or practising licence with , practising licence, or endorsement . In section 74(1)(d), after former Act, , insert or endorsement held by the person under this Act, . 28 Section 78 amended (Revision of register) After section 78(1)(b), insert: c a person who holds an endorsement wishes to have that endorsement cancelled. In section 78(2), replace or employer licence holder with employer licence holder, or person who holds an endorsement . In section 78(3),— a after registered person , insert or person who holds an endorsement ; and b replace or practising licence with , practising licence, or endorsement in each place. In section 78(5),— a after or employer licence holder , insert or person who holds an endorsement ; and b replace that the registration or practising licence (or both) of the registered person, or the licence of the provisional licence holder or employer licence holder, with that their registration, licence, or endorsement (as relevant) . Replace section 78(6)(a) with: a the registered person’s registration, practising licence, or endorsement (as relevant) be cancelled; or 29 Section 79 amended (Restoration of registration or licence) In the heading to section 79, replace or licence with , licence, or endorsement . In section 79(1), replace or licence with , licence, or endorsement . In section 79(2), replace or licence with , licence, or endorsement . In section 79(2)(a), after licence , insert , or have their licence endorsed as a self-certification endorsed plumber or drainlayer . 30 Section 80 amended (Board may direct Registrar to record cancellation, suspension, or order) In section 80(a) and (b), replace or of a licence with , of a licence, or of an endorsement . 31 Section 89 amended (Disciplinary offence) In section 89(c), replace or licence with , licence, or endorsement . After section 89(f), insert: fa to have failed to have complied with section 87AF (relating to certificates of compliance); or 32 Section 106 amended (Disciplinary powers of Board) In section 106(1)(a),— a subparagraph (i), replace the person’s registration or practising licence (or both) with the person’s registration, practising licence, or endorsement (or any combination of those) ; and b subparagraph (iii), replace or re-licensed with , re-licensed, or re-endorsed . In section 106(1)(b) and (c), replace the person’s registration or practising licence (or both) with the person’s registration, practising licence, or endorsement (or any combination of those) . After section 106(2)(c), insert: d file any specified return. 33 Section 111 amended (Consequences of failure to comply with order to pass examination, complete competence programme, or attend course of instruction) In section 111(1)(a) and (b), replace or provisional licence with provisional licence, or endorsement . In section 111(2), replace or a licence with , a licence, or an endorsement . 34 Section 121 amended (False declarations and representations) In section 121,— a replace $10,000 with $20,000 ; and b after renewal of a licence, , insert endorsement, renewal of endorsement, . 35 Section 122 amended (Unlicensed or unregistered person must not claim to be licensed or registered) Replace the heading to section 122 with Unlicensed, unregistered, or unendorsed person must not claim to be licensed, registered, or endorsed . In section 122, replace $10,000 with $20,000 . In section 122(a),— a after work , insert or not being endorsed under Part 2 to self-certify self-certifiable plumbing or self-certifiable drainlaying work ; and b in subparagraphs (i), (ii), and (iii), replace or licensed with , licensed, or endorsed . In section 122(b),— a after work , insert or not being endorsed under Part 2 to self-certify self-certifiable plumbing or self-certifiable drainlaying work ; and b replace or licensed; with , licensed, or endorsed; . In section 122(c), replace or licence with , licence, or endorsement . 36 Section 125 amended (Other offences related to sanitary plumbing, drainlaying, or gasfitting) In section 125(3), after issued insert or endorsement granted . 37 Section 126 amended (Certificate by Registrar to be evidence of various matters) In section 126(2)(a), after of licence insert or endorsement . In section 126(2)(c), replace or licence with , licence, or endorsement . 38 Section 137 amended (Functions of Board) In section 137(d), after issued insert and endorsements are granted . After section 137(d), insert: da to prescribe the minimum standards that a person must meet in order to be eligible for endorsement as a self-certification endorsed plumber or drainlayer: db to assist the chief executive (as defined in section 7(1) of the Building Act 2004) in their monitoring of the impact of Part 2AA on the performance of the building sector under the Building Act 2004: In section 137(g),— a replace and licences with , licences, and endorsements ; and b replace and issue licences with , issue licences, and grant endorsements . In section 137(j), after licences , insert and endorsements . In section 137(k)(i), replace and employer licence holders with employer licence holders, and persons holding endorsements . After section 137(k), insert: ka to audit self-certification endorsed plumbers and drainlayers under section 56A : kb to audit certificates of compliance issued under Part 2AA : 39 Section 142 amended (Board may prescribe fees) After section 142(1)(b), insert: ba an application for an endorsement under Part 2: bb an application to renew an endorsement under Part 2: 40 New section 143A inserted (Levy relating to endorsement) After section 143, insert: 143A Levy relating to endorsement 1 The Board may, by notice, impose on every self-certification endorsed plumber or drainlayer an endorsement levy of any amount it thinks fit for the purpose of funding the costs arising out of auditing self-certification endorsed plumbers and drainlayers under section 56A and certificates of compliance under section 87AJ . 2 Any notice imposing any levy under this section may exempt from liability to pay the levy any class or classes of registered person, and may provide for the waiver or refund of any levy. 41 Section 145 amended (Further provisions relating to fees, levy, and forms) In the heading to section 145, replace levy with levies . In section 145(1AAA), replace or 143 with , 143, or 143A . In section 145(3), after section 143 insert or 143A . 42 Section 151 amended (Form and content of annual report) In section 151(1)(a),— a after subparagraph (vi), insert: via the number of persons who hold an endorsement as at the end of the period: vib the number of persons who applied for endorsement under Part 2 during the period: vic the number of persons who were granted an endorsement under Part 2 during that period: b in subparagraph (vii), replace or licence with , licence, or endorsement ; and ba after subparagraph (vii), insert: viia the number of certificates of compliance lodged with the Board under section 87AF during that period: viib the number of and outcome of audits conducted under sections 56A and 87AJ during that period: c in subparagraph (x), replace or the issue of licences with , the issuing of licences, or the granting of endorsements . 43 Section 162 amended (Appeals) After section 162(1)(a), insert: aa any decision of the Board to decline to endorse the person as a self-certification endorsed plumber or drainlayer or to decline to renew the endorsement of the person: In section 162(1)(d), replace or licence with , licence, or endorsement . In section 162(1)(e), replace or licence with licence, or endorsement . 44 Section 172 amended (Regulations) After section 172(1)(f), insert: fa defining the following terms for the purposes of Part 2AA : i self-certifiable drainlaying: ii self-certifiable plumbing: fb prescribing the information that must be included in a certificate of compliance under section 87AE or in the accompanying supporting documents under section 87AF : 45 Section 172C amended (Requirements before making certain regulations) In the heading to section 172C, after regulations , insert relating to self-contained vehicles . 45A New section 172D inserted (Requirements before making certain regulations relating to self-certifiable drainlaying and plumbing work) After section 172C, insert: 172D Requirements before making certain regulations relating to self-certifiable drainlaying and plumbing work The Minister may recommend the making of regulations under section 172(1)(fa) only if the Minister is satisfied that the drainlaying and sanitary plumbing work being defined as self-certifiable drainlaying or self-certifiable plumbing— a is routine work for an experienced drainlayer or plumber; and b is not complex drainlaying or plumbing; and c poses a low risk to the health and safety of the public. 46 Schedule 1AA amended In Schedule 1AA ,— a insert the Part set out in Schedule 2 of this Act as the last Part; and b make all necessary consequential amendments. 1 New Part 6 inserted into Schedule 1AA of Building Act 2004 6 Provisions relating to Building and Construction Sector (Self-certification by Plumbers and Drainlayers) Amendment Act 2025 18 Interpretation In this Part,— 2025 amendment Act means the Building and Construction Sector (Self-certification by Plumbers and Drainlayers) Amendment Act 2025 commencement date means the commencement date under section 2(1) of the 2025 amendment Act. 19 Application of sections 49(1A) and 89A Sections 49(1A) and 89A (as inserted by the 2025 amendment Act) only apply to building consents applied for after the commencement date. 2 New Part 2 inserted into Schedule 1AA of Plumbers, Gasfitters, and Drainlayers Act 2006 2 Provisions relating to Building and Construction Sector (Self-certification by Plumbers and Drainlayers) Amendment Act 2025 4 Interpretation In this Part,— 2025 amendment Act means the Building and Construction Sector (Self-certification by Plumbers and Drainlayers) Amendment Act 2025 chief executive has the same meaning as given in section 7(1) of the Building Act 2004 first commencement date means the day after the 2025 amendment Act receives Royal assent second commencement date means the commencement date under section 2(1) of the 2025 amendment Act. 5 Application of sections 87AA to 87AF Sections 87AA to 87AF (as inserted by the 2025 amendment Act) only apply to self-certifiable plumbing and self-certifiable drainlaying work for which a building consent was applied for under section 45 of the Building Act 2004 after the later of the second commencement date or the date that the first notice referred to in clause 7(2) comes into force. 6 Application of section 87AI Any section referred to in section 87AI as a section in relation to which the chief executive has a function must be treated as having commenced on the first commencement date for the purpose of the chief executive carrying out that function. 7 Application of section 145 1 Despite section 145(1AAA), the first notices issued by the Board under each of sections 142(1)(ba) and (bb) and 143A after the first commencement date may come into force at any specified time after each notice is published. 2 Despite section 145(1), the first notice published under section 144 prescribing the form of an application for an endorsement under section 51B after the first commencement date may come into force at any specified time after the notice is published. 8 Application of section 146 Any money held, or invested, by the Board under section 146 immediately before the first commencement date may be applied by the Board under that section in the performance or exercise of its functions, duties, and powers as amended by the 2025 amendment Act.

Hansard

April 22, 2026

Building and Construction Sector (Self-certification by Plumbers and Drainlayers) Amendment Bill — Second Reading · Full day report

Second Reading Hon CHRIS PENK (Minister for Building and Construction) (12:28): Thank you. I move, That the Building and Construction Sector (Self-certification by Plumbers and Drainlayers) Amendment Bill be now read a second time. I’d like to start by thanking the Transport and Infrastructure Committee—including, in particular, its chair, Mr Andy Foster—for their careful deliberation on the bill. I’d also like to thank everyone who submitted on the bill at select committee. The submissions resulted in a number of changes that will improve the workability of the bill and, as I shall go on to explain later, regulations that we’ll make to give effect to the scheme. It’s usual in the second reading, almost as a courtesy, to mention the work of the select committee, and I duly acknowledge the work that’s been done, but, actually, in this case particularly, I do want to make a point of saying that substantive changes to the bill and the regime more generally have actually resulted from really good, thorough, robust discussion, appropriately reflecting the tension—and I use that phrase not in an ugly sense, of course—between the select committee, that which the Minister on behalf of the…
Read full Hansard debate
Second Reading Hon CHRIS PENK (Minister for Building and Construction) (12:28): Thank you. I move, That the Building and Construction Sector (Self-certification by Plumbers and Drainlayers) Amendment Bill be now read a second time. I’d like to start by thanking the Transport and Infrastructure Committee—including, in particular, its chair, Mr Andy Foster—for their careful deliberation on the bill. I’d also like to thank everyone who submitted on the bill at select committee. The submissions resulted in a number of changes that will improve the workability of the bill and, as I shall go on to explain later, regulations that we’ll make to give effect to the scheme. It’s usual in the second reading, almost as a courtesy, to mention the work of the select committee, and I duly acknowledge the work that’s been done, but, actually, in this case particularly, I do want to make a point of saying that substantive changes to the bill and the regime more generally have actually resulted from really good, thorough, robust discussion, appropriately reflecting the tension—and I use that phrase not in an ugly sense, of course—between the select committee, that which the Minister on behalf of the Government had put forward, and industry, including, especially, through the work of Master Plumbers, etc. I think we’ve ended up with a much better result than that which I would have proposed to Parliament, so I do want to really clearly set out for the record that I’m grateful for the members who contributed to that. We all know that the building consent system is somewhat slow and inefficient. It can delay and cause increase to cost to build in this country. Inefficiencies are caused by the understandably risk-averse behaviour and limited capacity of building consent authorities—almost invariably councils. A couple of former mayors of Wellington would no doubt have some sympathy for that view, including particularly the fact that they have the unfunded mandate, in local government speak, for the work that we ask them to do in this space. The system also, though, discourages professionals from taking responsibility for their own work, which is another cause of inefficient behaviour. This bill introduces an opt-in scheme, allowing approved plumbers and drainlayers to self-certify that their work complies with the building consent, without the need for an inspection by a building consent authority—I’m just going to say BCA from now on for that. This will save time and money for practitioners, BCAs, and building owners. It will allow plumbers and drainlayers to get on with the job and to be trusted to do it right. This bill is about choice. Individuals and businesses will be able to decide if they want to use this pathway to save time and money. They can also, on the other hand, decide to continue to have the building consent authorities inspect their work if they wish. The scheme enables approved professionals to take responsibility for their work, while maintaining consumer confidence that the work will be consistent with the consent and building code requirements. It also helps BCAs to use their resources more efficiently by enabling them to focus on other, higher-risk work that deserves their attention. There are a number of safeguards in the bill to ensure that the work is carried out by appropriately qualified plumbers and drainlayers. First, BCAs will still be assessing their overall building design, including the design of plumbing and drainlaying to ensure that it meets the building code. The Plumbers, Gasfitters, and Drainlayers Board will be able to set minimum standards so that only competent practitioners who can cover their civil liabilities will be able to self-certify. These standards must cover a technical competency, experience, ability to meet potential civil liability, and business and administrative practices. In practice, this means that plumbers and drainlayers will still need to go through robust checks before being part of that scheme, so building owners and consumers can be confident that the work will be done right—and, actually, in the event that push comes to shove, so to speak, there would be appropriate recourse and redress. The scope of self-certifiable work will be limited to the definition set in regulations. Again, I’ll touch more on that shortly, but I do want to assure you that it’s something that I’m focused on getting right—again, with due acknowledgment of the work that’s been done by the select committee, submitters, and so on to ensure that we get to that place. Self-certifiers will issue certificates of compliance, which must be accepted by BCAs as evidence that the work complies with the building consent. Territorial authorities must keep the certificates issued by self-certifiers and make them available to the public. In practice, this will mean that the public can view the certificates as part of a property file. Information from the certificates will also be held on a searchable public register, supporting transparency for the board, future owners, and other interested parties such as insurers and maybe lenders. The board will also be able to audit self-certifiers and the certificates of compliance they issue, with appropriate powers to discipline self-certifiers where things go wrong. These powers are important to give the board the tools for proper oversight and are a key feature of a self-certification scheme. If an audit finds that something is not right, the board will be able to fine the self-certifier or cancel or suspend their endorsement to self-certify among other possible disciplinary actions. Finally, there are also broader consumer protections available in the Building Act, including implied warranties and defect remediation periods. I have also announced the move to proportionate liability, which will have appropriate supporting structures in place to support that shift—more on that on another day. Moving now to changes recommended by the committee to improve the bill, I will point out that they made recommendations that will improve the workability—again, with some further discussions about what the regulations flowing from the Act will need to cover. Because these changes can be found in the report, I don’t intend to go through every recommendation today; others might, obviously, wish to do so. I will instead focus on the key changes, and I will briefly summarise them now. First, the select committee recommended expanding the professions who can declare that the work is self-certifiable as part of an application for building consent to also include registered architects, chartered professional engineers, and design-class licensed building practitioners—or LBPs. This will allow BCAs to be satisfied that the proposed work is self-certifiable before they grant a building consent, regardless of whether plumbers or drainlayers have been engaged at the time that the consent is lodged. This is a sensible change that will make the process of applying for a consent that includes self-certified work more aligned with how plumbers and drainlayers work in practice. Next, I appreciate the select committee’s recommendation that the bill explicitly state that a building consent may include both self-certified and non - self-certified plumbing and drainlaying work. This recommendation clarifies that self-certifiable work can be done by a self-certifier while any remaining plumbing or drainlaying work that is not self-certifiable will still be subject to oversight from the BCA. This will allow a self-certification to apply to more building consents while managing the risks associated with higher work—again, seeking to strike a balanced and proportionate approach. I shift now to the powers of the board to provide oversight of the scheme. I appreciate the select committee’s recommendation to ensure the board has appropriate powers to audit self-certifiers. Auditing provides the opportunity to assess whether the self-certifier continues to meet the minimum standards for eligibility to the scheme between the three-yearly renewal periods for endorsements. The committee’s recommendation will ensure that the board has these powers and can fund these audits through appropriate cost-recovery mechanisms. It will ensure that the board can check whether a self-certified plumber or drainlayer is self-certifying in accordance with the expected standards. The committee also recommended that the board report on its audit activity through an annual report. This means that the number and outcome of practitioner audits and audits of certificates of compliance are transparent. This, in general, will support consumer confidence in the scheme and provide valuable insights into the performance of self-certifiers. I’m nearly done! The select committee also considered the scope of work that can be self-certified under the scheme. It is important to balance the needs for the scheme to be attractive to both plumbers and drainlayers, as well as consumers, while mitigating the consequence if things were to go wrong. I’m confident that, between the committee’s recommendations in the bill and the regulations that we’re proposing, we’ll end up getting that balance right. I will just briefly now, in my final remaining moment, take the opportunity to talk about the proposed regulations. Having listened to those concerns and being mindful of the fact that we need not only a system that’s balanced and proportionate and, therefore, has appropriate nuance about where we draw the line, we also need to make sure that it’s workable in the sense that people know what their roles and responsibilities and obligations are. A scheme that is sufficiently clear and simple and will not be the subject of confusion has been a prime aim of what we’ve sought to achieve in terms of where we draw those lines. I would point out that for a significant number of consents in the rural communities—many of which use on-site systems and can face particular challenges in getting inspectors on site—they wish to be eligible to take advantage of the benefits of the scheme. Similarly, the proposed definitions will allow consents that use sustainable systems, such as solar water heaters, to be within the scope of the scheme. The effectiveness of the scheme overall depends on ensuring that the regulations are well designed—something that the select committee, quite rightly, highlighted in their commentary. I am confident that we will do this, with thanks again to those officials from the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment who have been working with the board; industry groups, including Master Plumbers; building consent authorities; and insurance providers, to make sure that the scheme is attractive to practitioners, encourages strong uptake, and still appropriately manages the risk associated with self-certification. On that note, I commend the bill to the House. ASSISTANT SPEAKER (Teanau Tuiono): The question is that the motion be agreed to. ARENA WILLIAMS (Labour—Manurewa) (12:37): Thank you, Mr Speaker. Good on that Minister and good on the hard-working select committee, ably chaired by Andy Foster, for taking on the concerns that have come up from submitters and from the industry on this bill. This is not a technical bill; this is a bill that really impacts on ordinary people’s lives. Just this morning, at 8 o’clock, I received an email from Jenny. It’s full of explanation marks, and it’s titled “Plumbers”. She says, “Who keeps guarantees for 25 years? Who honours it? Make them!” She also says, “Is there a law that forbids companies from producing tax without spare parts available? So frustrating!” Jenny, you’re right. These are the kinds of emails that we receive every day. Minister, I can see that you receive them too, and that this is one of those bills where it has been hard to turn around a big ship, in the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment, that is resistant to the kind of change that people, New Zealanders, these consumers, people like Jenny, are desperately calling for. That is what we are trying to do here. We are trying to make it more affordable for ordinary and low-risk plumbing to be done in residential homes in low-risk situations. I think we’ve made good progress here, but there is more we could do. The select committee wasn’t able to produce some amendments that have been called for by submitters. I’m going to use my speech not to talk about what we did arrive at—because that was good work, and I hope the chair will talk about that—but about the things that are missing from what submitters hoped we would be able to make some progress on. Our support for this remains cautious and not unconditional. My third reading speech will be about the big issues in this, which are about who carries the risk and that liability, because underlying all of this is the need that consumers and homeowners should not bear all of the risk; it should be spread between central and local government and between the practitioners, and that should be fair, because Jenny, at the end of the day, shouldn’t be the one who is left picking up the pieces if things go wrong. But in this speech, let me tell you about the things that I hope we can continue to push out on that are not within the current confines of this bill. Things have been excluded from a regime that is designed to speed up simple work because the official advice has been that those things are not simple. I think that’s wrong. That’s my opinion; I’m not a plumber, but neither are the people who will mostly be paying for this work and neither are the people who want to see this work becoming more affordable. The first of these is around the pump systems—pump water supply and irrigation circulation systems. These are really common in some areas like the Kāpiti Coast, and they’re also really common in rural areas and regional areas. They’ve been excluded from what is considered to be simple work. That means that a huge number of houses in large swathes of the country will also be excluded from this regime. That doesn’t seem fair to me. But, also, I was able to go out with a couple of plumbers and to see these systems. These are systems which can be bought from a hardware store at a price which most consumers could afford to do themselves, and often do, but these are being excluded from what plumbers can do because they are not seen as simple by the officials. That doesn’t seem sensible to me. We’ve created an incentive in the marketplace here for me and Cameron to do our own because that will be cheap and is, in fact, legal, but we’ve also excluded the ability of qualified plumbers to self-certify on that work. Why is that? From the layperson’s perspective, that makes no sense, and we weren’t able to hear from officials about why they would also continue to support a regime like that. There was also a call for solar hot water to be included in this. Heat pump systems and other modern installations are something that plumbers do all the time in New Zealand’s context. These are good things. We should be encouraging them. We should have a regime where it is simple and affordable to be able to install these systems quickly. They are not more risky than other hot water systems. Hot water systems all carry a risk, and they are a serious risk that we should not take lightly: the risk is that they explode. But there is no greater risk from hot water systems which are not solar, and those are systems which are included in this regime. The argument here is that the ordinary person on the street who is choosing between these systems will get a quicker route if they do not elect the solar route. That’s not based on risk; it’s simply based on what has been included in a table from officials. That seems like the wrong call to me. Grey water reuse systems have also been excluded. This is something that myself and Celia Wade-Brown took up with officials quite in depth, because this is something which, also, is important to systems which are more environmentally friendly and which consumers should have a choice to use, should they want to use their grey water in a way which is going to be not only better for their property in that they’re reusing grey water, but they’re also saving grey water from flowing out into already overloaded systems. This is an important thing that we should be removing any of the barriers from to enable better, more energy-efficient systems of building. This is something that doesn’t make sense to exclude from the simple works. The idea here is, perhaps, there was a health risk. To quote Master Plumbers, Gasfitters and Drainlayers (NZ) Inc. on this: “There’s no toilet waste involved. Risk of cross-connection is very low when installed by a licensed plumber.” We trust plumbers to get these sorts of things right. These are the things that they deal with every day. The risk here is not greater than anything else we’re allowing them to self-certify on now. Retention and detention systems is in the same category as this. The plumber I talked to told me pump systems are needed for the majority of rural properties. If he’s going to be out doing rural properties, he wants to be able to self-certify them. The retention and detention systems that she does every day have been excluded by this Government—probably because the majority of people who work on these systems and the policy aren’t dealing with those systems all the time. It’s not the systems that most people in Wellington would be familiar with in their usual, everyday life, but this is something that plumbers who work in rural areas deal with all the time, and we can certainly find ways of speeding up property connections for rural people at the same time as we do this. I also want to bring the House’s attention to the views of Master Plumbers around duplicating existing controls rather than targeting the real risk. The idea here is that within a system like the granny flats enabling system, which is about very small dwellings, all of their work is certified. So everything that I’ve just said—which most of you would have thought, “Oh yeah, that seems sensible, let the plumbers do that.”—that is allowed if your building is under 70 square feet; that is perfectly fine. If you’re building 75 square feet, it’s not. Dana Kirkpatrick: Metres. ARENA WILLIAMS: Sorry, metres—75 square metres. It’s important to understand here that it’s duplicating rules and making it quite hard for the actual plumbers who are doing the work to make sure that they are complying with these rules. The absurdity of also having different rules for a solar install on a small property versus one that’s slightly larger than that becomes very clear in that context. If we can tidy these things up, if we can make sure that the plumbers actually doing this work are enabled to continue this, then this will be a workable system. We still have to figure out as a country who bears the risk of this bill, and currently the arrangements for this bill really rely on sorting out proportional liability at the other end. We need central and local government to take their fair share of the risk on. Currently, that’s not what’s going to happen, and so we need to make sure that we also do that work around who carries the guarantees, who carries the insurance. But this is something that we support, because it brings down the costs for ordinary people to get this work done at the top end, and then we have to, also, sort out the back end of what happens when things go wrong. CELIA WADE-BROWN (Green) (12:46): Thank you. I would like to start by saying, first of all, that the Green Party really supports plumbers and tradies and the essential work that’s done—for domestic comfort, for safety, and for all of the work that they do. I think there’s about 28,000 plumbers registered in this country or thereabouts, so thank goodness for them, especially with the extraordinary rainfall we’ve been having that has actually exposed a number of issues in past plumbing. I would also like to say thank you to the chair for the Transport and Infrastructure Committee and my colleagues with slightly different views and experiences. We were certainly enabled to raise issues, have our say, and ask plenty of questions of both the submitters and the officials. There is a connected bill—and it would be really tidy if they could have come in together, perhaps—about occupational licensing that we do support. A number of the submissions actually made points both about occupational licensing and about increasing the self-certification, and we would, in some ways, have liked to have dealt with those together. This bill is a tricky one, because you’re weighing up the balance of risk—who takes that risk—and potentially making something cheaper and easier and quicker. I think that people deciding to vote one way or the other can be somewhat of a line call on this. I agree with my colleague Arena Williams that there could be some further improvements. I just want to quote a couple of things here. I’d like to quote one of the submitters, the Christchurch City Council. They say in their submission: “The self-certification of plumbers and drainlayers is more concerning … [and] The Council”—point 5—“is concerned that most plumbers and drainlayers are not consistently reliable enough to self-certify their work with no third-party overview. The Council observed substantial non-compliant work carried out or supervised by Licensed Building Practitioners (LBPs) after the Canterbury earthquake sequence where there was no third-party overview by persons with no financial involvement (such as a Council).” I think it’s very useful to take what Christchurch City Council has said. This is not a personal opinion; this is an opinion of a large council—and not Wellington, because I thought that would be a bit too close to the bone—to actually reflect that they’re not, or at least at that stage, fully convinced. There remain some very big questions about what insurance products will be available. The self-certification of electricians and gasfitters is relatively straightforward, because the problems are found straight away or could be tested straight away. Plumbing problems don’t necessarily arise for years. You might end up with a very dry year, in which case the earth cracks, or you might, like we have just now, end up with huge rainfall and scouring and burst pipes and so on that may not have been designed for. I also would like to echo my colleague Arena Williams’ issues about some of the greener solutions to plumbing. Detention tanks are also used in urban areas, particularly if you’ve got some steep land and perhaps you don’t have an existing or sufficient stormwater connection. They are complex, but they are also sometimes better than a pump system. They would not be included in this work, however much experience—you might have some somebody quite specialised in doing that work. Maybe there should be some way that they were able to be self-certified for that. The other area is, of course, the reuse of grey water. We’re fortunate—and it was installed by plumbers—we have a system that irrigates our orchard from the washing machine, the washing up, things like that, and it works very well. If somebody routinely installs things like NaturalFlow, should they not be able to self-certify for this? I think the big question remains about what insurance product is available and for how long they should cover it. Supposing a plumber does some work in the last years of their working life, then—maybe it’s a sole trader—they stop working. Who’s actually going to look after that afterwards so that they’re not going to keep paying from their KiwiSaver into the insurance scheme? I don’t think that has been fully answered yet. I do agree that there have been some improvements, particularly the fact that you could combine self-certified and non - self-certified in the same consent. Both can be covered. That sort of mitigates the issue of more sustainable solutions—that are still called “alternative” solutions because systems haven’t quite caught up with more natural systems—but I don’t think it’s quite right yet. A couple of other points. The costs of auditing—I think we really heard both from the Master Plumbers and then from the board. Of course, the board is a different kettle of fish from the Master Plumbers, but we heard from the board that auditing was really important. I think there is still a question in my mind about whether the cost of auditing would only be borne by the opt-in plumbers, in which case it might be quite high and might discourage them, or would it be borne across the whole plumbing fraternity? I do say fraternity, because out of those 28,000, I think there’s less than 20 registered female plumbers, which is a bit of a surprise. We also don’t know quite what’s going to come up in the regulations. I understand that and that regulations have to adapt to new mechanisms. We’re certainly looking at home at whether we do electric water heating for a bach or whether we do the solar water heating. Would that be a change—would we be deciding one way or the other depending on whether it was cheaper with a self-certified plumber? I don’t know how much difference that would make. We would probably be more concerned about the absolute safety of the system than the cost, but that’s our situation. Finally, it would be really remiss of me in talking about how the Greens support plumbers not to mention, for the sake of Hansard, that wonderful Green plumber Hannah Spencer, who is now a member of Parliament for Gorton and Denton. The Greens support the plumbers, and at least some plumbers really support the Green Party. Kia ora. CAMERON LUXTON (ACT) (12:54): Thank you, Mr Speaker. I rise in support of this bill for a quick speech before we charge off for the afternoon. This is a practical, common-sense piece of legislation. It does something that doesn’t normally happen enough in this country, and that’s trust people who are actually doing the work to get on and do it. I’m proud that this Government—and, by the sounds of it, this House—is moving to trust more people actually on the ground getting the mahi done. At the end of the day, when something goes wrong, New Zealanders don’t want to call bureaucracy. They want to call someone who gets their hands dirty, gets in there, and does the job. These are people who we should be trusting. Before I turn to the substance of the bill, I think it’s fair to say that there’s been some issues raised in this this debate so far about where liability lands and how we can actually make real changes to a scheme to trust people when, currently, you have to go through a hoop set by legislation that requires building consent authorities to oversee and then carry that liability. It’s a big hurdle for us to fix a system without identifying where the liability lands, where that funding, that underwriting, actually comes from, and then give New Zealanders real choices. If we’re going to continue to have councils holding that burden whilst also needing to fund professional indemnity, insurance, and other things, it’s going to make that decision more difficult. It just shows though, how slow, cumbersome, and bloody annoying it is when you’re on site to be delayed and delayed and delayed because councils can’t get their A into G and actually get there and sign something off. That’s why we’ve got to call for self-certification for trusted building professionals, just like plumbers, drainlayers, and gasfitters. What we need to be able to do is say that delay is what’s causing the cost. It’s not the underwriting that’s causing the cost. The very fact that we’re trying to get around that cost delay by even having something that may not provide that economic decision as it appears on the surface just shows how much these delays are costing New Zealanders, homeowners, our economy, and our infrastructure. New Zealand across the board cannot go on charging into this century without making sure that we get some of this bureaucracy taken out. The select committee, I was not a member on at this particular juncture, but I appreciate the work they’ve done, and the contributions so far have been very good for the House to hear, I think. I was particularly impressed at the Opposition members seeming to want to go further. This is something I can completely get behind—reticulated schemes, bringing on hot water, having grey-water storage. This is fantastic news to hear from the Opposition. I’m looking forward to working hard on producing policies for this election that you can get in behind and support. That will be great fun. What we need to be doing is making sure that this is not a matter of risk and no risk; it’s a matter of risk and professionalism. If you’ve got a plumber or drainlayer, we can trust, to a large extent, that they know what they’re connecting when they’re connecting pipes up. They’re made at different sizes, for one. They’re different colours. You can see these things. If you’re a professional who’s with this every day, you should be able to identify that. There are risks of grey, black, and stormwater connections being made—it’s acknowledged by everyone involved—but this is a very low risk when you’ve got professional plumbers and drainlayers. What isn’t required to be constantly overseen is things that are in the realm of professional—just doing the work well. Like water hammers—we don’t need inspectors coming out on site and making sure that the person that’s run the pipes has made sure that there’s not a water hammer effect. That is not a critical thing in a building. A water hammer is when you turn off the tap and the pipes shudder and smack into something and make a big noise in the house. It’s bloody annoying, but that’s not a critical failure in a building. That’s just someone who’s not a professional doing their job right. We don’t need to be getting stuck into the nitty gritty of people who genuinely, after doing trades, getting registered, doing the professional development, know what they’re doing and can keep an eye on that. We don’t need a council inspector coming out and checking on that. I think the expansions that the select committee has made to identify the issues at the design stage and say that registered architects, licensed building practitioner designs, and chartered engineers need to be able to be brought into the scheme so that at the design phase, these can be identified as parts of a building that can be self-certified—so we can actually trust the building professionals, the tradies on the ground who deal with the real world situations. But, actually they need to be identified up front by the partners in the building industry for the people who are out there getting their hands dirty, who don’t always get the acknowledgement that they deserve, and that is the people who are designing our buildings. They need to be able to get it right so that the people on the ground can get it right. There is a whole ecosystem here. I think that goes to show the amount of stages we have to jump through to be able to get stuff built in New Zealand. Again, this is a great piece of legislation to try and make sure that the real impact on New Zealand is a more affordable, more responsive, more trusted scheme that says to New Zealanders, says to tradies out there, “You are building professionals. We know that you have been trained to do this. We trust you as we would another building professional, and we’re here to enable you and get the hell out of the way.” Thank you, Mr Speaker. ASSISTANT SPEAKER (Teanau Tuiono): This debate is interrupted and set down for resumption next sitting day. The House stands adjourned until 2 p.m. today. Debate interrupted. The House adjourned at 1.01 p.m. This early draft is automatically published - it is not yet complete and reviewed.

Documents and supporting material