Changes are being made to Building Code documents to increase the seismic hazard factor for Canterbury and to require stronger foundations for buildings, Canterbury Earthquake Recovery Minister Gerry Brownlee says.

The Department of Building and Housing has decided to increase the seismic hazard factor for the design of all buildings by 35 per cent from 0.22 to 0.3 based on the best scientific and structural engineering advice available.

Customs Minister Maurice Williamson has congratulated the New Zealand Customs Service for five major drug seizures so far this month.

“Great work by Customs officers has resulted in numerous arrests, these drugs are now off our streets and away from our families,” Mr Williamson said.

Customs officers seized 18 kgs of dimethylltryphamine (DMT), the largest seizure on record of the rarely seen class A drug after it was detected in a package at the Auckland mail centre.

New Zealand Customs Minister Maurice Williamson and Australian Minister for Home Affairs Brendan O’Connor have welcomed today’s successful completion of Exercise Tasman Union.

Exercise Tasman Union was a joint training operation by Customs agencies in each country. It was completed today.

The exercise involved a realistic scenario of simultaneous precursor drug importations into New Zealand and Australia using small water craft. In the exercise, both countries were required to respond to the threat at their respective borders

Building and Construction Minister Maurice Williamson today welcomed the Retirement Village Association’s announcement of a housing assistance package to for the former residents of Kate Sheppard Gardens.

“Kate Sheppard Gardens was severely damaged by the 22 February earthquake. Residents were evacuated in the immediate aftermath of the quake,” Mr Williamson said.

A financial assistance package for leaky home owners is a step closer with the having its second reading of a Bill in Parliament today, Building and Construction Minister Maurice Williamson says.

Under the Weathertight Homes Resolution Services (Financial Assistance Package) Amendment Bill, eligible homeowners will receive a 25 percent contribution from the Government and may receive 25 percent from their local council to repair their leaky home.

Land Information Minister Maurice Williamson today announced the reappointment of Ken Taylor and Phillip Curnow to the Valuers Registration Board (VRB).

The Valuers Registration Board (VRB) is an independent statutory body administered by Land Information New Zealand (LINZ). The VRB oversees the registration of valuers and investigates complaints.

Mr Curnow is a highly experienced valuer who provides considerable urban commercial and industrial property expertise to the VRB, and was nominated by the New Zealand Institute of Valuers.

Two new, practical Guides for diagnosing and fixing leaky homes will benefit architects, designers, councils and homeowners, Building and Construction Minister Maurice Williamson said today.

The documents: Weathertightness: Guide to the Diagnosis of Leaky Buildings and Weathertightness: Guide to Remediation Design, provide clear, authoritative and practical advice about how to assess repair leaky buildings in the most cost-effective way.

The seizure of 67.6kg of precursor drugs in Auckland this week was the result of great investigative work by Police and Customs, Minister of Police Judith Collins and Minister of Customs Maurice Williamson said today.

Three people have been arrested following the seizure in a combined Auckland Police metro drug squad and New Zealand Customs operation this week.

A new on-line service will allow Licensed Building Practitioners to register their skills and expertise on the internet, Building and Construction Minister Maurice Williamson said today.

As part of the Licensed Building Practitioner (LBP) Scheme, an on-line service has been launched through the Department of Building and Housing website at www.dbh.govt.nz/lbp where licensed building practitioners can register online, edit their profiles and update their skills and expertise.

SmartGate has processed its one-millionth passenger Customs Minister Maurice Williamson announced today, as demand for the technology continues to rise.

“SmartGate has reached yet another outstanding milestone and it’s great that New Zealanders are making the most of this new technology”, Mr Williamson said.

“I am very proud of the level of uptake SmartGate has received. It is well ahead of expectations.”

The technology is currently available at Auckland, Wellington, and Christchurch airports.

Entrepreneurs who use www.business.govt.nz to put a business plan in place could win a $60,000 prize package, Small Business Minister Maurice Williamson said.

A competition launched today by www.business.govt.nz will seek out the best business plan and give it a kick-start for growth.

“Small businesses are the lifeblood of the New Zealand economy and I support any initiative that encourages businesses to start and grow,” Mr Williamson said.

Building and Construction Minister Maurice Williamson has today welcomed a select committee report on the Weathertight Homes Resolution Services (Financial Assistance Package) Amendment Bill.

“The Local Government and Environment Select Committee has done a comprehensive job of reviewing the draft legislation and considering a range of views on the proposed financial assistance package for owners of leaky homes,” Mr Williamson said.

Parliament will now debate the Bill for a second time.

“Dux Quest was withdrawn from the market about 24 years ago. It pre-dates the current Building Code and the Building Act,” Building and Construction Minister Maurice Williamson said.

"I am advised it was one of the first Polybutylene plumbing systems introduced into New Zealand in the early 1980s. When the piping was found to be problematic Dux Industries widely publicised the situation. They offered to replace the product for homeowners or pay for replacement material."

Reports in this morning’s New Zealand Herald and later repeated by Opposition Leader Phil Goff that a compulsory builders' guarantee has been removed from legislation are incorrect and unhelpful to the industry, Building and Construction Minister Maurice Williamson said today.

Last September changes to building legislation were split into the Building Amendment Bill No 3, and Building Amendment Bill No 4.

A Bill to enable the assignment of alternate place names was introduced to Parliament today.

Land Information Minister Maurice Williamson, today introduced legislation to amend the New Zealand Geographic Board (Nga Pou Taunaha o Aotearoa) Act 2008.

The Bill makes minor changes to two aspects of the Act. First, the Bill clarifies that when the Board or the Minister for Land Information assign alternative place names, both names may be used either separately or together in official documents.

Experts appointed to assist investigation

Leading New Zealand engineering companies will assist the Department of Building and Housing with the technical investigation into the performance of the Canterbury Television, Pyne Gould Corporation, Forsyth Barr and Hotel Grand Chancellor buildings, Building and Construction Minister Maurice Williamson said today.

The companies are Beca Consultants; Dunning Thornton Ltd; StructureSmith; and Hyland Fatigue and Earthquake Engineering.

Customs Minister Maurice Williamson today announced an improvement to the existing Mutual Recognition Arrangement between New Zealand Customs and U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP).