Licensed Building Practitioner Scheme off to a good start

More than 7000 Licensed Building Practitioner application packs have been requested since the scheme was launched last November, Building and Construction Minister Shane Jones announced today.

The licensing scheme is aimed at boosting skills and accountability in the building sector, and has been well supported by thousands of builders, designers and other industry professionals who attended a series of workshops held in towns and cities across New Zealand.

Shane Jones said: "Such high interest in the LBP scheme is very encouraging. It clearly shows that a real demand exists for an industry-recognised government-backed quality mark.

"The licensing scheme requires practitioners to show they have the skills and experience to do the job properly. It also gives good builders, who are not paper-qualified, a real opportunity to be recognised for the great work they do.

"Industry has been hugely supportive in creating this licensing scheme, and now for the first time, individuals have the chance to demonstrate their competence, and to apply for a nationally-recognised mark of quality."

The Minister said the scheme was intended to make choosing a quality building professional much easier. The scheme also gives consumers a formal avenue to address problems that may arise, through a complaints system.

"Thanks to this scheme consumers will soon be able to identify competent practitioners and be able to have even more confidence in those who work on their homes.

"I encourage all building and design professionals to contact the Department of Building and Housing to request an application pack if they have not done so already. This is your chance to show your professionalism and make yourself stand out from the crowd."

Anyone wanting to know more about the Licensed Building Practitioner scheme can contact the Department of Building and Housing by phoning 0800 60 60 50 or emailing info@dbh.govt.nz  

Background -- Licensed Building Practitioner Scheme

• The Licensed Building Practitioners Scheme was introduced by the Building Act 2004. It aims to improve the quality of homes and buildings by ensuring that those who work on them have met standards of competency. It will provide consumer protection through a complaints system and all licensed practitioners will be listed on an online register.
• Seven licence classes were introduced on 1 November.
  • They were:
    • Carpentry,
    • Site 1, Site 2, Site 3,
    • Design 1, Design 2, and Design 3.
  • The sorts of people who can apply for these licence classes are
    • carpenters,
    • builders,
    • site supervisors,
    • construction managers,
    • designers and
    • draughtspeople.
  • Additional specialist license classes will be phased in throughout 2008.
• From November 2010, it is intended that certain ‘restricted work’ will need to be undertaken or supervised by a licensed building practitioner.
  • Restricted work will be defined in conjunction with industry and will be introduced before 2010.