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Building and Construction Minister Maurice Williamson today announced three appointments to the Engineering Associates Registration Board.

Deborah Cranko, Ross McArthur and Glynn Cowley have been appointed for two year terms.

Ms Cranko is the director of Cranko Architects and specialises in commercial, educational residential projects.

Mr McArthur is a senior manager at Downer New Zealand, and is responsible for the development and maintenance of the company’s graduate, cadet and apprenticeship programmes.

The Government will carefully consider the Canterbury Earthquakes Royal Commission’s full report and its recommendations, Attorney-General Christopher Finlayson and Building and Construction Minister Maurice Williamson say.

The third and final part of the Canterbury Earthquakes Royal Commission’s report (Volumes 5-7) into the causes of building failures during the earthquake was publicly released by the Government today.

Attorney-General Christopher Finlayson and Building and Construction Minister Maurice Williamson today released the second part of the Canterbury Earthquakes Royal Commission’s report (Volume 4), which covers a range of practice and policy issues relating to earthquake-prone buildings, particularly how these buildings are identified and managed.

Building and Construction Minister Maurice Williamson is encouraging New Zealanders to have their say on proposals to improve the earthquake-prone buildings policy system, released in a consultation document today.

“The destructive earthquakes in Canterbury have highlighted the need to review and improve our system for dealing with earthquake-prone buildings in New Zealand,” Mr Williamson says.

Building and Construction Minister Maurice Williamson today launched the Christchurch Housing Showcase Design Competition in Christchurch.

Phase one of the competition will seek innovative and exciting designs that can be translated into an inner city housing complex.

“The competition is an opportunity to explore the potential for Christchurch to become an example of modern living and is open to any consortium that includes a professional designer and a property developer,” Mr Williamson says. 

Building and Construction Minister Maurice Williamson announced today that owners of retirement village units will soon be entitled to the original capital sum of their investment following situations such as the Canterbury earthquakes.

"I have made an important variation to the Retirement Villages Code of Practice 2008, to address issues highlighted by the earthquakes of 2010 and 2011," Mr Williamson says.

Building and Construction Minister Maurice Williamson today announced Sharyn Westlake has been reappointed as a member of the Chartered Professional Engineers Council.

“Ms Westlake is an experienced civil engineer with both regional government and engineering consultancy experience.  She is currently a senior engineer in the Flood Protection Department at Wellington Regional Council,” says Mr Williamson.

Changes to gas and electrical certification regimes mean safer outcomes for consumers, Energy and Resources Minister Phil Heatley and Building and Construction Minister Maurice Williamson said today.

The changes mean all gas and electrical installation work will now require certification.

The amended regulations will be published in the New Zealand Gazette today and are the result of a review of the regimes to ensure they provide cost-effective public safety outcomes.

Building and Construction Minister Maurice Williamson has announced the re-appointment of two members to the Electrical Workers Registration Board, Neil McLeod and Shane Dolan, and the appointment of two new members, Melbourne Orange and William Waterworth.

The Minister would like to thank outgoing members David Bradshaw, and Eddie Eeles for their valuable contributions to the Board.

Murray Burns and Nicholas Fleckney have been appointed to the Plumbers, Gasfitters, and Drainlayers Board, Building and Construction Minister Maurice Williamson announced today.

Mr Williamson said Mr Burns and Mr Fleckney replace Sue Ineson and James Fruean whose terms expired on 16 September this year. Both Graham Hardie and John Simmiss have been reappointed for a further term.

Attorney-General Chris Finlayson and Building and Construction Minister Maurice Williamson have thanked the Canterbury Earthquakes Royal Commission for its findings and recommendations outlined in the first part of its final report, released today.

The recommendations focus on a range of technical engineering issues including seismicity, recommendations to change concrete structures, structural steel and earthquake actions standards, providing guidance or training to structural engineers and low-damage building technologies.

Good afternoon and thank you for inviting me to speak to you today.

It’s quite an achievement to have reached your 50 year anniversary.

I’m aware that you’ve got over 1500 members and that’s surely a testament to both the great need for the skills of senior engineering technologists, and of the benefits of registration.

Introduction:

• Good afternoon I am pleased to have this opportunity to speak to you today.

• Today I would like to spend a few minutes on the Government’s priorities for the building and construction sector and the Department of Building and Housing’s work programme.

• And I would like to thank Registered Master Builders (RMBF) for the work you have done in supporting the Department to implement the programme so far.

• Good morning. Thank you for inviting me to open your conference - it is a pleasure to be here again.

• I would like to acknowledge Andrew Giles, CEO of the Retirement Villages Association of Australia who is attending the conference.

Introduction:

• Good morning, I am pleased to have this opportunity to speak to you and deliver this year’s Bunckenburg Address.

• I see the address - named in honour of your former President Henry Herbert Bunckenburg – has been a tradition of the NZIQS since 1986. I am honoured to be the latest person to deliver this speech to you.

• This morning I will cover Government’s priorities for the building and construction sector and the Department of Building and Housing’s work programme.

Building and Construction Minister Maurice Williamson has announced the appointment of Richard Merrifield to the Building Practitioners Board.

“Mr Merrifield will bring a wealth of industry experience coupled with his knowledge and governance skills from a significant number of industry related board and working group appointments,” Mr Williamson says.

Introduction

• Good evening, and thank you for inviting me here to speak at your Annual Meeting.

• I know we share a common goal in wanting to raise standards and productivity across the construction industry.

• Your own Board Chairman, Bill Smith, is also the Chair of the Building and Construction Sector’s Productivity Partnership. This forum was established as an active partnership between professionals like you, and a government committed to growing the sector.

Acknowledgements:

David Brown, Chairman, CBANZ
Richard Merrifield, Past Chairman, CBANZ
Grant Florence, Chief Executive, CBANZ

Acknowledgements:

Phil Saunders, BOINZ President
Norm Barton, BOINZ Vice-President
Nick Hill, BOINZ Chief Executive

Introduction:

• Good morning and thank you for inviting me to deliver the keynote address to your Annual Conference for 2012.

• I note you have chosen as the theme for your conference, “Enhancing Professionalism”.

Building and Construction Minister Maurice Williamson has received a report into the reasons for the collapse of the Stadium Southland roof on 18 September 2010.

The detailed technical investigation was written by Hyland and StructureSmith. It explains the roof collapsed because of a combination of factors including heavy snowfall, construction defects and design problems.

Consumer protection measures for New Zealanders building or renovating their homes are closer after Building Amendment Bill (No 4) passed its first reading in Parliament yesterday.

The Bill is the companion to the Building Amendment Act 2012 which came into force on 13 March 2012. It provides a range of measures designed to help consumers hold building practitioners to account.

Acknowledgements

• Joe Hollander, Chair, Construction Clients’ Group
• Peter Cunningham, CEO, Constructing Excellence NZ (construction industry umbrella organisation which facilitates the Construction Clients’ Group)
• Professor Michael Davies, Dean, Faculty of Engineering, Auckland University.

A major step towards ensuring better buildings can be built faster has been taken with Parliament passing the Building Amendment Act 2012.

Building and Construction Minister Maurice Williamson says the Act is part of a package of reforms designed to lift standards in the building and construction sector and give homeowners added peace of mind.

• Good afternoon and thank you for inviting me here to speak with you today.

• I know we share some common concerns in regard to increasing quality in the building industry, not just through practitioners but also in ensuring the quality of products used.

• Like you, I support practical regulation of the industry through national and consistent application of the New Zealand Building Code and New Zealand standards.