COC for simple bathroom ,ridiculous stupid council requests .

[mrsaneperson]

So basically i was adding a toilet , shower and vanity to an existing laundry in the internal garage area.
What should be a fairly simple exercise is over complicated by council bureaucracy and stupidity.

The work was carried out and inspected , and passed by the council inspector who told me all i had to do in applying for the coc was forward the electrical and plumbing PS3's along with the as built underfloor plumbing slab diagram. Which i did. Further more a slight alteration of changing a cavity slider door to a hinged door needed to be updated on the plans which i had done and he placed his approval stamp on it.

The council instructor also showed me the relevant sections of the coc to fill out, many which were redundant and not applicable to this project as the work was not needing a Licensed Building Practitioner .

Now after 20 days submitting my COC doing excatly what i was told to do i get an email from Council advising they need :

1. Copies of any minor variations and approved plans completed on site – 2 plans received – Application form outstanding

2. Record of Building Works carried out

3. Summary sheet from consent book – site inspection records

4. Plumbing under slab as built plan

5. Producer Statement for the aluminium joinery confirming compliance with NZS4211:2008

6. Producer Statement Construction (PS3) for safety glazing confirming compliance with NZS4233 pt3

So this seems ultimately ridiculous in essence that my approved plan variation now needs an application form ,that building works and summary sheet of 1 sentence are somehow now necessary for such a simple project, that my under slab drawing they have not sighted and that a producer statement is needed for a toughened glass window which their inspector already sighted and noted !!

And now we know why their is a housing crisis in this country, adding a toilet and shower to an existing laundry , my file is already 4 cms thick.
Cant imagine how fraught with nightmarish quantities of paperwork involve building a house.

Thoughts?

[Don't believe the Hype]

You can get annoyed or take a breath and smile knowing that this red tape is putting a floor under the price of your investment and more than likely driving it's price up.

[John the builder]

dont blame the inspector.

Auckland council creasted a specialist departmernt for issuing CCC (not CoC) that uses the 20 days they are supposed to issue within, but instead use to issue to sit on their a... and then issue a letter at day 19 (to stop the clock and protect measurable perfromance indicators) to request information to avoid issuing the CCC which they could have done on reasonable grounds. but then that wouldn't justify the CCC department existence would it?

[MargVan]

I completely agree mrsaneperson. The whole consent/inspection process is out of control.
I disagree about it putting a floor under the price of your investment when NZ needs, oh so desparately needs, economic housing. We are out of step with much of the developed world about this, still producing so-so housing at a premium price.

[Don't believe the Hype]

I disagree about it putting a floor under the price of your investment when NZ needs, oh so desparately needs, economic housing. We are out of step with much of the developed world about this, still producing so-so housing at a premium price.

On what grounds do you disagree with the floor under pricing? Is it based on what you'd like to happen?

Anything that increases the cost of replacement of housing (I.e. additional costs) or discourages new construction (red tape) or increases the barriers to entry of an industry almost certainly results in price increases.

What do you mean out of step with the rest of the world?

[artemis]

We ain't seen nothing yet -

Auckland Council’s governing body approved a submission last week calling for universal design standards for residential buildings. Universal design refers to the design of buildings to make them accessible to all people regardless of age, disability or other factors. Currently, only commercial properties must adhere to the rules but the council wants that expanded to include homes.

https://www.stuff.co.nz/business/property/113192329/auckland-council-pushes-for-all-homes-to-be-accessible-in-building-act-review?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=twitter

[mrsaneperson]

Chris Darby, another one with idealist notions and zero common sense.
So I take it from that proposal then that all double storey housing will now have mandatory lifts.

[Beano]

Chris Darby, another one with idealist notions and zero common sense.
So I take it from that proposal then that all double storey housing will now have mandatory lifts.

Of course
Why should only us commercial property owners be forced to have a lift for a double story building ?
You should have two lifts in case there is someone waiting on the other floor!

[John the builder]

lifts are not required but accessible stairs are?

Lifts do satisfy the requirements but?

[MargVan]

On what grounds do you disagree with the floor under pricing? Is it based on what you'd like to happen?

Anything that increases the cost of replacement of housing (I.e. additional costs) or discourages new construction (red tape) or increases the barriers to entry of an industry almost certainly results in price increases.

What do you mean out of step with the rest of the world?

It's based on what would be good for housing in NZ. Not what would prop up a property's value now, especially older NZ properties of dubious quality. It's not what I'd like to happen, it's what would probably be best to happen.

The rest of the world, excluding Australia & the UK, does seem to have found better models for property value and rentals. I'm not against property value rises, it's very much to my benefit, but it is not sustainable and will be the cause of social unrest in NZ as time goes by.

The floor under pricing is basically greed.

[Don't believe the Hype]

No. The floor under pricing is due to the inefficiency of the market driven by many factors one of them the red tape of councils. The more they get in the way, the more it will support and even exaggerate pricing.

You can hang on to your ideology all you want but this won't change the reality. Ask Mr Twitford

[MargVan]

I don't have an ideology. But thanks for assuming I must be a brain-dead labour voter. Perhaps think a little more widely.

[Don't believe the Hype]

You don't have to be a labor voter to wish for things... but when your wishes get in the way of critical thinking things start to go off the rails.

I stated that the red tape and bureaucracy would result in a floor under pricing - I have sound reasons for this assumption. You simply said it wouldn't hold true because you don't think it should. No facts... just wishes

I hope that the current model 911 would be available for $120k, It's more affordable for folks at that price.

[Bradley]

Just be glad you didn't need to get approval from the NZTA. They have a habit of sticking their noses in with all aspects of development within 80m of a highway. AVOID THEM AT ALL COSTS!

[motivated]

Yes they do--i found out first hand--sound proofing bullshit- i didnt want it, customer didnt care and council demanded it(out of the blue) on the 7th house onwards despite no requirments on the previous 6 houses

Just be glad you didn't need to get approval from the NZTA. They have a habit of sticking their noses in with all aspects of development within 80m of a highway. AVOID THEM AT ALL COSTS!