Building Amendment Bill introduced to support faster, fairer building system

The Bill had its first reading in Parliament on 2 July and has now progressed to a select committee process, giving industry stakeholders and the public an opportunity to provide feedback on the proposed changes.

The reforms are designed to make it easier, faster and more cost-effective to build, while supporting a more efficient and productive construction sector, with strengthened protections for homeowners.

Key proposed changes include:

• moving from joint and several liability to proportionate liability in the building system
  • introducing mandatory home warranties for new builds and major renovations valued over $100,000
  • requiring professional indemnity insurance for building design professionals
•  making it easier for councils to work together or combine Building Consent Authority functions
• introducing a fast-track 10-day consenting pathway for eligible residential buildings with solar generation and sustainable features and reducing Project Information Memoranda (PIM) processing times from 20 to 10 working days
• expanding options for the construction of granny flats, including allowing eligible offsite-built units to be constructed before a PIM is issued
• modernising building research funding by combining the Building Research Levy with the Building Levy and introducing a more contestable model.

Together, the changes are intended to support a more productive building and construction sector that can deliver the homes, buildings and infrastructure New Zealand needs.

Submissions are open until 15 November 2026.

Building Amendment Bill(external link) — New Zealand Parliament

More information on the Bill can be found on the Building Performance website.

Building Amendment Bill introduced to Parliament(external link) — Building Performance