Farsight NZ LP registered as New Zealand’s second private-sector standalone building consent authority

In order to be registered as a standalone BCA, an organisation must gain accreditation from International Accreditation New Zealand (IANZ), and be able to demonstrate to MBIE that it:

• meets a 'fit and proper person' test (including requirements for impartiality and independence), and
• has adequate means to cover civil liabilities that may arise from their operation as a BCA.

MBIE is satisfied Farsight meets the ‘fit and proper person’ criteria to be registered and has adequate means to meet potential civil liabilities arising from its role as a standalone BCA to ensure effective consumer protection.

Farsight’s registration means it is able to perform building control work for the following:

• Residential 1, 2 and 3 buildings
• Processing and granting of building consent applications
• Inspection of buildings while a building consent is operative
• Certification of building work (issuing of code compliance certificates)
• Issuing of notices to fix (and where necessary, other enforcement action).

Farsight will be performing their consenting function for its client Summerset, whose primary interest is in retirement village developments.

BCAs must be satisfied on reasonable grounds that a proposed building will comply with the performance requirements of the Building Code before issuing a building consent.

The addition of Farsight NZ LP means there are now 71 building consent authorities on the BCA register. 68 of these are territorial or regional authorities, with the only previous exceptions being Building Consent Approvals Ltd (BCAL) and Consentium, the latter of which is a division of Kāinga Ora.