Occupational regulation reforms in the building and construction sector

Review of occupational regulation in the building and construction sector

The reform of occupational regulation is part of a series of changes to the wider building control system, called Building System Reforms.

Occupational regulation aims to protect the public from harm by ensuring services are performed with reasonable care and skill. We want to ensure occupational regulation is fit for purpose and is moving towards a consistent approach across the sector where appropriate.

Statutory reviews and previous consultations have identified some areas for improvement in the current occupational regulation regimes.

The occupational regulation regimes we sought feedback on were:

• Licensed Building Practitioners, including proposals for change regarding supervision and licensing, as well as seeking feedback on issues with competencies.
• Plumbers, Gasfitters and Drainlayers and Electrical Workers including consulting on the scope of codes of ethics to help lift the quality of the work and promote public confidence.
• Registered Architects, including a review of the current settings to determine if the regime is still fit for purpose.

Summary of submissions

Following public consultation, MBIE published a summary of submissions document in August 2023.

Next steps

Over the next year, MBIE will undertake targeted consultation to confirm the changes to the Licensed Building Practitioner regime’s supervision and licensing areas. In 2024, MBIE will further consult on the Registered Architects regime, the Plumbers, Gasfitters and Drainlayers regime and Electrical Workers regime.