New processes set to reduce waiting times

31 July 2007

Frustrated at waiting for your consent approval?

New application forms for all building and Project Information Memorandum (PIM) consents are being introduced at the Christchurch City Council from today.

Council has redesigned and simplified its consent application forms and they are now available to be downloaded from the Council’s website www.ccc.govt.nz.

The council processes more than 9500 consents a year, for buildings worth in excess of $1 billion.Council Building Approvals Manager Brian Roff says the new system’s small gains in efficiency will amount to significant benefits for both the Council and the applicants.

“In the past 95% of all applications have been unable to be issued immediately or even quickly, because the information supplied at the time of application was inadequate,” he says.

Changes to the Building Act 2004 require all Building Consent Authorities (BCA) to be accredited by November 30 in order to be allowed to continue to issue building consents.

The BCA requirement has driven a series of process reviews that aim to improve outcomes for applicants.  These changes are intended to promote a clear understanding of the documentation required with each application.

When people lodge an application at the Council, counter staff will go through each application thoroughly with applicants to ensure all the information is attached.  This will be followed up within the next few days by a second check to ascertain that the application is complete.

“The benefit for participants overall is a reduction in consent time frames,” Mr Roff says. “In due course, these benefits are shared by both Council processing staff gaining time for other reviews, and a shorter processing time for applications.”

From today only these new forms will be accepted for processing.  They are available on the Council website www.ccc.govt.nz/building/forms or from Council service centres.

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