Thousands more homes consented through New Zealand’s first independent building consent authority

MEDIA RELEASE

9 October 2026 11.00 am

Housing Minister Hon Chris Bishop today visited a multi-unit development in Lower Hutt to mark the thousands more homes safely consented by Building Consents Approvals Limited (BCAL), New Zealand’s first fully independent, nationwide building consent authority, since it began operating 15 months ago.

Joining an inspection team and the Minister on a GJ Gardner Homes site in Penrose Street, Woburn, BCAL Chair Tony Sewell said the consenting company’s approach reflected strong demand for a faster, nationally consistent alternative to council-based consenting.

“Across New Zealand we’ve attracted residential housing companies, from leading brands to smaller builders, together representing a potential of 15,000 consents per year by March 31, 2027.

The average processing time for a building consent lodged by approved clients is just over a week (5 working days) compared to council buildings consents which take 4 weeks (20 working days) as required under legislation.

Sewell said that nationally BCAL were carrying out more than 300 building inspections per week with over 7000 national inspections completed to date.  Each building inspection is completed within 48 hours of the request being received.

Code Compliance Certificates are also issued within 48 hours if all requirements are met.

“All this means owners can move into their new homes sooner,” said Sewell, an industry veteran integral to the rebuild of post-Earthquake Christchurch and former CEO of Ngāi Tahu Property.

“Faster consenting helps to make building cheaper.

“Delays in the construction industry cost money, which then is passed onto homeowners. By providing faster, safe consenting services, we’ve been delighted to help reduce the cost of building a new home for New Zealanders.

“BCAL is also taking the pressure off councils so they can focus on the basics. It also means we can deliver consenting services efficiently, rather than burden ratepayers, who can be left footing the bill when things go wrong.

“Although the Building Act and Building Code are the same throughout New Zealand, the 67 councils use different systems and often consent differently. BCAL consents across the whole country using one system and one process, which delivers consistency and efficiency,” Sewell said.

About BCAL

BCAL became New Zealand’s first fully independent, nationwide Building Consent Authority after MBIE approved its registration in June 2025, following accreditation work with International Accreditation New Zealand (IANZ) that began in 2023. BCAL is focused on low-risk residential consents for group home builders and developers, issuing consents within 10 working days or less for eligible projects, and low-risk typology consents within two working days across all regions of New Zealand.

Media contact: Lisa-Marie Richan 027 278 0441 Lisa-marie@conv.co.nz