Building & Planning Newsletter, January 2026

Jan 29, 2026 | Building and planning, News

Welcome to 2026! In this issue:

 

We are looking forward to working with you through another 12 months, and we hope that things will pick up in the industry. It’s fair to say you will soon be able to do a lot more work without involving Council, and no Council oversight of your work, as the likes of self-certification, etc., come to life.

We experienced a big rush during November. Presumably, for people wanting consents before Christmas. From 1 November to Christmas Eve, we received 37 consents to a value of $8million.

We still have the tail end of some of those to work through as we start the new year. Sometimes, people think that because the Building Act stops the processing clock over the Christmas period, we stop as well. This isn’t the case; we continue to process your consents in a timely manner.

You may have seen the Ministry of Business, Innovation, and Employment [MBIE] and the Minister of Building’s initiative on granny flats and small standalone dwellings in the press over the Christmas break [see below]. This has thrown us a curveball, and we are trying to sort out exactly what it means for all of us.

You’ll be aware that the Central Government imposes a lot of work on Councils with reports, etc. On the plus side, when you look at the data, it doesn’t appear that the industry is performing as badly as some people make out.

And, certainly for a small BCA like ours, we are performing up there with the best in the country.

If you are interested, you can find these reports on the MBIE website.

 

Our 2025 statistics

 

 

 

Granny flat [small standalone dwellings]

Unfortunately, this massive change was dumped on Council immediately before Christmas, which was a bit mean really…

Given all the work we have to do to implement the changes, if you want to apply for a PIM for a granny flat, you will have to fill out a paper form until all the system changes etc can be made.

Now that the controls around granny flats [small standalone dwellings] have been clarified, we expect more to pop up around the place.

From a Council point of view, we are not involved in these, other than as a record-keeper and to issue project information memoranda [PIMs].

Before starting work, you need to apply for and obtain a PIM. Unusually, this means that a PIM’s traditional status as an information-only document has turned into a permission-to-build document: quasi-building consent.

The PIM will have a limited life as it relates to the work, meaning once you have received your PIM, the work must be completed within that 2-year period ( helps spur on those “round tuit’s”) .

You have 20 days from completion to tell Council and provide the relevant documentation. It is an offence not to do this.

If the work isn’t completed within the two years and the PIM lapses [much like a building consent does], it appears that the work then becomes unconsented work, and you will need to apply for a certificate of acceptance.

We would urge owners wanting granny flats to consider their relevant insurances and maybe discuss funding [if necessary] with their banks, before they go too far down the track.

It is important to understand that this change sidesteps the protection owners receive from a building consent. It also means that concerned neighbours will not be able to engage with the Council over their concerns.

Council will not provide guidance or advice to owners, etc., related to small stand-alone granny flats. If people have questions, they should consult with their own design professionals.

If you have any issues, concerns etc ., email consentsystem@mbie.govt.nz

Remember: all of these decisions are for the owner, not Council

Useful links

 

National Environmental Standard for Detached Minor Residential Units (NES‑DMRU)

The planning counterpart to the Building Act’s granny flat exemption is the National Environmental Standard for Detached Minor Residential Units (NES‑DMRU). The NES‑DMRU sets out the permitted activity rules and standards that allow a DMRU to be built without requiring a resource consent.

Within the Carterton context, the NES‑DMRU applies to the:

  • General Residential Zone
  • General Rural Zone
  • Mixed Use Zone
  • Māori Purpose Zone

A few key points:

  • Maximum floor area of 70 m²
  • Site coverage must comply with the relevant District Plan zone standard (in the General Residential Zone, this must not exceed 50%)
  • Minimum 2m setback from the principal residential unit
  • Boundary setbacks:
    • Residential Zone: >2 m from front, side, and rear boundaries
    • Rural Zone: >10 m from the front boundary and 5 m from the side and rear boundaries
    • Mixed Use Zone: comply with District Plan setback requirements
    • Māori Purpose Zone: comply with District Plan setback requirements

A reminder that natural hazards, site‑specific infrastructure, and reverse sensitivity considerations still apply.

The NES‑DMRU also allows district plan rules to be more lenient than the standard. The most relevant example is that the Proposed Wairarapa Combined District Plan provides for minor residential units up to 80m², more generous than the 70m2.

Other zones in the District Plan may also permit residential or minor residential activities, so it’s important to check the relevant zone chapter. The zones listed earlier are simply those captured under the NES‑DMRU framework.

And if you’re still feeling a bit lost or unsure, you’re not alone. Feel free to give the planning team a call or send us an email, and we can talk through your site, your plans, and the best next steps.

 

Proposed District Plan – Appeals Update

Following the close of the appeal period on 21 November, there was a 15-working day period within which other parties can join the appeal proceedings. This period closed on 15 December. All appeals and s274 parties received can be found on the District Plan Review website. Work will now commence on progressing through the appeals process, and the appeals version of the PDP is expected to be made available in the coming month.

Once published, this version will show the provisions currently under appeal and those that now have legal effect. We encourage practitioners to keep an eye out for the release, as it will help make everyone’s jobs easier during this transitional period.

 

Swimming pools

With summer having arrived, it is worth reminding people about their obligations regarding swimming pools. A barrier to prevent children under 5 from accessing the pool unsupervised is required for pools that can hold more than 400mm of water.

Obviously, this legislation intends to reduce the risk of accidental drowning of children under 5 years old.

If you have bought a pool over the summer period, you must consider how you will prevent children from getting into the pool when they are not supervised.

Please feel free to come and see us, and we can provide guidance on the various requirements.

If you have an existing pool, don’t forget that we hold regular inspections, and there is a fee for this.

You should check the fence [or other parts of the barriers] to make sure there are no gaps, no climbing points and that the gates are self-closing and self-latching.

If the pool wall is the barrier, there are also requirements around the ladders to ensure they are suitable and secure enough that small children cannot climb into the pool.

More information is available from this brochure, Restricting Access To Residential Pools [PDF]

 

Changes to our consenting computer systems

You may recall that Objective Corporation signalled the retirement of the GoGet system and promoted their Objective Build product.

Following intervention by the Commerce Commission, the transition fee was nearly halved.

However, the increase in fees based on the value of the work still applies.

As a result of Objective’s actions, the Council has assessed other systems for our building control work.

We are trying to ensure we have a cost-effective system to avoid increasing the per-consent fees. We also want to ensure that any systems are easy to use by both building consent applicants and us.

Accepting that we have to change systems by the end of June, we will announce our final decision and provide an update on which system was selected.

Watch this space.

 

Legislative change

The rate of change is still moving at a significant pace.

It will probably slow down towards the General Elections, but you must keep up to date.

If you aren’t already, we suggest registering for MBIE’s webinars and updates.

Building.govt.nz: Webinars 

Although much of the change is around builders and Councils, and making it easier to bring in overseas products and systems. We do hope that the Minister and MBIE will turn their minds to designers at some point.

It would be fair to say that we deal mostly with regulars and consider our local designers produce good-quality plans and specifications. A pat on the back for our regulars!.

We also hope MBIE will get stuck into the fire design industry, as this is about life safety. Our general approach is that all fire reports are either written or reviewed by CPENG fire engineers. This can be arranged by the applicant, or the Council can arrange this; additional costs will apply.

 

Lead in taps

From 1 May, you will need to provide certificates with your building consent applications showing that the proposed plumbing fittings associated with potable water meet lead requirements.

This means owners must select and commit to particular taps – models and brands – before applying for their building consent.

If they want to change the taps during the project, they will need to make an application for either an amendment or a minor variation

We suggest you start talking to your regular supplier or plumbers now to avoid frustrating questions at consent time.

 

Home warranty scheme

There is a new requirement associated with a home warranty scheme. When making an application for a building consent that fits the criteria [dwelling over $100,000 in value), you will need to provide evidence that you have a home warranty in place.

In this case, Council will act as a record keeper only, and the warranty will be held on the property file and be disclosed on any LIMs.

 

Code of Compliance Certificates [CCCs] for commercial consents and compliance schedules

When applying for a CCC for a commercial building that includes specified systems, expect a longer processing time. Make sure you complete the specified systems section of the application and provide evidence that all systems—such as sprinklers and fire alarms—are installed, operating, and certified.

Check your building consent to confirm the performance standards for each system are still correct. You must also verify that inspection, maintenance, and reporting procedures are accurate.

A CCC cannot be issued until all compliance schedule requirements are fully resolved.

 

Pre‑application meetings

If you have a complex or out-of-the-ordinary project coming up, we are happy to sit down and talk through the project with you before the application is lodged. If necessary, we can arrange for planners and our infrastructure engineers to attend. Feel free to contact us to make a time.

All the best from the Regulatory team – we are always happy to talk!