Building consents going digital
13 December 2018
A new electronic system will see Waipā builders applying for, processing and finalising their building consents completely online.
Waipa District Council has announced it will move to an online building consent processing system from February next year. The system, provided by New Zealand company Alpha One, will enable customers to submit building consents online, track their consents and receive all correspondence digitally.
Planning and regulatory manager Wayne Allan said the new system is a game-changer for both our customers and staff, who will be processing building consent applications and undertaking building inspections with new mobile devices.
Customers have told us our current system for processing building consents is not working for them. Traditionally we've used a paper-based system, which is time-consuming and difficult for users and bad for the environment. This system will be more efficient and will provide a better service for our customers.
Coping with the district's growth was also a factor, Allan said.
Currently we process around 1,500 building consents each year. With an additional 25,000 people and 10,500 more houses expected in Waipā by 2050, that number will rise significantly. This online system will enable us to keep up with demand so that we can continue to respond to our customers in a timely way.
Council staff are meeting with regular customers prior to the go live date to ensure they understand the new electronic system.
Building consents can be applied for online from 18 February 2019. Council will not accept paper-based consent applications after this date, but those who are not tech-savvy should not be concerned, Allan said.
Anyone who struggles with computers should contact our friendly team and we will happily work with them to help submit their consent electronically. We accept this is a change for everyone, but we're here to help.
Those with an existing building consent underway will continue to have their consent processed using the current paper-based system until it is complete.
For more information, visit waipadc.govt.nz/buildingconsents or give the building compliance team a call on 0800 924 723.