Lifestyle block development is a reality with an often high value residential development. This lifestyle often represents a dream of back to nature or the agriculture basis of New Zealand society. The further away from urban area boundaries,the greater the stress on roading and other infrastructure the members of our community often demand, while at the same time seeking to back to nature.

Rural property owners are often independent minded people who value the freedom of expression and view planning and building controls as bureaucratic interference as opposed to ensuring the value and safety of their property over time.

Council has become a risk adverse organisation as a result of:

• The leaky home crisis in New Zealand

• The legal framework in New Zealand that makes it easy to claim damages from Council even if Council was not at fault

• The pressure from organisations that provide Council’s with insurance cover

It is a constant battle to ensure that Council staff do not get over awed by the issue of liability and the fear of making mistakes.

The new legislative requirements for qualified Building Control staff with knowledge of the Building Code rules, as well as the reason for them, will bring a future with a higher level of professionalism in the manner that building control services are delivered to our residents and rate payers. Unfortunately this increased professionalism comes at a cost, which will be reflected in fees and charges.

Before a Council issues a Code Compliance Certificate, it must be satisfied that your building project meets the Building Code. The Building Code consists of clauses that ensure compliance with hygiene requirements and insulation to ensure energy efficiency and a healthy environment.  These requirements are specified in the Code as well as the need for structural soundness and durability of your building for 50 years.

Lending institutions will often not lend on buildings without a Code Compliance Certificate, consequently the value of your property can be severely affected.

To avoid the stress associated with last minute remedial works and/or the financial penalty associated with not having completed your building work ensure that all buildings have a Code Compliance Certificate.  For consents issued after March 2005, building projects must be completed within two years from the issuing of the building consents.

Potentially Council’s do not have to issue Code Compliance Certificates if owners do not complete their building project within a two year period. However, from a public service perspective the aim  is to assist owners with the process of achieving the certification. The owner must, however, take the initiative.

The scale of rural development is often a concern for communities. Usually more than one dwelling on a property requires a resource consent, or if you are in a specially protected zone, any development may need to be assessed as to its impact on the environment.

It pays to check what is allowed and what is not, before applying for a building consent, in order to minimise unnecessary delays.

The Government is looking at ways to make the building consenting process simpler. For example sheds and garages could get pre-approval or be exempt from the need to obtain a building consent.

Sheds and garages have a potential to be transformed in to residential dwellings which will then result in having to retro-fit construction requirements that are linked to hygiene, energy efficiency and a healthy living environment. Council is keen to see a simplified building consent process for sheds and garages as long as these don’t become substandard housing options.

Expanding on a rural property by adding a sleepout or a minor dwelling, results in rural intensification with additional pressures on services such as roading. On your site it has the potential of over loading your on site wastewater treatment plant with both significant adverse health effects as a result of a field soakage system. The heavy clay soils provide poor soakage for wastewater treated effluent and the discharge has the potential to pollute surface water and streams.

Adding rooms to your house, adding sleepouts or a minor household unit will require your wastewater treatment system to be assessed for the potentially increased wastewater load. You may well maintain that your family will not increase; however, these guarantees do not transfer to future homeowners when the property is sold.

The controls associated with wastewater treatment are governed by the Auckland Regional Council Air, Land and Water plan. This plan allows Council to approve wastewater treatment systems for residential activities subject to strict guidelines.

There is significant encouragement for dairy farmers to protect the waterways, however there is no such encouragement for rural lifestyle block owners. This is therefore a plea to rural lifestyle block owners to create wetland areas around streams and waterways and to keep stock away from these areas. The pollution of waterways is a major public health issue particularly close to urban areas and it is also of concern for the foreshore areas and the harbours, beaches and sea that need to be protected from the nutrients enrichment and siltration.