11 May 2016

Problems threaten Queenstown Council building consents

6:59 pm on 11 May 2016

An audit of Queenstown Council's building consent process has found multiple problems which, if not fixed, will result in the council losing its ability to approve new developments.

The frame of a new house under construction, with a blue sky behind it (file)

Queenstown Council could lose its ability to approve new building consents Photo: 123RF

International Accreditation New Zealand has listed 10 problems that it said must be fixed if the Queenstown Lakes District Council is to keep its building consent accreditation.

The problems found by the audit included poor processes, bad documentation of decisions and slow approval times.

The council will meet on Friday to approve measures to address the problems found in the audit, which will include hiring more staff.

A national shortage of qualified building inspectors was the main reason for the problems, the council said.

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