Malcolm Fleming: Certified Builders CEO on the changes to certifications and inspectors for builders

There's a belief changes to certifications and inspections for builders is a step in the right direction. 

Legislation introduced by the end of this year will see approved building firms, drain layers, and plumbers allowed to sign off their own work on smaller residential dwellings. 

Certified Builders Chief Executive Malcolm Fleming told Mike Hosking the Government's missed an opportunity to introduce a quality mark for builders. 

He says that would give homeowners the confidence a builder has the credentials to do the job well. 

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
And some more common sense coming to the building industry.

(00:02):
Self certification as a way forward. Reputable companies delivering large
numbers of near identical houses will be able to sign
their own work off now they think that's about three
thousand houses a year, not needing the current red tape process.
The New Zealand CERID if i'd builders Boss Malcolm Flemmings
with us, Malcolm morning.

Speaker 2 (00:17):
Good morning. You've got the only program right.

Speaker 1 (00:19):
Are you on board? Broadly?

Speaker 2 (00:22):
Broadly we are. What the government is trying to do
is speed up consent times for those builds they deemed
less risky and are particularly focused on standardized homes of
simple design. We think this is a good start, but
they've missed an opportunity to introduce a qual HU marks
for builders so that homeowners will have confidence that any
individual builder has the credentials to do the job well.

Speaker 1 (00:45):
But if I go along to a well established corporate,
I would feel confident by looking at them, wouldn't I?

Speaker 2 (00:52):
Well, willistablish corporates, particularly at home group home building market,
have good standardized systems and if they can produce good
standardized simple homes, that's what the government's leading into the moment.
What we're sort of advocating is un certified builders and
had some really good, meaningful dialogue with government on this

(01:12):
is taking the next step of that because Keywy's traditionally
like bespoke buildings, So if they can sort of get
the quality mark established through the license building practitioner regime,
and we think this is entirely possible that a builder,
based on their core qualification, based on their experience, and

(01:32):
based on their track record with the councils, has the
ability to opt in to things like we're talking about
here with the self certification schemes, and.

Speaker 1 (01:41):
Have you talked to the government about that They open
to this. It seems common sense.

Speaker 2 (01:45):
We've had some really good discussion with them. They seem
to be quite open for it. We're hopeful that they
will be the next tranch of this proposal.

Speaker 1 (01:54):
Good. What's this actually achieved is that cheaper are they
more homes does? What happens, what.

Speaker 2 (02:00):
They're looking to achieve is speed up the time of
waiting around for builders on site waiting for a building inspection.
Now right at the moment to where the sort of
low trough of the economic cycle, and it's not such
a big issue, but if we go back three years ago,
it was a very big issue and it will be
an issue again. So waiting around for building and inspectors

(02:24):
is cost and time. So if that can be reduced
by a builder and plumbers and rain layers, and I
think that's a really good proposal that's been put in here,
with plumbers and drain layers to be able to self certify,
that will speed things up because they don't have to
wait for a building and sim good stuff.

Speaker 1 (02:43):
Malcolm, all right, I appreciate your time very much. Malcolm Flimming,
who's the New Zealand cer Divide builder's boss. For more
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