Felicity Foy: Far North District Councillor on changes to insulation standards

Changes to rigid insulation standards are predicted to cut new-build costs by an average of $15 thousand.

They'll give more flex to requirements in the building code by the end of the year, in a bid to cut down rising construction costs. 

The Government's also looking to make the Far North a separate 'climate zone', stating the region’s warmer climate allows for a more tailored approach.

Far North District Councillor Felicity Foy told Ryan Bridge current rules add a significant chunk to building costs. 

She says the difference in cost between double glazing and low-E glass is significant. 

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
I thought that changes to insulation rules announced yesterday could
save up to fifteen thousand dollars per new build. Minister
for Building Chris Pinks scrapping the one size fits all
approach to homebuilding to give developers and homeowners more flexibility,
and looking at making the Far North a separate climate zone.
Felicity Fox is final district councilor with me this morning.

Speaker 2 (00:19):
Hey Felicity, Oh hi, Felicity foroy here, oh.

Speaker 1 (00:23):
Fory forgive me. Nice to have you on the program. Felicity,
tell me tell me what you guys are wanting this
climate zone for. What would that mean?

Speaker 2 (00:34):
Okay, yes, we're in the finals here, so we're very subtropical.
I don't think we've be to the final for Ryan,
but we're twenty beaches in twenty minutes and that will
mean for us that we can bring down the very
extensive cost to build.

Speaker 1 (00:48):
What's in the final What is the cost in the
Far North because nationally, you know, they sort of say
anywhere between three and a half four thousand.

Speaker 2 (00:58):
Green meeting one thousand dollars per square meter. For us,
it's the transport. So we're four and a half hours
north of Auckland and you might also have realized that
we've had our State highway as well among a mocker
clothes for a number of years. So we've had a
lot of barriers that we've faced with our distance from

(01:20):
metropolitan centers, but also the huge cost to get it here,
and that just means we have to pick up that
cost when we're building as well.

Speaker 1 (01:28):
How much. I mean, is there a problem right now
where people are shoving insulation and the homes that just
don't need it.

Speaker 2 (01:34):
Oh? Yes, definitely. The current existing standard that has been
bored in and the Minister has announced that he's changing
to be more sensible and reasonable is totally over the top.
When you look particularly at the glazing cost. The difference
between double glazing and low eglass is significant. As the

(01:57):
Minister has announced, fifteen thousand dollars is not uncommon.

Speaker 1 (02:02):
Just for the glazing.

Speaker 2 (02:04):
So you think and that's the glazing alone, and I
know firsthand examples of that also from yesterday speaking to
home loan advisors finance advisors. The number of people that
are actually building has dropped significantly and we've seen that
in our council with our building consents.

Speaker 1 (02:25):
And no doubt that's partly because the cost, presumably, So
did you.

Speaker 2 (02:29):
Believe significantly because of the cost. Definitely.

Speaker 1 (02:32):
And so when they made the change initially the previous
government to the insulation rules, did you guys say, hey,
we don't need this because it's warmer up here.

Speaker 2 (02:41):
Definitely? Yes, Oh yeah, Well you might have seen in
immediate the time there were significant advocates for that, and
that was the insulation industry and the glazing industry because
obviously it impacts them in a positive way. But for
the every day mum and dad just trying to get

(03:03):
into her house, that's a significant barrier. Particularly up here
where we're subtropical. We're much warmer. We call it the
tropics of Moody Fenowa and north here of Mangamoca. I
live here at nine a mile beach. We are so
warm and the cost of the lowy glass is not needed.

Speaker 1 (03:23):
Well listenally appreciate your time this morning for Licity Foy,
who is the final district councilor for more from early
edition with Ryan Bridge. Listen live to news Talks it'd
be from five am weekdays, or follow the podcast on iHeartRadio.