More than 12,000 new construction products will flow into New Zealand by July with up to 250,000 by the end of the year as the Government loosens regulations.
International standards and certifications will be soon allowed once Parliament passes the Building (Overseas Building Products, Standards, and Certification Schemes) Amendment Bill under urgency.
Minister for Building and Construction Chris Penk said plasterboard, insulation and, potentially, concrete would be the first products to be imported as part of the new regime.
He said the changes would cover, “commonly used materials where there’s a big gain in terms of improving competition and also allowing the benefits of innovation.”
A Commerce Commission study in 2022 found a lack a competition in the supply of building products.
Penk said products were being measured against “equivalent or higher” standards from overseas.
“There is no lessening in quality, or the safety, or the sustainability of those products.
“We will be interested in UV, seismic risk, other ways that the weather conditions in those other countries actually mirror ours, so we’ll be careful in the design of those regulations that will go forward.”
Easy Build Homes director Mike Fox said the company would do its own due diligence around the products coming into the market.
“When you build big volumes of homes like we do, we want to be sure that anything that comes into the market is actually being checked and that there hasn’t been problems with it overseas.”
The bill was expected to pass in Parliament tomorrow night.
