Government moving forward on digital building products data
New Zealand is moving steadily towards greater building industry use of standardised, digital information on products.
It’s an area where the Government will get more proactive as it looks to boost industry productivity and contain building costs, said Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk recently.
In July Mr Penk launched consultation on proposals for city and district councils to do remote inspections of consented building work – use video conferencing and digital information, instead of on-site physical inspection, that will ideally speed the process, cut delays and costs, and lead to much improved record keeping by all parties.
Beehive event
Also in July, Mr Penk hosted GS1, the Building Industry Federation (BIF) and industry leaders at a Beehive event where he welcomed advice on how to achieve “good free flows of information” that will promote higher productivity and competition. He stressed that the Government’s role was enabling innovation by the industry, not being the leader itself.
Nonetheless, the Minister said it would “crack the nut” of costly residential building consent processes, the next step being consultation on whether the Government should make remote, digitally-enabled inspections the default course of action for all councils (as building consent authorities or BCAs).
At the July event, Mr Penk noted BRANZ research undertaken over recent years into the benefits of New Zealand having one repository of digital building product data in an agreed, standardised format and accessible by all industry participants and BCAs.
At BIF, Chief Executive Julien Leys sums up his members’ view: “It is fundamental that having a central digital repository where any participant in the supply chain, from designers to builders to homeowners, can access information on any aspect of products will lead to greater efficiencies, improved design and ultimately lower costs,” says Leys.
The single repository concept has also had backing from the Commerce Commission, after its market study into the supply of residential building products in 2022. The commission’s work led to the setting of new building product information regulations under the previous government.
“It is fundamental that having a central digital repository where any participant in the supply chain, from designers to builders to homeowners, can access information on any aspect of products will lead to greater efficiencies, improved design and ultimately lower costs,”
Julien Leys
Chief Executive, Building Industry Federation
Building Product Information requirements
In force since 11 December 2023, the so-called ‘BPIR regulations’ aim to ensure product users have correct information about how each product (within specific categories) contributes to compliance with the NZ Building Code. Manufacturers, importers, distributors and retailers must make the relevant information available free and online.
GS1 and BIF continue to engage with government officials and building industry members on proposals for a central information repository and for each product to have “a digital passport” with multiple uses across the industry. GS1 and BIF are also demonstrating the big advantages of 2D barcodes on building products, these able to be scanned by designers, builders and all others using smartphones for rapid, from-anywhere access to required information.
With building product information, it is definitely a case of “watch this space” for further developments!
This article featured in:
