Changes to the way building consent applications are lodged and processed are set to be rolled out across much of the central North Island from December onwards.

An initiative of the ‘Lakes Coast Cluster Group' of local authorities, the changes will see standardised application vetting procedures introduced on December 1.

Changes to building consent applications will be rolled out next month.

From February 1 next year, applicants can also opt to have applications for projects anywhere within the cluster region vetted for completeness at any one of the cluster councils of their choosing.

Where the building project is located within another cluster member's area, the vetting Council will forward the application on for formal lodgement, once the information requirements are complete.

Authorities in the cluster group include Tauranga City Council and the Rotorua, South Waikato, Taupo, Kawerau, Opotiki and Whakatane District Councils. Others, including Western Bay of Plenty District Council, don't expect to be in a position to progress the changes until 2015.

Chair of the cluster, Jeff Farrell, says the changes are designed to speed up the consent approval process, reduce uncertainty over processing timeframes and provide better outcomes for consent applicants.

He says: 'Work undertaken by the productivity commission indicated that the length of time taken to have building consents issued was having a significant impact on the productivity of the construction sector.

'To address that, the Lakes Coast Cluster Group of Building Consent Authorities from the central and eastern North Island examined ways of streamlining consenting processes across the region and delivering process efficiencies for all parties.”

He says the quality of applications was a key issue.

'Typically, more than 70 per cent of the building consent applications lodged are not able to be processed through to completion because the information provided is incomplete,” adds Jeff.

'That results in requests for further information, delays in approval and dissatisfaction for builders and their customers, who can't plan their build timing with confidence.

'Raising the bar on the completeness of applications will ensure that accountability for information quality is sheeted home to designers, whose role is to provide clients with consentable documents.”

Jeff says getting the details right at the front end will also allow builders to submit tenders which are based on accurate information and generate efficiencies throughout the consent approval process.

He believes clients will be better served by the sector as a consequence of this initiative.