Material relief for Auckland-based tradies

Auckland Council has expanded the list of materials tradies can substitute to help managed increasing supply issues

In the face of a supply crunch caused by Covid-19, and exasperated by a massive building boom, tradies in the Auckland area are struggling to find the materials needed to complete jobs.

In an attempt to ensure construction in the country’s biggest city isn’t held up, the council is advising builders of material swaps they are prepared to consider. The expanded scope allows for swaps of:

• Some cladding types.
• Timber framing to steel framing.
• Concrete tiles to metal roofing, or vice versa.

However, it’s not as simple as swapping materials ad hoc – builders are being asked by the council to check with it early in the build process, as some changes will require extra checks.

“It is a balancing act that requires quick decision-making to ensure we are not slowing construction, while also keeping non-compliant materials from being used,” Auckland Council’s general manager of building consents Ian McCormick told RNZ.

Inspectors have been allowed more wiggle-room for on-site substitution approvals, but it’s not the norm according to McCormick, again urging tradies to get in touch with the council early in the process to ensure inspectors have enough time to carry out necessary research.

He said that while builders usually come to Council with the issues during construction, some designers recognise a particular shortage and amend their plans before the consent is issued, which makes the process much easier.

Other workarounds include forming groups to increase purchasing power, or using social media to find leftover materials. Additionally, a new sense of community appears to have fostered among Auckland’s builders, as some are helping out on other sites when their own work is delayed.

Country-wide impact varies

Material shortages leading to substitutions isn’t specific to Auckland, according to Taupō District Council Senior Building Management Officer Alix Lattey.

“We are seeing a number of amendments coming through for material substitution,” she said.

However, she said this hasn’t led to  a list of approved substitutions for materials, and added that any amendments should be determined by the designer in accordance with the owner’s requests.

“If something is being substituted, we would require all the relevant details of the new product to show compliance with the NZBC,” said Lattey. “This can be done by way of an amendment or a variation.”

Selwyn District Council Building Manager Vanessa Mitchell said that material shortages are not negatively impacting projects in the central Canterbury area.

“We have seen no significant change in the number of requests for amendments since December 2020. We do intend to review our amendment list, but we’re not committed to any specific changes until we’ve done that review.”

New Plymouth District Council Building Services Coordinator – Processing Renata Smith said it has no plans to mimic Auckland’s approach by providing builders with an acceptable substitutions list.

“At this stage, NPDC do not and do not plan on having, a list of materials that can be substituted and accepted by the inspectors onsite as a minor variation,” said Smith.

“NPDC follow MBIE guidance on what is considered a minor variation in relation to amendments to building consents. Any change to the building consent that is not considered minor must be submitted and approved by NPDC as a formal amendment to the building consent.

“While amendments have the same statutory timeframes for processing as a standard building consent (20 working days), we try to process amendments within 10 working days.”