Director sentenced over forged fire system compliance document 

The sole director of a commercial fire protection company has been sentenced after pleading guilty to forging a document used to support a Code Compliance Certificate (CCC) application 

Neil Gould, director of Parallel Fire Protection Limited, was sentenced in the North Shore District Court following an investigation by the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE). 

The case relates to the installation of a fire hydrant system at an apartment building on Auckland’s North Shore in 2023. Parallel Fire Protection Limited had been subcontracted to carry out the installation as part of the building consent requirements. 

MBIE’s Product Assurance and Investigation Team opened an investigation after Auckland Council raised concerns in July 2024 about the authenticity of a Verification of Compliance certificate submitted in connection with the building’s CCC application. 

False documents 

“MBIE’s investigation established that Mr Gould falsified the Verification of Compliance certificate for the fire hydrant system, including the details of an Independent Qualified Person (IQP), and emailed it to a company tasked with collating documents for a CCC application,” said Sharon Threadwell, MBIE National Manager Building Regulatory Delivery. 

Mr Gould pleaded guilty to making a false document with the intent that it be used or acted upon as genuine. 

He was sentenced to three months’ community detention and ordered to pay $1,000 in reparations to Nova Flowtec Services, an independent fire hydrant testing company. 

Important checks and balances 

MBIE said all fire hydrant installations must be independently certified as compliant by a Fire Hydrant Certifier before a CCC or Certificate for Public Use can be issued. 

As part of that process, a third-party inspection body must inspect the hydrant system and certify that it complies with the relevant standards. Building Consent Authorities cannot issue a CCC or Certificate for Public Use until that certification has been submitted and accepted. 

“All installations of fire hydrant systems must be certified as being compliant by a third-party independent inspection body and I’d like to thank Auckland Council for being diligent and raising their concerns,” Ms Threadwell said. 

She said the sentencing demonstrated that MBIE would act where there was evidence of abuse of the building regulatory system. 

“MBIE encourages building professionals, consent authorities and consumers to verify and report any compliance concerns around certification to MBIE.” 

MBIE said Mr Gould’s conviction may also be referred to the Registrar of Companies for investigation of potential breaches of the Companies Act 1993. 

Related case 

The sentencing follows another recent prosecution involving building product certification documents. 

In May, Timaru company director Dr. Nick Wall was sentenced in the Timaru District Court after pleading guilty to forging a CodeMark product certificate. The certificate related to a liquid roofing membrane product called ECOseal100. 

CodeMark is a voluntary product certification scheme that provides evidence a building product complies with the Building Code when used as specified. Building Consent Authorities must accept a valid CodeMark certificate as proof of compliance.