MBIE clarifies LBP changes 

In a statement sent to Under Construction, the Ministry of Building, Innovation and Employment (MBIE) has clarified the changes that are set to take place to the Licensed Building Practitioner (LBP) scheme 

Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk announced in April 2025 that there would be new rules introduced to the LBP scheme to “increase accountability and give consumers a clear path forward if things go wrong”. 

The three new regulations will: 

• Strengthen the disciplinary process and introduce greater transparency by giving the Licensed Building Practitioners Registrar, who oversee the registration of Licensed Building Practitioners (LBP), more tools and publishing details of builders who have been suspended. 

• Establish a new waterproofing licence class for LBPs, so consumers can be confident those completing wet area bathrooms and level-entry showers are suitably qualified and accountable for their work. 

• Improve the complaints process for licensed electrical workers, and licensed plumbers, gasfitters and drainlayers, by enabling the Registrars to initiate investigations more easily and enabling the creation of Codes of Ethics to promote professional standards of behaviour. 

“We want builders to take pride in their work, and homeowners to have peace of mind about the quality of workmanship carried out. New rules will give the small minority of bad operators the chance to shape up or ship out,” said Penk. 

“This is just the beginning. More reforms are on the way to crack down on cowboy builders – including increasing penalties for careless work.” 

Despite being labelled as a new regulation, the LBP Board already had the ability to initiate and investigate LBPs, while Board decisions are currently published online. 

Clearer division of labour 

However, Suzannah Toulmin, Manager Consenting and Practitioners Policy, MBIE, told Under Construction the new regulation will clarify the roles of the LBP Board and Registrar to let them devote more time on their areas of responsibility – reducing duplication and increasing efficiencies. 

“The Registrar will triage and investigate issues for the Board to issue judgements,” she said. “Currently, the Board is required to hear every complaint that is brought before them, no matter how incomplete, frivolous, or vexatious it may be. The upcoming changes will allow the Registrar to triage complaints and assess which ones should to be referred to the Board. 

“The changes will allow the Registrar to direct MBIE to appoint an investigator to help determine whether the complaint should be brought before the Board. The changes will aim to create powers for these investigators around requiring evidence from parties, and powers of inspection where appropriate, among others.” 

Easier to understand 

Toulmin said the changes will also make it easier to understand why an LBP has been suspended for those looking at the public register. 

“The LBP register will clarify the difference between suspended practitioners and those whose licences have lapsed due to a disciplinary matter. A small grace period will be applied for LBPs who have missed their renewal deadline, allowing them to quickly reinstate their licence.” 

Separate but equal 

Alongside the changes to the LBP regime, the Government has said it will improve the complaints processes for licensed electrical workers and licensed plumbers, gasfitters and drainlayers, by enabling Registrars to initiative investigations and enable the creation of an LBP-style Code of Ethics. 

Despite the desire to bring the Electrical Workers Registration Board and the Plumbers, Gasfitters, and Drainlayers Board boards closer to the LBP Board in terms of disciplinary process, Toulmin says that the function of the three boards will remain separate. 

“While the new Codes of Ethics [for the other two boards] will be modelled on the LBP Code introduced at the end of 2023, the boards will continue to operate independently of one another.”