A Word from the Chair

Tēnā koutou katoa (Greetings to you all)

Where has this year gone!? By now you will all be working hard to finish projects in preparation for the Christmas break coming at the end of next month. I am in awareness of the stress this time of year has on businesses so reach out to fellow industry colleagues and or the Association if you need support or someone to talk to confidentially. We are here to support you.

Last month I updated you on our presentation made to the governments Select Committee regarding potential legislative amendments that would allow an IQP to be fined. We now have an important update relating to this.

The bill to introduce fines for IQPs has passed its second reading at Parliament and is now in the House to consider the bill in detail. It does look like it will now go through for final sign off by the Governor General in due course and then will be implemented into the Building Act as Section 108A. Although we agree with fines as a deterrent for IQPs, the Association of Building Compliance has been asserting our members concerns around the many changes that are essential in assisting IQPs and the industry if these fines come to fruition. Despite the amendment to legislation, the government has acknowledged our collective issues and urge MBIE to take the points reported and supported by the select committee to be considered and worked through.

In summary the following are the recommendations made by the Association, as outlined in the Select Committee report:

• Creating a national IQP registration panel
• Creating a national building compliance register
• Increasing qualification benchmarks for IQPs
• Requiring building officials to have a minimum standard of knowledge and/or qualifications
• Making building compliance documentation (property file type information) publicly available for IQPs and building owners.

I am incredibly proud of the pressure and work we have put in to make our voices heard and would like to acknowledge Trent our CEO in particular for his leadership in getting us in front of the right people. We have already presented the Minister of Building & Construction with a high level solution of how to best implement these changes and our next steps are to provide in-depth details around this to MBIE as instructed by the Minister. The Association will continue to drive these changes for the benefit of our members which is in the best interests of Public Safety.

You can view transcripts of the Wednesday 13^th November 2024 debate here: https://www.parliament.nz/mi/pb/hansard-debates/rhr/combined/HansD_20241113_20241113  (key word search “IQP” to go to the relevant transcript).

Thank you for your continued support.

Ngā mihi nui

Laura Williams

Chair

Kia ora koutou,

I recently attended an international conference and listened to update on the International Fire Safety Standards Coalition (IFSS) - A Decade of Action for Fire Safety - 2022-2032. As a member of the Institution of Fire Engineers, I have had a bit to do with this and also embedded it into their strategic plan. I actually remembered when the Chair of IFSS, Gary Strong spoke at the ABC conference in Auckland in 2018. Gary was trying to set up the coalition and was asking for associations to join. As I was not part of the Association then, I did not realise that ABC had become a member organisation. There is now a global coalition of over 80 fire safety leadership organisations. 

IFSS has produced an International Fire Safety Standard Common Principles (IFSS-CP) guideline document with 11 guiding objectives. It was pleasing to see that the work we are currently doing as an Association by improving training and lobbying the government cover more than 5 of these objectives. This is encouraging as I can see that we are not alone in our thinking and that internationally, others are doing what we are, so it is good to make comparisons and learn from others. I will share more of this with you as I make my way around the last 4 forums for the year. I look forward to catching up with as many of you as I can.

Lastly, we recently welcomed our new Partner Commercial Door Services with Jeff and his team and now I am pleased to announce that we have another new Partner, Advantage Doors with Johan and his team. Nau mai haere mai ki a korua, welcome to you both.

Nga mihi ora mai,

Trent Fearnley

UPCOMING TRAINING WORKSHOPS – REGISTER NOW TO SECURE YOUR PLACE!

We are excited to announce our upcoming scheduled online workshops over the next couple of months to provide greater flexibility and convenience. These workshops are designed to enhance your skills, update your industry knowledge, and help with your IQP registration. Whether you're aiming to upskill or update your qualifications, our sessions offer valuable insights and networking opportunities to keep you leading in building compliance.

Don't miss this opportunity to advance your professional development. Register now!

Friday 22 November 2024 - ONLINE - Compliance Schedule Best Practice Workshop - Half Day Workshop - 8.30am - 12.30pm

This is a 4-hour workshop that provides a practical hands-on opportunity to work through and complete a detailed compliance schedule document working with the new MBIE ‘best practice’ exemplar compliance document, guideline and ABC Code of Practice, learn from those who wrote it. It also provides you with the tools needed to write your own Compliance Schedule.

Thursday 28 November 2024 - ONLINE – Means of Escape to a Final Exit Workshop - Half Day Workshop - 8.30am - 12.00pm

The Means of Escape to a Final Exits workshop will include all aspects of means of escape from a building including open paths, safe paths, exitways and final exits. The workshop is designed to be both theory and interactive. It includes a technical presentation, a building case study, product examples and a technical quiz challenge and assessment.

Thursday 28 November 2024 – ONLINE - Signage for Compliance, SS14.2 & SS15.4 Workshop - Half Day Workshop -1.00pm - 4.00pm

Signs play a critical role in assisting people in the event of an emergency and also to help the effective maintenance and performance of Specified Systems. We will look at the five categories of signs and the various actions that they influence. Too often people have been accepting poor signage as they believe it is not a critical part of Compliance. This workshop will show you exactly why we need to maintain the signage and display the correct signs for each purpose.

DO BOTH THE ABOVE WORKSHOPS AND RECEIVE A 15% DISCOUNT!

Tuesday 3 December 2024 - ONLINE – Understanding a Fire Engineering Design Report – Full Day Workshop – 8.30am – 4.30pm

A FEDR forms an integral part of the documentation detailing a building’s consent, construction and compliance history. As an IQP, you can use information contained in the building’s FEDR to inform decisions around how you conduct inspections, what you should expect to find and how you interpret features of the building.

Wednesday 4 December 2024 - ONLINE - Emergency Lighting, SS4 - Half Day Workshop - 8.30am - 12.30pm

The Emergency Lighting workshop will include Building Code clause F6 visibility in escape routes, central supply and single point systems and illuminated exit signage. Each workshop is designed to be both theory and interactive. They will and include technical presentation, two separate building case studies, product examples and a technical quiz challenge and assessment.

** NOTE - Combine any 2 workshops above and we will give you a 15% discount - Just email admin@abciqp.org.nz to arrange **

Register here:  Workshops/Seminars » Association of Building Compliance (abciqp.org.nz)

Conference 2025 - Auckland

We are in full swing mode now booking in speakers for the conference. So far we have confirmed speakers from Clevertronics, Hydroflow, Fire-engineering, Orbitz, HVAC industry and Water NZ. We should have the line up published in the new year, this is just a taster of what we have scheduled for you.

If you are interested in speaking or know of someone who wants to speak, please download the call for papers form here for more information.

Our exhibitor brochure is out now and can be downloaded here. You can also view all the conference details on our conference website. Check out our site for those exhibitors already confirmed. Sponsorship details are also on the exhibitor brochure.

Association of Building Compliance 2025 Conference: "Unified Compliance - Strengthening Standards across the BWOF industry"

We are excited to announce the Association of Building Compliance's flagship event next year, our 2025 Conference: "Unified Compliance - Strengthening Standards across the BWOF industry". Next year’s conference is dedicated to Uniting all IQP’s and Councils with a common goal of building compliance and building a cohesive framework for compliance through collaboration and standardised laws.

One direction, one team – He waka eke noa.

This event will bring together Independently Qualified Persons (IQPs), Council representatives and others with a shared vision of enhancing building compliance through collaboration and standardised laws. Together, we can build a cohesive framework for compliance that ensures the safety and reliability of buildings across our communities.

Conference Key Highlights:

• Expert-Led Sessions: Learn from leading experts who will share their insights on the latest trends, technologies, and methodologies in building compliance.
• Networking Opportunities: Connect with peers, industry leaders, and innovators in the building compliance field.
• Interactive Workshops: Participate in engaging workshops designed to equip you with knowledge and new skills to apply in your role.

Registration Now Open! We are pleased to inform you that our registration portal is now open. Secure your spot to be part of this pivotal event that promises to shape the future of Building Compliance in New Zealand. We are offering Extra Earlybird pricing until 1 February 2025 (same price as our 2024 Earlybird price).

To register, please visit our website and to the conference section here. Early bird registrations are available until 1 July, offering special rates to our members, affiliates, and partner association members.

In relation to accommodation options, we have secured a Delegate rate for you at the Grand Millennium Hotel with a special price. View your accommodation options here.

Do not miss out on this opportunity to be at the forefront of building compliance, innovation, and excellence. Join us in setting new standards and contributing to a safer, more compliant future. We look forward to welcoming you to what promises to be an insightful and transformative event.

Conference 2024 Presentations and Videos now online

The conference presentations and videos are now available to view for all paid conference delegates. You should see a Tab on the top our webpage - "Conference 2024". This Tab is only available to conference delegates.

External Wall Fire Safety - Fire risk appraisal of external wall construction and cladding  **Note new dates**

INTRODUCING A RISK-BASED APPROACH FOR REVIEWING SYSTEMS ON EXISTING BUILDINGS IN THE UK TO THE NEW ZEALAND MARKET

Following the Grenfell Tower fire in June 2017 there has been a significant evolution in legislation, guidance and practice which has changed how we design new buildings and combat existing buildings. Currently the design of any new building attracts strict combustibility requirements within the defined external wall zone, whereas reviewing existing buildings requires a reasonable and proportionate approach to the risks presented based on a holistic building review. This session will introduce current UK practice for both new build design and existing buildings and explore whether such practices could be introduced into the New Zealand market.

We will be hosting 2 seminars in the following locations:

Auckland 8 May 2025 - This will be a hybrid one to allow people to attend either in person or virtually

Wellington 6 May 2025

Speaker - James Groves is a Fire Engineer in the UK with significant experience of external wall related fire safety, he is a Chartered Engineer and member of the Institution of Fire Engineers. This course would be beneficial for building professionals who would like to know more about assessing the risks posed by external wall systems.

#Architects, #fireengineers, #BuildingOfficials and #IQP's are encouraged to register. Check out the seminars page for more details and to register here.

We are delighted to welcome our new members to the Association. Your addition to our community is exciting, and we look forward to both sharing our expertise and learning from your experiences. We are committed to continuous improvement and development, and we believe that together, we can achieve great strides in building compliance excellence.