A WORD FROM OUR CHAIR

I have just returned from being at the Local Authority Property Association annual conference in Invercargill and must say it was a well-run event with excellent subject matter expert presenters, and lively engagement from delegates.

 I noted, like what the ABC experienced with our recent conference, local government representation was not at high as it has been in recent years, with feedback noting the current global pressures of costs and the current election cycle affecting approvals for training events and maintaining CPD points.

  I believe that relationships formed and nurtured at such events allow us all to be better at what we do and be confident in asking questions or reaching out to those who we've meet who may be able to assist us as they have encountered similar issues previously.

 For those of you who have some training funds available, our Extra Early-bird tickets are available now for Conference 2027 - Compliance Excellence through Education for Safer Buildings (Lower Hutt, Wellington), so by booking early you could avoid cost increases and losing the available budget - so click here: 2027 ABC Conference - and lock it in.

 I wish to sincerely thank those who have reached out and offered to be a speaker/sponsor at the next conference and at our Forums, this is very much appreciated 🙂 Please reach out to admin@abciqp.org.nz if you think you would also like to consider speaking, sponsoring or being an exhibitor. 

 Our training courses (general and in-house for clients) have been progressing this past month, and I will leave our CEO to provide more details on this.

 Another round of local Forums are scheduled throughout November, and we urge you to attend - but please don't forget to register so that you get your certificate of attendance, as you might need these to revalidate ongoing training/industry awareness for IQP renewal registrations.

 A number of people are asking ABC representatives for comment about the Loafers Lodge trial, and it is best that we let the legal process proceed. The opportunity we all have today is to do the best we can all the time, for the people that rely on the Compliance process to enter, work within, and egress safely from a building. 

 I truly hope that by the time our next newsletter comes out, we have a government that delivers on promises made, and they get right into working with industry stakeholders like the ABC, to improve the processes and state of Compliance in NZ making it safer for all building users. 

Kind regards,

Lyall Senior – Chair, Association of Building Compliance

AN UPDATE FROM OUR CEO

Kia ora koutou katoa, 

October has been an extremely busy month for me with training. I have delivered training to over 11 different councils, building on the previous month. The conversations and exchanging of ideas by all attendees has resulted in adapting a more consistent approach to Compliance Schedules and BWOF Audits. Hopefully this will be seen at your next BWOF Audit. I look forward to engaging with more councils, and I challenge the IQP's to also attend training workshops so that they may also be involved in these conversations.

I have recently received a complaint from a building tenant stating that the IQP would not sign off the Form 12A for Final Exits because they had roller security grills on the entry door and the rear door, and often stock was blocking the rear door. The IQP would only issue the Form 12A once the locks on the security grill were removed.  Unfortunately, the facility manager had to remove the locks and the store owner had to stay awake all night because his store could not be locked and secured. As you are all aware, all shopping mall stores have security roller grills down and locked once the store is closed for the day, dairies and vape stores etc. do as well, that is because when the store is not occupied you are entitled to lock your premises. The IQP was informed that under the acceptable solutions this is acceptable, however the IQP quoted that the law has changed and they can't do it. When asked by the owner "where does it state that and when did the law change?", the IQP could not prove it, instead they just forced the issue further. If the IQP had read the fire report and the compliance schedule they would have noted that the rear door was not a designated exit and the building was a single means of escape. 

This is not the first time I have received a complaint about an IQP misquoting the Law or the Acceptable Solutions. This has also been noted a by a council who recently issued a letter stating:

Council has become aware of a small number of instances where an IQP has declined to issue a Form 12A Certificate because of concerns unrelated to the inspection, maintenance, and reporting procedures (IMRs) listed on the building's Compliance Schedule.
Examples of concerns raised have included matters such as:
• Items not in compliance with the Building Code.
• Concerns regarding original consent documentation.
• Concerns that additional Specified Systems included in the Compliance Schedule don’t meet code requirements.
• Other matters that fall outside the scope of the annual Specified Systems inspection process/procedure.

Council understands that IQPs may, while carrying out inspections, identify matters that they consider warrant further attention. Council encourages IQPs to raise such concerns with building owners and, where appropriate, with Council.

Where an existing Compliance Schedule is in place and the Specified Systems have been inspected and maintained in accordance with the applicable IMRs, it is Council's expectation that a Form 12A will be provided, notwithstanding concerns that may exist regarding unrelated Building Code compliance matters.

I appreciate that often IQP's feel powerless to effect change with building owners, however they must follow the correct pathway to achieving this and not misquote the law. Otherwise, it gives the public the impression that the IQP industry is not really professional. At a time when our industry is in the spotlight, we must follow the procedures under Section 108 of the Building Act and the requirements of the councils. Work with the councils to get things right.

I look forward to seeing many of you over the next few weeks at the forums.

Noho ora mai,

Trent Fearnley

All presentations and videos for Conference 2026 are available for 2026 attendees to view now

Website Update – The Gremlins Are Still Hanging Around!

While we’ve made progress following our recent website upgrade, it seems a few stubborn gremlins are still lurking in the system! We’re aware that some issues are ongoing, particularly with certificates and event information, and our team is continuing to track them down as they rear their ugly little nuts.

We know how important it is to have access to accurate information and your certificates when you need them, and we sincerely apologise for any ongoing inconvenience or frustration this may be causing.

A huge thank you to everyone for your continued patience, understanding and support while we work through these final hiccups. 

Thanks for bearing with us while we banish those last few gremlins!

Next round of Forums take place in November - please ensure you register your attendance in advance - registrations for 2026 are open year-round - *please note the change in venues for Auckland, Canterbury, and Tauranga*

These sessions are designed to encourage open discussion, strengthen connections between IQPs, councils, and industry stakeholders, and promote greater consistency and understanding across regions. 

All Forums are free to attend - with the added bonus of CPD points and certificates for ABC members

Canterbury Forum - 11th November - Cashmere Club, 50 Colombo Street, Christchurch

Southern Forum - 12th November - Dunedin Leisure Lodge, 30 Duke Street, Dunedin

Auckland Forum - 17th November - Auckland Netball Centre, 7 Allison Ferguson Drive, St Johns, Auckland

Central Forum - 18th November - Palmerston North Fire Station, 50 Cook Street, Palmerston North

Wellington Forum - 19th November - Ricoh Sports Centre, Fraser Park, 237 Taita Drive, Avalon, Lower Hutt

BOP/Waikato Forum - 20th November - The Schoolhouse, Historic Village, 159 17th Avenue West, Tauranga

Click on the forum name to take you directly to the registration page - please note we need registrations for catering purposes and Health & Safety requirements.

If there is a particular subject you’d like us to cover in future sessions  Click Here to Submit your Topic

We are delighted to welcome our new members to the Association.  Additions to our community are 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.

FINAL Training Workshops for 2026 - Register NOW!

Don’t miss this opportunity to boost your professional development - register today!  

AUCKLAND

Thursday 12 November - Automatic Doors for Compliance SS3.1 and Egress Control SS3.2 - Full-day workshop 15% discount when registering for full-day

Thursday 12 November - Automatic Doors for Compliance SS3.1 - Half-day workshop

Thursday 12 November - Egress Control SS3.2 - Half-day workshop

ONLINE

Thursday 12 November - Automatic Doors for Compliance SS3.1 and Egress Control SS3.2 - Full-day workshop 15% discount when registering for full-day

Thursday 12 November - Automatic Doors for Compliance SS3.1 - Half-day workshop

Thursday 12 November - Egress Control SS3.2 - Half-day workshop

Friday 13 November - BWOF Fundamentals and Owners Compliance Checks - Full-day workshop 15% discount when registering for full-day

Friday 13 November - BWOF Fundamentals - Half-day workshop

Friday 13 November - Owners Compliance Checks - Half-day workshop

Tuesday 24 November - Means of Escape to a Final Exit and SS4 Emergency Lighting - Full-day workshop 15% discount when registering for full-day

Tuesday 24 November - Means of Escape to a Final Exit - Half-day workshop

Tuesday 24 November - SS4 Emergency Lighting - Half-day workshop

Friday 27 November - HVAC and Smoke Control - requirements for SS5, SS9, SS11 and SS13 - Full-day workshop

Friday 11 December - Understanding a Fire Engineering Design Report - Full-day workshop.

To view the full list of our courses (including cost and times) click here:  Workshops/Seminars » Association of Building Compliance (abciqp.org.nz)

 If you have any queries regarding the above workshops or require further assistance please email us - admin@abciqp.org.nz  

GAIN AN NZQA ACCREDITED QUALIFICATION THAT IS UNIQUE, RELEVANT, AND INDUSTRY-SPECIFIC.

Designed for professionals including IQPs and council compliance staff, the programme covers the Building Act, Building Code, compliance schedules, specified systems, BWOF requirements and Fire and Emergency New Zealand requirements.

The 22-week part-time programme is delivered through weekly online evening tutorials, online workshops and a two-day face-to-face workshop, making it possible to study while you work.

For more information on this promo view this brochure or contact Helen: helen.hegley@futureskills.co.nz

See the Future Skills website for more information Certificate in Building Compliance (Level 4) - Future Skills 

We are pleased to confirm that we have rolled out an ABC member specific Professional Indemnity, Public Liability and Statutory Liability scheme.

The policy cover and wordings have been designed and drafted specifically for ABC members to address the specific risks that IQP’s have. 

CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFORMATION