Thank you for having your say on the Dangerous, Affected and Insanitary Building Policy review.

The purpose of this policy is to set out rules to make sure people can live and work in buildings without compromising their health or safety. It outlines the steps Council will take when one of these buildings is identified or reported. It also covers how heritage buildings will be managed if they are dangerous, insanitary or affected.

Every Council is required, under the Building Act 2024 (Act), to have a Dangerous, Affected and Insanitary Buildings Policy.

Every five years we are required to review our Policy. This ensures our Policy is fit-for-purpose when we need to use it and that it’s up to date with the requirements set out in the Building Act.

If you wish to speak to your submission in person, Council is planning to host hearings either in person or online, although a date is still to be confirmed. Submitters wishing to be heard must have clearly stated this in their written submission. These submitters will then be contacted to arrange an appropriate time on the hearing date.

The following information is an overview of information taken from the Statement of Proposal, which summarises proposed changes outlined in the Dangerous, Affected and Insanitary Buildings Policy.

The proposed changes included in the revised Policy help define Council’s procedures and criteria for classifying these types of buildings. We’ve also added key points from the Building Act 2004 (Act) and have rewritten the Policy to make it easier to read and understand. The following summarises areas of the Policy we’re proposing to change:

• Revisions related to Council’s role in managing dangerous, affected or insanitary buildings in Waipā and outlines how it will act.
  
  
• Revisions that provide greater detail of how and when Council will respond when we're made aware of a building that’s in bad shape. Some of this detail isn’t included in the current Policy.
  
  
• Revisions related to how Council will act when processing and actioning information received on a potentially dangerous, affected or insanitary building. These proposed changes follow the expectations set by the Act, to ensure we’re better aligned with the Act. If you’d like to understand more, you can view the Act online.
  
  
• Including clarification for when a building owner disagrees with a Council decision by including that the building owner can apply to the Chief Executive of the Ministry of Building, Innovation and Employment for a decision on the issue.
  
  

For more information on the proposed changes please refer to the Dangerous, Affected and Insanitary Buildings Policy Statement of Proposal here.

For more information on this policy please refer to the draft Dangerous, Affected and Insanitary Buildings Policy here.