Engineers Slam NZ Building Standards Review Restrictions

Engineers are expressing frustration over changes to how New Zealand's building standards are reviewed and updated. The current system, managed by Standards New Zealand (Standards NZ), has been criticized for being overly restrictive and not allowing enough input from experts.

The issue centers around the standard 3604, which outlines requirements for building with timber. This standard is 15 years old and is undergoing significant changes, according to Standards NZ. However, the new approach has raised concerns among engineers that consumers and the economy will suffer as a result.

Standards NZ has implemented digital controls to limit access to the draft standard, only allowing two pages to be accessed at a time. This has been met with criticism from engineers who argue that it is too restrictive and will prevent them from providing valuable input.