Building Warrant of Fitness (BWoF)
A building warrant of fitness (BWoF) is a building owner’s annual statement confirming the specified systems in the compliance schedule for their building have been maintained and checked for the previous 12 months.
Council is required to administer and enforce the BWoF system and can charge a fee for undertaking a BWoF inspection / audit. Inspections occur at least once every five years but may occur more frequently for high-risk buildings such as schools, rest homes and public use facilities. The purpose of undertaking these inspections is to ensure that owners and IQPs are fulfilling their obligations and correctly reporting on the life-saving features contained in buildings.
Council is currently working through a process of updating all compliance schedules to ensure that the information they contain is both accurate and helpful to the owner and IQP.
If an owner intends to undertake work on a building that has a compliance schedule, and the work will affect specified systems you are required to obtain a building consent for that work.
Failure to provide a BWoF on the anniversary date, failure to display a BWoF in the building, providing a false or misleading statement, or displaying a statement otherwise in accordance with s.108 of the Building Act may result in enforcement action being taken. Enforcement action includes but is to limited to the issuance of a Notice to Fix and / or infringement notices.
Where to get information
The Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment website has a vast array of information relating to all aspects of the building industry, including Building Warrants of Fitness. It also has news and information about the Building Act and Building Code and information about the Ministry's building control services and activities.
Related Information:
- MBIE guidance Building warrants of fitness | Building Performance
- Specified systems and compliance schedules | Building
Independent Qualified Persons (IQP) Register
Palmerston North City Council, Manawatu District Council, Whanganui District Council, Tararua District Council and Stratford District Council, have come together to form a Central Independent Qualified Persons (IQP) Register.
Based on the successful practice of other regions who operate a combined IQP Register such as the South Island and Wellington regions, Palmerston North City Council will administer a Central IQP Register for all IQPs approved to operate in the Manawatu, Palmerston North, Tararua, Whanganui and Stratford districts.
This will make the registration process easier and more streamlined. It means you will maintain only one registration to operate as an IQP in all of these districts. It may expand the area you are currently approved to operate within, allowing more opportunity for your business or a reduction in compliance costs.
A representative from each council forms part of the governing panel with each member having equal authority and a quorum (Not fewer than two panel members and the presiding member) required before any decisions can be passed. The panel will review all new applications for IQP registration, all complaints and any enforcement action. This will provide more transparent application and disciplinary processes.
The centralisation of the register also allows for dedicated staff to be available at Palmerston North City Council (PNCC) for general enquiries, administration of the Central IQP Register and processing IQP renewal applications.
To assist with the efficiency of the panel, administration staff will also be vetting all new IQP applications to ensure the minimum standard is met before it is submitted to the panel for approval. If an application is poor and refused, the applicant must reapply and pay a further non-refundable application fee. Pre-application meetings are available with PNCC to review and discuss the minimum standard required, to support potential IQPs in this process.
All IQP’s across the Central Region forming part of this panel will be issued a PNCC Registration number. If you were previously registered with Stratford, that registration number will be null and void once you receive your new IQP number. Once registered under the Central IQP Register; you will then be required to renew your registration annually. This fee may change each year and you will be able to check the current rate at any time on the PNCC website.
PNCC’s complaints procedure and its IQP Code of Conduct guidelines and warning process will be adopted for the new Central IQP Register. You can refer to these documents here, by typing IQP in the search bar.
If you have any questions or feedback you would like to share about these changes, please feel free to get in touch with your Building Compliance Officer at BWoF@Stratford.govt.nz, or email CentralIQP@pncc.govt.nz to get in touch with the PNCC administration team.
Forms
BWoF renewals, change of details, invoices and general inquiries
Please email BWoF@Stratford.govt.nz
