1 00:00:00,080 --> 00:00:03,480 Speaker 1: The Construction Minister says the consenting process is taking way 2 00:00:03,520 --> 00:00:07,080 Speaker 1: too long. Consenting applications are meant to be processed within 3 00:00:07,160 --> 00:00:09,840 Speaker 1: twenty working days, and anyone who's built a house or 4 00:00:09,920 --> 00:00:12,720 Speaker 1: had any kind of construction work done knows that that 5 00:00:12,880 --> 00:00:15,840 Speaker 1: is a pipe dream. New numbers out today show it's 6 00:00:15,880 --> 00:00:18,759 Speaker 1: taking longer than that sixty six percent of the time. 7 00:00:18,800 --> 00:00:21,759 Speaker 1: In other words, two thirds of applications are taking too long. 8 00:00:22,079 --> 00:00:24,240 Speaker 1: Chris Penk's the minister. He's with me now, High Minister. 9 00:00:25,160 --> 00:00:25,800 Speaker 2: Fascinating. 10 00:00:26,040 --> 00:00:28,800 Speaker 1: So two thirds of applications taking longer than they should 11 00:00:28,920 --> 00:00:33,120 Speaker 1: and they're doing this by using a request for information. 12 00:00:33,320 --> 00:00:34,320 Speaker 1: What exactly is that? 13 00:00:35,520 --> 00:00:38,360 Speaker 2: Yeah, that's when the council says to the builder or 14 00:00:38,400 --> 00:00:41,040 Speaker 2: the trades person, look, we think there's something wrong. What 15 00:00:41,080 --> 00:00:43,360 Speaker 2: does this mean You've forgotten that or you need to 16 00:00:43,400 --> 00:00:46,120 Speaker 2: add that in or whatever the case may be. And 17 00:00:46,159 --> 00:00:48,159 Speaker 2: you know, in some cases it will evitably be the 18 00:00:48,200 --> 00:00:50,720 Speaker 2: case that there might be a problem. But two thirds 19 00:00:50,720 --> 00:00:53,280 Speaker 2: of the time, you know, ninety thousand of leagues across 20 00:00:53,560 --> 00:00:56,320 Speaker 2: a year, that surely can't be right. So certainly, and 21 00:00:56,360 --> 00:00:58,320 Speaker 2: it goes to lead in terms of builders and tradees 22 00:00:58,320 --> 00:01:01,880 Speaker 2: and designers. Okay, look councils being really risk averse, and 23 00:01:01,880 --> 00:01:04,319 Speaker 2: these good reasons for that, but you know, we need 24 00:01:04,319 --> 00:01:06,119 Speaker 2: to sort this out. It just cost them way too. 25 00:01:06,080 --> 00:01:08,360 Speaker 1: Much because what happens is once they do that request 26 00:01:08,360 --> 00:01:11,120 Speaker 1: for information, the clock stops again, right, so it starts again, 27 00:01:11,240 --> 00:01:12,839 Speaker 1: so they can they can take longer. 28 00:01:13,920 --> 00:01:16,160 Speaker 2: Yeah, that's right. And there's certainly a lot of cynicism 29 00:01:16,200 --> 00:01:18,959 Speaker 2: out there when people say that they've got a content 30 00:01:19,000 --> 00:01:21,840 Speaker 2: application in the nineteenth or the twentieth day and low 31 00:01:21,920 --> 00:01:24,480 Speaker 2: and become would they get the RFA this quest of 32 00:01:24,560 --> 00:01:28,480 Speaker 2: further information and they feel as though councils playing for time. 33 00:01:28,720 --> 00:01:30,319 Speaker 2: You know. The council's on the other hand, would say 34 00:01:30,319 --> 00:01:32,039 Speaker 2: that are busy and they're just trying to get to 35 00:01:32,080 --> 00:01:33,959 Speaker 2: what they can get to. But we should all be 36 00:01:34,040 --> 00:01:35,880 Speaker 2: very fearful, you know, if this is what we've got 37 00:01:35,959 --> 00:01:39,440 Speaker 2: going on when the system is pretty light in terms 38 00:01:39,480 --> 00:01:42,000 Speaker 2: of workloads, in terms of activity, and we want there 39 00:01:42,040 --> 00:01:44,040 Speaker 2: to be more building activity. We know they've been a 40 00:01:44,120 --> 00:01:46,520 Speaker 2: lull having goodness knows the timings are really going to 41 00:01:46,560 --> 00:01:49,800 Speaker 2: blow out when when ad activity and creditors to see. 42 00:01:49,960 --> 00:01:53,520 Speaker 1: So how do you fix it without potentially compromising and 43 00:01:53,880 --> 00:01:55,880 Speaker 1: safety or another leaky building. 44 00:01:56,840 --> 00:01:59,400 Speaker 2: Yeah, a lot of very good question and it's a balance. 45 00:01:59,400 --> 00:02:01,080 Speaker 2: We're going to train get right and part of the 46 00:02:01,160 --> 00:02:03,600 Speaker 2: arts lecture to be a bit more hands off where 47 00:02:03,600 --> 00:02:07,080 Speaker 2: there are experienced builders who've got a good track record, 48 00:02:07,200 --> 00:02:10,000 Speaker 2: they've got insurance, they're solvent. They're not going to cause 49 00:02:10,040 --> 00:02:13,480 Speaker 2: industry for the vulnerable homeowner or other building owner in 50 00:02:13,760 --> 00:02:16,560 Speaker 2: walk away and leaves him in the lurch. And that 51 00:02:16,639 --> 00:02:19,359 Speaker 2: means council aren't involved. Because we allow these guys to 52 00:02:19,800 --> 00:02:22,120 Speaker 2: do the work without actually needing that content in the 53 00:02:22,160 --> 00:02:24,720 Speaker 2: first place, the council can actually spend more of their 54 00:02:24,760 --> 00:02:27,839 Speaker 2: resources and their time and actually respond more quickly, whether 55 00:02:28,240 --> 00:02:32,239 Speaker 2: building types or less experienced builders and trades people who 56 00:02:32,280 --> 00:02:34,920 Speaker 2: actually need that greater scrutiny. So we think it's going 57 00:02:34,960 --> 00:02:35,720 Speaker 2: to be more of a their life. 58 00:02:36,639 --> 00:02:39,880 Speaker 1: When are we going to see this enacted, Yeah, I. 59 00:02:39,800 --> 00:02:41,799 Speaker 2: Think I mean certainly the first half of this year, 60 00:02:41,919 --> 00:02:45,840 Speaker 2: so the final decisions. 61 00:02:45,919 --> 00:02:49,040 Speaker 1: So people, there'll be builders and there'll be people who 62 00:02:49,080 --> 00:02:51,200 Speaker 1: are having worked done on their homes. Minister, he'll be 63 00:02:51,320 --> 00:02:53,520 Speaker 1: very happy to hear that, very happy indeed, I know. 64 00:02:53,639 --> 00:02:55,760 Speaker 1: But Barry Sober will be one of them, having just 65 00:02:55,800 --> 00:02:58,880 Speaker 1: had him in the studio winging about the problem he's 66 00:02:58,919 --> 00:03:02,639 Speaker 1: had lately. Chris pink is the building construction Minister. Thanks 67 00:03:02,680 --> 00:03:05,560 Speaker 1: for being on the show. For more from Hither Duplessy, 68 00:03:05,600 --> 00:03:08,440 Speaker 1: Allen Drive, listen live to news talks it'd be from 69 00:03:08,480 --> 00:03:12,120 Speaker 1: four pm weekdays, or follow the podcast on iHeartRadio.