Leaving A Legacy In The Building Industry

Builders and specialist tradies should be proud to be LBPs, wear it as a badge of honour rather than as a second prize in the weetbix packet!

We are in a really messy time in the building industry.

While we are still coming to terms with the legacy of leaky buildings along come some earthquakes and a building boom to boot.
The Building Act rules were changed in 2004 and a heap of regulations followed. Councils got scared after all the mediations and law suits and started to be more risk adverse creating their own architecture of special rules. In the meantime, our well-meaning government de-regulated building products even further making it harder to discern between the good, the bad and the bloody awful. (PS there is more control on a kid’s PJs at our boarder than there is building product).
Health and safety rules strengthed in 2016 making it harder to get up on a roof to check things (so who checks a roof after installation and all the scaffold gone down now – NOBODY).
The Government was so concerned for the home owner voter being ripped off that they brought in onerous contractual documents – stuff builders hate because they are not paper shufflers nor lawyers they are tradies (PS I think there is huge undiagnosed dyslexia in the building industry amongst all generations who are supposed to supervise and teach others).
 
Its bloody messy out there!
BUT – remember where we’ve come from …
As recently as February 2012 ANYONE could be a builder or designer. YES anyone! Including someone like me – or the guy driving the taxi – off a fishing boat – out of the first – who left school yesterday.
 
We are living in messy times that we may not live to see come right.
We are a turning point generation. We may not reap the benefit of any of this BUT our children’s children may.
 
What is the building industry doing about leaving a legacy fir future generations of home owners and future generations of tradies and designers?
 
One day – we may find that the rules are changed on who can be a Licensed Building Practitioner. It may become a qualified – apprenticed trade – where people take pride in their work, do the right thing by the client and build someone’s dream – not because the rules say so but because its back in our hearts and culture again.
 
Let’s not leave NZ as a third world tip of leakers, shakers and stuff ups. Do your bit to make it right. 

Rosie.