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Building Act 2004

Building - Code compliance certificates, certificates of acceptance, and compliance schedules - Access to buildings by persons with disabilities

119: Acceptable solution for requirements of persons with disabilities

You could also call this:

"Making buildings accessible for people with disabilities"

When you build something, you need to make sure people with disabilities can use it. The government says you can follow the New Zealand Standard Specification No 4121 to make your building accessible. This standard specification is like a guide to help you design buildings that people with disabilities can use.

If the government makes any changes to this standard specification, they will let you know. You can also check the Standards and Accreditation Act 2015 to see what the NZ Standards Organisation is. The Minister has to decide whether to recommend any changes to the standard specification within six months of it being published by the NZ Standards Organisation.

When the government makes an order about this, it is called secondary legislation, which you can read about in Part 3 of the Legislation Act 2019. The government will publish this order so you can see what it says. This helps you know what to do to make your building accessible to people with disabilities.

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View the original legislation for this page at https://legislation.govt.nz/act/public/1986/0120/latest/link.aspx?id=DLM306891.

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118: Access and facilities for persons with disabilities to and within buildings, or

"This law says buildings open to the public must be easy for people with disabilities to use, including getting in, parking, and using the bathroom."

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Part 2Building
Code compliance certificates, certificates of acceptance, and compliance schedules: Access to buildings by persons with disabilities

119Acceptable solution for requirements of persons with disabilities

  1. This section applies to—

  2. the New Zealand Standard Specification No 4121 (the code of practice for design for access and use of buildings by persons with disabilities), together with any modifications to that standard specification in force immediately before the commencement of this section; or
    1. if an Order in Council is made under subsection (3),—
      1. the standard specification referred to in paragraph (a) incorporating an amendment that is adopted by the order; or
        1. a standard specification that is in substitution for the standard specification referred to in paragraph (a) that is adopted by the order.

        2. A standard specification to which this section applies is to be taken as an acceptable solution.

        3. The Governor-General may, by Order in Council made on the recommendation of the Minister, adopt—

        4. an amendment to the standard specification referred to in subsection (1)(a); or
          1. a standard specification that is in substitution for the standard specification referred to in that subsection.

            1. The Minister must, no later than 6 months after the date on which an amendment or a standard specification is promulgated by the NZ Standards Organisation,—

            2. make a recommendation under subsection (3) in relation to the amendment or standard specification; or
              1. decide not to make a recommendation.

                1. In this section, NZ Standards Organisation has the meaning given to it in section 4(1) of the Standards and Accreditation Act 2015.

                2. An order under this section is secondary legislation (see Part 3 of the Legislation Act 2019 for publication requirements).

                Notes
                • Section 119 heading: amended, on , by section 26(1) of the Building Amendment Act 2013 (2013 No 100).
                • Section 119(2): amended, on , by section 26(2) of the Building Amendment Act 2013 (2013 No 100).
                • Section 119(4): amended, on , by section 45(1) of the Standards and Accreditation Act 2015 (2015 No 91).
                • Section 119(5): replaced, on , by section 45(1) of the Standards and Accreditation Act 2015 (2015 No 91).
                • Section 119(6): inserted, on , by section 3 of the Secondary Legislation Act 2021 (2021 No 7).