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Building Act 2004

Regulatory responsibilities and accreditation - Responsibilities of territorial authorities - Functions, duties, and powers of territorial authorities generally

216: Territorial authority must keep information about buildings

You could also call this:

"Councils must keep records about buildings"

Illustration for Building Act 2004

A territorial authority must keep information about buildings. You can look at this information to know what you must do under the Building Act 2004. The authority must keep plans and specifications for building consents. The authority keeps many types of information, including project information memoranda, building consents, and code compliance certificates. You can also find records of work and certificates of work provided by licensed building practitioners under section 45(2) or section 88. The authority keeps information on how it deals with complaints about buildings. The authority must keep this information for a certain amount of time. It keeps most information for the life of the building. It keeps complaints and how they were dealt with for at least 10 years.

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View the original legislation for this page at https://legislation.govt.nz/act/public/1986/0120/latest/link.aspx?id=DLM307859.

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Topics:
Housing and property > Home safety and repairsHousing and property > Land useGovernment and voting > Local councils
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" A city or town council must get approved and officially listed to do building work "

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217: Access to certain information kept by territorial authority, or

"You can ask to see certain building information held by your local council, but some details might be kept secret."

Part 3Regulatory responsibilities and accreditation
Responsibilities of territorial authorities: Functions, duties, and powers of territorial authorities generally

216Territorial authority must keep information about buildings

  1. A territorial authority must keep reasonably available any information that is relevant to the administration of this Act to enable members of the public to—

  2. be informed of their obligations under this Act; and
    1. participate effectively under this Act.

      1. The information that must be kept by a territorial authority under subsection (1) includes—

      2. all plans and specifications submitted to the territorial authority in relation to an application for a building consent; and
        1. any of the following information issued or received by the territorial authority in respect of a building:
          1. project information memoranda:
            1. building consents:
              1. if applicable, the specified intended life of the building:
                1. code compliance certificates:
                  1. records of work and certificates of work provided by licensed building practitioners under section 45(2) or 88:
                    1. statutory declarations provided by owner-builders:
                        1. compliance schedules:
                          1. building warrants of fitness:
                            1. energy work certificates relating to building work:
                              1. any other records that relate to the information referred to in subparagraphs (i) to (vii); and
                              2. all information it has issued or received in relation to a non-consented small stand-alone dwelling, including—
                                1. the additional information it provides under section 35A; and
                                  1. the information described in section 42B(6)(a) to (d); and
                                    1. all preliminary design plans; and
                                      1. the set of final design plans for the building, plumbing, and drainlaying work; and
                                        1. any certificate of work provided under section 45AA; and
                                          1. the project information memorandum issued in respect of the building work to be carried out on the dwelling; and
                                          2. any orders issued by the District Court under section 126 in respect of a building; and
                                            1. any records of any information on any land or building received by the territorial authority from a statutory authority; and
                                              1. a summary of written complaints received by the territorial authority concerning alleged breaches of this Act or the former Act; and
                                                1. information on how the territorial authority dealt with each of the complaints referred to in paragraph (e); and
                                                  1. all information provided to the territorial authority by a building consent authority under section 238.

                                                    1. A territorial authority must keep the information referred to in—

                                                    2. subsections (1) and (2)(a) to (d) and (g), at least for the life of the building to which the information relates; and
                                                      1. subsection (2)(e) and (f), at least for 10 years from when each complaint was received by the territorial authority.

                                                        Notes
                                                        • Section 216(2)(b)(iva): inserted, on , by section 40 of the Building Amendment Act 2008 (2008 No 4).
                                                        • Section 216(2)(b)(iva): amended, on , by section 20(1) of the Building and Construction (Small Stand-alone Dwellings) Amendment Act 2025 (2025 No 59).
                                                        • Section 216(2)(b)(iva): amended, on , by section 57(1) of the Building Amendment Act 2012 (2012 No 23).
                                                        • Section 216(2)(b)(ivb): inserted, on , by section 57(2) of the Building Amendment Act 2012 (2012 No 23).
                                                        • Section 216(2)(b)(ivc): repealed, on , by section 31 of the Building (Earthquake-prone Buildings) Amendment Act 2016 (2016 No 22).
                                                        • Section 216(2)(ba): inserted, on , by section 20(2) of the Building and Construction (Small Stand-alone Dwellings) Amendment Act 2025 (2025 No 59).