Building and Construction Sector (Strengthening Occupational Licensing Regimes) Amendment Bill
This bill tightens the rules for licensed tradespeople in building, plumbing, gasfitting, drainlaying, and electrical work. It makes it easier to complain about these workers and strengthens the process for investigating those complaints. It also increases the maximum fines that can be given out, allows codes of minimum ethical conduct to be created, and tidies up how licences are renewed and cancelled. In practice, this means dodgy tradespeople can be held more accountable.
What this affects
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Licensed building practitioners face tougher penalties and a stronger complaints process, which could mean better-quality building work on homes.
order that the person pay a fine not exceeding $20,000
direct the Registrar to suspend the person's licensing for a period of no more than 24 months
Any person (including any person in the service of the Crown acting in their official capacity) may complain to the Board about the conduct of a licensed building practitioner
Progress through Parliament
Have your say
This bill is open for public submissions to the Transport and Infrastructure Committee. Anyone can tell the committee what they think, and you don’t need to be an expert. Submissions close 7 January 2026.
Bill text sourced from legislation.govt.nz (Parliamentary Counsel Office). Arapono’s summary and breakdown are drafted with AI grounded in that official text and reviewed by an Arapono editor for accuracy and neutrality before publishing. Arapono is non-partisan and takes no position on this bill.