More building red tape to increase costs #4275

A typical 2.7m fence post hole you might dig in your back yard would have say 1/3rd of it in the ground.  That is 900mm or 0.9m for long-term stability.

Want to build a house or maybe your dream she shed using your labour?  Typical ordinary and anchor posts for supporting a suspended timber floor are 450 - 900mm minimum in the ground as per code.  

Then we have this via the Far North District Council:

be subjected to a rule that would require them to get resource consents for minor activities such as digging a drain line or constructing a shed that involves any “disturbance of subsoils below a depth of 500mm”

So you'll now need a resource consent where one was not previously required. **

I suppose it keeps the local bureaucracy employed spending the recent 11% rates increase.

I read that with dismay.  Every time you need to dig a hole greater than 500mm on "your" property, to say replace a simple fence post, you must consult the powers to be and pay an expensive fee to ask for permission.

And included with that resource consent, the grifters at the local marae, will for an extra unspecified but appropriate bribe, produce their separate recommendation (or not, if they think they extract even more Danegeld) for said works.  Yes, FNDC, I note you still have the grifter consultation as a required component even though government is possibly about to repeal such requirements.

** NZS 3604 building code was indeed originally written to keep engineers and council wallahs out of your wallet.