27 Jul 2021
We’ve been working with ACE New Zealand to overhaul the producer statements. We’ve also developed our own quality documents to support engineers and BCAs through the consenting process. We’re ready to share our drafts with you.
The producer statements had their last major review in 2013. Now, for the first time, these will be provided as dynamic online forms.
Engineers will enjoy numerous benefits – like being able to complete and submit from anywhere with internet access. Real-time updates are possible, as is using a secure digital signature when you’re ready to issue the producer statement.
Engineers and building consenting authorities (BCAs) around the country have been asking for consistency of documentation to help set a standard. There has been excellent feedback from the templates we’ve had online for you to download. We’ve worked to get them online and streamlined to work in with the Producer Statement 1 – Design (PS1) to provide credible and consistent documents. The supplementary quality documents – such as a Certificate of Design Works, Design Features Report and Maintenance Schedule – have been developed by us as part of our Engineering Practice programme.
When you order a producer statement, you will simply select the additional quality documents you need– like an online shopping basket. Any fields filled out when ordering will automatically populate the relevant fields on their additional quality documents. The documents will then be emailed to you as PDFs, with links to the online version should you need to return and make updates.
Although there is no legal requirement for BCAs to use producer statements in their consenting processes, many do. The system affords checks and balances, ensuring BCAs that CPEng-accredited engineers have given their expert opinion that new designs are fit for purpose, and that construction work underway matches the consented design.
Consenting procedures should become more streamlined with the proposed dynamic online forms. Real-time updates should also eliminate the potential for confusion between engineers and BCAs arising from version control. And, of course, efficiency in consenting will be welcomed by engineers and clients alike.
The new producer statements and quality document will be released as drafts for feedback, available from Monday 16 August. There will then be a consultation until 11.59pm Tuesday 31 August.
Martin Pratchett, our Engineering Practice Manager, will present two one-hour webinars to demonstrate the new documents and hear your thoughts – one for BCAs at 10am Monday 16 August and one for engineers at 10am Tuesday 17 August.
