Auckland Council submits Building Act amendment proposals calling for accessible access in all new homes

Auckland Council last week approved a proposal on universal design standards for housing, requiring new homes to have accessible entrances so that people with limited mobility, including disabled and older people, can enter and leave easily.

 

Universal design standards require buildings to be designed so that everyone can enter and leave easily, regardless of age or mobility.

 

These standards are currently mandatory only for commercial properties. Auckland Council wants to extend their application to residential homes.

  

Planning Committee chair Chris Darby said more work was needed at a national level to introduce these standards into private homes.

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“1 in 10 Aucklanders have mobility difficulties, yet current housing designs do not cater well for them.”

 

“As the population ages and living environments change, more people are finding it difficult to get around. Our current house designs cater for some people while overlooking the needs of others.”

 

 Chris Darby

 

New Zealand’s central government plans to revise the Building Act, potentially bringing its first major overhaul since it came into force in 2004. The deadline for submissions is 16 June. Auckland Council’s approval of the accessibility proposal responds to the proposed amendments to the Building Act.

 

In 2016, Auckland Council first proposed universal building design provisions for accessibility in the Unitary Plan. However, the Independent Hearings Panel opposed the proposal, saying it could conflict with the Building Act.

 

Auckland Council has now put forward the proposal again, but it still needs approval from Auckland Mayor Phil Goff, Regulatory Committee chair Linda Cooper and Planning Committee chair Chris Darby before being submitted to central government.

 

Phil Goff

 

Auckland Council’s Disability Advisory Panel recently criticised Auckland’s buildings for failing to cater for people with limited mobility. According to Disability Rights Commissioner Paula Tesoriero, only 2% of buildings nationwide have accessible entrances.