Changing the contact details on your consent

If you need to change or update the contact details for yourself or your tradespeople on your consent you can

  • change your details via the front portal if you applied using our online system, or
  • email contactus@selwyn.govt.nz with the consent number in the subject line and the new contact details in the email, or
  • call the Building Advisory team on 0800 SELWYN (735 996)

Draughting or specification changes

We know that plans and products can change along the way. Before your building consent is issued you can make changes to your plans and specifications.

If you want to make changes

  • you need to submit these via incoming documents in AlphaOne
  • clearly mark your changes with a cloud and a clear description of what has changed
  • include any relevant supporting information.

By using the above process the Building Surveyor processing your application can easily identify what you’ve changed, and take your changes into consideration while they are processing your application.

Putting your consent on hold

Unfortunately the Building Act 2004 does not provide a mechanism for pausing the statutory time clock outside of issuing an RFI. An RFI can only be raised in order to establish reasonable grounds that the proposed building work complies with the provisions of the building code.

If you wish to put your consent on hold for any reason, we recommend you withdraw your application and re-apply when you are ready. Please note that any processing completed to the date of withdrawal request will be charged at the applicable rate.

Change in plans/not going ahead with the consented work

From time to time plans change and you may decide not to proceed with a building project after your building consent has been issued/granted.

We understand that you would want to receive a refund of any monies paid that relate to the inspections, etc, within a reasonable timeframe. Unfortunately the Building Act does not specifically deal with this situation, other than lapsing the consent after 12 months if the work has not started.

Here at Selwyn we take a pragmatic view. So if your plans change:

  • you (the owner) need to confirm your wish to withdraw the consent approval in writing to us,
  • we will then update the consent details as ‘withdrawn’ at your request, meaning the work can’t proceed without a new consent approval being obtained, and
  • we can then reconcile your account and refund any monies not expended.