Feedback sought on draft policy for dangerous and insanitary buildings

Formal submissions on Queenstown Lakes District Council’s (QLDC) draft Dangerous and Insanitary Buildings Policy 2025 opened today, after it was approved for public consultation at the Full Council meeting on Thursday 31 July 2025.

QLDC Building Services Manager, Chris English said legislation required councils across Aotearoa New Zealand to have a policy to address dangerous and insanitary buildings to keep communities safe, and to review that policy every five years.

“Generally, Council’s Dangerous and Insanitary Buildings Policy is used to ensure buildings around the district are structurally sound and don’t put the health and safety of building users, residents, and visitors at risk,” said Chris English.

“We’ve brought forward the review of our existing Policy by a year to incorporate some minor changes while making updates required as part of an audit carried out by Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE).”

While the draft Dangerous and Insanitary Buildings Policy 2025 remains largely unchanged, key changes include:

• Clarification regarding the management of dangerous and insanitary buildings during a declared statement of emergency.

• New statement regarding how QLDC prioritises potentially dangerous or insanitary buildings for assessment.

• Minor updates to references and some wording corrections.

Formal submissions on the draft Dangerous and Insanitary Buildings Policy 2025 opened at 8.00am today, with a Statement of Proposal, details on the proposed changes, and ways to give feedback all available online and in Council offices and libraries.

Submissions close on Sunday 7 September 2025, after which feedback will be considered and reviewed by a hearings panel before recommendations are made to Council on the adoption of the draft Policy.

To see the draft Dangerous and Insanitary Buildings Policy 2025 and make a formal submission on it, head to https://letstalk.qldc.govt.nz/.

ENDS | KUA MUTU.

Media contact: communications@qldc.govt.nz or call 03 441 1802.

FURTHER INFORMATION | Kā pāroko tāpiri:

Statement of Proposal: https://letstalk.qldc.govt.nz/102336/widgets/469218/documents/314023

Draft Dangerous and Insanitary Buildings Policy 2025: https://letstalk.qldc.govt.nz/102336/widgets/469218/documents/314024

Draft Dangerous and Insanitary Buildings Policy 2025 consultation webpage: https://letstalk.qldc.govt.nz/draft-dangerous-and-insanitary-buildings-policy-2025