Compliance ScheduleHōtaka Tūtohunga

Owner’s responsibilities

Under the Building Act 2004, building owners are responsible for ensuring their buildings are safe to use. If the building contains specified systems or features, this includes keeping these systems and features in good working order and to provide Council with an annual Building Warrant of Fitness (BWOF).

Specified Systems

A specified system means a system that:

• Is contained in, or attached to, a building; and 
• Contributes to the proper functioning of the building (for example, an automatic sprinkler system); and
• Is declared by the governor-general, by order in council, to be a specified system for the purposes of this act; and
• Includes a cable car

These systems ensure a building is safe and healthy for members of the public to enter, occupy or work in. A Compliance Schedule must identify which of these specified systems are present.  Specified systems include:

1. Automatic systems for fire suppression (e.g., sprinkler systems)

2. Automatic or manual emergency warning systems for fire or other dangers (other than a warning system for fire that is entirely within a household unit and serves only that unit)

3. Electromagnetic or automatic doors or windows (e.g., ones that close on fire alarm activation)

3.1 Automatic doors
3.2 Access controlled doors
3.3 Interfaced fire or smoke doors or windows

4. Emergency lighting systems

5. Escape route pressurisation systems

6. Riser mains for use by fire services

7. Automatic back-flow preventers connected to a potable water supply

8. Lifts, escalators, travellators, or other systems for moving people or goods within buildings

8.1 Passenger-carrying lifts
8.2 Services lifts
8.3 Escalators and moving walks (travellators)

9. Mechanical ventilation or air conditioning systems

9.1. Mechanical ventilation
9.2.Air conditioning systems

10. Building maintenance units providing access to exterior and interior walls of buildings

11. Laboratory fume cupboards

12. Audio loops or other assistive listening systems

12.1.Audio Loops
12.2. FM radio frequency systems and infrared beam transmission systems

13. Smoke control systems

13.1.Mechanical smoke control
13.2. Natural smoke control
13.3. Smoke curtains

14. Emergency power systems for, or signs relating to, a system or feature specified in any of clauses 1 to 13

14.1. Emergency power systems
14.2. Signs in relation to any specified systems 1 – 13

15. Any or all of the following systems and features, so long as they form part of a building’s means of escape from fire, and so long as those means also contain any or all of the systems or features specified in clauses 1 to 6, 9, and 13:

15.1. Systems for communicating spoken information intended to facilitate evacuation
15.2. Final exits
15.3. Fire separations (as defined by the Building Code)
15.4. Signs for communicating information intended to facilitate evacuation
15.5. Smoke separations

16. Cable Cars 

What is a Compliance Schedule?

A Compliance Schedule is a document issued by Council that lists specified systems and performance standards for the systems, and how the systems will be monitored and maintained to ensure they will continue to function. This is applied for as part of the application for Building Consent for new commercial buildings or alterations/additions to a commercial building (if the building has one or more specified systems) or an owner/agent identifies that specified systems are in the building. 

Compliance Schedules are issued:

• with the Code Compliance Certificate (CCC) at the end of a building consent
• when an Application for Amended Compliance Schedule (Form 11) is received
• under s107 of the Building Act 2004
• with a Certificate of Acceptance (COA).

What is a Compliance Schedule Statement?

A Compliance Schedule Statement is issued by a Territorial Authority (see s105e Building Act 2004) for new buildings. A Compliance Schedule Statement lists the specified systems covered by the Compliance Schedule and is issued at the same time as the Code Compliance Certificate (CCC). It must be displayed on the premises in a public place, and be replaced in on the 12 month anniversary of the statement being issued, with a Building Warrant of Fitness (which is issued by the building owner).

Amending a Compliance Schedule

An amendment to a compliance schedule may be triggered/required if:

• A building consent application involving an alteration or an addition to an existing building that impacts on the existing compliance schedule.
• Requested by the building owner.
• Decided by the Territorial Authority as a result of:
• An onsite audit of the existing compliance schedule, or
• information received by the public
• independent qualified person (IQP).

It is the responsibility of the building owner or their agent to make the application for the amendment on the prescribed form available on our website under Forms – Building Forms. Look for 'Application for Amended Compliance Schedule Form 11' (also available under the 'Related documents' button near the top of this page).

Compliance Schedule Details

Details of the specified systems (safety systems) must be provided with any building consent application where there are specified systems associated with the building. These details must include the performance standards and the proposed inspection, maintenance and reporting procedures for the specified safety systems in the building.

Please complete the Compliance Schedule section of the building consent application in full, providing details for each kind of specified systems relating to the building.

Compliance Schedule Handbook

A Compliance schedule handbook is available from the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment for building owners, agents, IQPs and managers regarding the monitoring and maintenance of specified systems.

Relevant legislation and information

• Compliance Schedules: Section 100 – 107 of the Building Act 2004
• Annual Building Warrant of Fitness: Section 108 – 111 of the Building Act 2004
• Fees and Charges allowable under the Building Act 2004:  Section 219
• Building (Specified Systems, Change of Use, and Earthquake-prone Buildings) Regulations 2005

More information

The Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment website is a mine of information. 

• Change of Use / Alterations to existing buildings 
• Compliance Schedules 
• Exemplar Compliance Schedule

For further information on Compliance Schedules please contact us at bwf@napier.govt.nz.