This priority processing is for applications from building practitioners intending to work in Canterbury, as well as for those already based there.
As at July 27 this year, 2361 LBP licences had been issued in Canterbury, against the Department’s original target of 2624.
While overall LBP numbers are close to the Department’s targets, the majority are carpentry licences. But licence numbers for external plasterers and bricklayers/blocklayers are significantly below their targets.
Therefore, the DBH has launched a nationwide programme of one-day workshops for building practitioners with skills and experience in these areas. In these workshops, the Department highlights the benefits of getting licensed, and steps attendees through the licensing process.
The Bricklaying and Blocklaying Workshops kicked off on June 30 and will run until August 23, while the External Plastering Workshops started on August 5 and will run through to August 30, with further workshops for both licence classes planned for September and October.
To find out when there is a workshop in your area, visit the DBH web site, www.dbh.govt.nz//lbp-workshop-calendar, or call 0800 60 60 50.
The DBH is also urging carpenters to talk with the specialist tradespeople they subcontract and to check if they are licensed — and, if they’re not licensed, to encourage them to apply.
How the DBH’s streamlined processing works
LBP applications are handled at the Department’s processing centre in Porirua. The usual process takes around six weeks from when an application is first received to when the Department’s registrar mails successful applicants their LBP registration cards and welcome packs.
With the DBH’s priority processing, Canterbury applications are immediately placed in a priority queue. The processing centre then completes the administration, receipting and set up of the application in its information system within two days.
Assuming the applications are correctly completed, they are then referred to ASL (Assessment Services Ltd) for assessment. They, in turn, complete their assessments within five working days and then refer their recommendation back to the registrar for his approval.
Applicants are then emailed the results of their application, and registration cards and welcome packs are mailed to successful applicants a week later once the cards have been made.
LBP status takes effect once applicants are notified by email and the Department’s public register updated to confirm their LBP status, so practitioners can immediately demonstrate they are then LBPs.
The DBH’s record for processing an LBP application is two days. In this case, the applicant held a relevant qualification, was receipted in one day and then assessed and a positive recommendation forwarded to the registrar the following day.
