Hide recommends business flout building regulations

Cabinet Minister Rodney Hide has recommended that a businessman frustrated with building regulations should flout the law.

TVNZ's Close Up programme last night said Christchurch businessman Gary Bull had been told by his local council that if he wanted to build a shower for his employees then he had to make it wheelchair accessible.

Mr Bull said this had increased the budget for the work from $2000 to $10,000 which he could not afford.

His business did not employ anyone who needed wheelchair access and Mr Bull said he just wanted to give his employees a place to shower if they biked to work or jogged at lunchtime.

Mr Hide, who is the minister responsible for local government and regulatory reform, said the Building Act and its associated regulations were a major headache for the public.

Councils had become to risk adverse and would not sign off even minor works unless very strict regulations were met to the letter.

Asked if Mr Bull should ignore the law and "do it on the sly", Mr Hide said "Look as a minister I can't recommend breaking the law, but I believe he should."

Asked if that was not an extraordinary thing for a minister to say, Mr Hide replied it was, but it was not possible for people to comply with the law.

Asked again if he was advising Mr Bull to break the law, Mr Hide replied that since he had been on TV the council might frown upon it, but he personally would take issue with a council for "running over this guy".

Ministers who play a large part in setting the laws are usually by convention meant to support them.

However, Mr Hide said New Zealand had a "can do" attitude and regulation was destroying that.

The Government today announced reforms of the Resource Management Act and Mr Hide said work was progressing on similar changes to building regulations.

"Trust me this thing is going to get a shake up," Mr Hide said.

In the case of Mr Bull and others the changes should put more responsibility on them for their actions and not having the council sign them off.

"We should allow him to opt out and take responsibility for his changes and not have it fall back on the council," Mr Hide said.

- NZPA