Stop The Brain Drain: How To Keep Tradies In New Zealand

Marti sits down at the Beehive with Chris Penk, New Zealand’s Minister for Building and Construction, to tackle the regulatory roadblocks slowing down sites across the country. Chris discusses the government’s push to make building faster, easier, and more affordable by attacking the root causes of council delays.

They dive into the “three P’s” of his agenda: People, Products, and Processes. Chris explains the plan to overhaul the liability model so councils aren’t paralyzed by risk, forcing accountability back onto designers and engineers. He also covers the potential for AI to replace “old mate with a clipboard” in consenting, and the strategy to stop skilled tradies from leaving for Australia.

🕒 Timestamped Key Points

• [01:49] From Navy submarines to Parliament
• [04:38] The goal: Faster, affordable, easier building
• [06:16] Copying Australia: Learning from our neighbors
• [09:03] Why councils are scared of liability
• [10:43] Using AI to speed up consents
• [15:19] Why it is easier for councils to say “No”
• [21:28] Avoiding the “boom-bust” cycle
• [22:04] Addressing the “brain drain” to Australia
• [27:08] The problem with Personal Grievances (PGs)

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