Mr Cosgrove spoke at Registered Master Builder Jennian Homes Canterbury’s show home in Christchurch, which showcases a number of energy effi cient design and construction elements.
Jennian Homes spokesperson Richard Carver says such initiatives are important for consumers. “The Government can only do so much to legislate or encourage energy effi ciency. The construction industry itself needs to take the issue more seriously for new and existing properties,” Mr Carver says.
“It is important that builders recommend products to their clients that will lead to lower energy usage. This will help consumers in the long-term in terms of cost and dealing with health issues.” Mr Carver says consumers need to put time and effort into the pre-planning process of their projects by thinking about putting products into their homes that will keep their houses cool in summer and warm in winter.
“We recommend clients do this sort of work when they are building or renovating their homes,” Mr Carver says. Registered Master Builders Federation vice-president and Green Building Council board member Brent Mettrick says he is looking forward to these changes being implemented.
“While there is a signifi cant project under way to review the entire New Zealand Building Code, the outcomes of that work won’t be realised until 2008- 2009, and so we welcome the fact that immediate changes are being planned now,” Mr Mettrick says. RMBF chief executive Pieter Burghout says it is important that good progress is made in the area of sustainable building. “New Zealand has been behind the times in terms of sustainable building.
For example, Australia’s building code is much more advanced than ours around such things energy effi ciency and water use,” Mr Burghout says.
