Out of scope
From:
Laura Lumley
Sent:
Tuesday, 11 April 2023 4:17 pm
To:
Richard Almand; Dave Gittings; Devin Glennie
Cc:
Sarah Sinclair
Subject:
FW: Exploring MBIE's help to create THOW acceptable solution under Building Act
[UNCLASSIFIED]
Kia ora koutou,
Can I leave this with you guys to respond to? Can you please confirm who wil address this so that I can acknowledge
the email with Sharla as I have held a relationship with her for the last few years on tiny houses.
Thank you!
L
From: Sharla May 9(2)(a)
Sent: Tuesday, 11 April 2023 4:14 PM
To: Laura Lumley <[email address]>
Cc: Rebecca McLean 9(2)(a)
Subject: Exploring MBIE's help to create THOW acceptable solution under Building Act
Dear Laura,
I hope this email finds you wel . In March, my col eague Rebecca McLean and I were invited to speak at the Local
Government NZ Rural and Provincial Sector meeting. Our topic was focused on the chal enges facing the tiny house
industry, and we introduced our proposed solution to help address these issues and also how Tiny Houses on
Wheels can be one solution to help improve the housing unaffordability crisis in New Zealand.
During our attendance at the meeting, we had the pleasure of meeting Richard Almand from MBIE, who joined us
on stage for the Q&A session after our discussion. Prior to the session, I had the opportunity to speak privately with
Richard. We discussed the roadblock we are facing with our tiny house-on-wheels building standard. While the Tiny
House Association has previously drafted one, we hit a roadblock when Standards New Zealand informed us that for
it to become one of their standards, we would have to invest $100,000 into its development. Unfortunately, the
NZTHA does not have enough funding to self-fund this initiative.
However, Richard mentioned that there might be a possibility of working with MBIE to create an acceptable solution
under the Building Act instead. I wanted to reach out to you to explore the feasibility of such a solution and to
discuss how we could move forward with it?
Also, in case you are not aware, the Australian Tiny House Association has been working with the Shire of Esperance
Council to develop and implement a Local Planning Policy for Tiny Houses. We have included a link to their Press
Release, Tiny House Planning Policy and the Tiny House on WheelsFact Sheet for your reference.
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1
Our intention is to create a similar system in New Zealand that councils can implement across their regions. To
achieve this, we are inviting al councils to register for a special online working group to develop this system for New
Zealand.
Fol owing the sector meeting, Kaipara District Council, Western Bay of Plenty District Council, and Invercargil City
Council have al expressed interest in signing up for the working group.
Thank you for your time, and I look forward to hearing your thoughts on this matter.
Yours Sustainably,
Sharla May
Founder and Director at
Collab Developments Ltd
9(2)(a)
w. wwwtinyhousehub.co.nz
w. www.tinyhouseexpo.co.nz
w. www.landshare.nz
RELEASED UNDER THE OFFICIAL INFORMATION ACT 1982
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Out of scope
From:
Sharla May 9(2)(a)
Sent:
Monday, 18 December 2023 3:59 pm
To:
Richard Almand
Subject:
Re: Formal Request for Inclusion in NZ Building Code Amendment Process
Hey Richard
Thanks for passing on the email to Matt and Rolf. It's great to know we're getting a head start on this, especial y if it
turns into a government request. Looking forward to seeing what plans they come up with!
To help protect your privacy, Microsoft Office prevented automatic download of this picture from the Internet.
Yours Sustainably,
Sharla May
Founder and Director at
Collab Developments Ltd
9(2)(a)
w. wwwtinyhousehub.co.nz
w. www.tinyhouseexpo.co.nz
w. www.landshare.nz
On Mon, Dec 18, 2023 at 3:35 PM Richard Almand <[email address]> wrote:
Hi Sharla,
I have forwarded the email to two of the guys (Matt and Rolf) who are beginning plan how we could do this I the
government request it.
Chat again soon
Regards
Richard Almand
Senior Advisor Building Performance
Registered Architect
RELEASED UNDER THE OFFICIAL INFORMATION ACT 1982
1
Building System Performance | Building, Resources & Markets
Ministry of Business, Innovation & Employment (MBIE)
[email address]
Telephone9(2)(a)
25 The Terrace, PO Box 1473, Wel ington 6011, New Zealand
From: Sharla May 9(2)(a)
Sent: 18 December 2023 13:12
To: Richard Almand <[email address]>
Subject: Formal Request for Inclusion in NZ Building Code Amendment Process
Dear Richard,
Fol owing our recent discussion, I am writing on behalf of the New Zealand Tiny House Association to formal y
request our involvement in the ongoing work related to the proposed extension to Schedule One of the NZ Building
Code, particularly concerning the "Granny flat development".
As the coalition plans to amend the Building Act and the Resource Consent system to al ow the construction of
granny flats and smal structures up to 60m2 with only an engineer's report, we see a significant opportunity for
our association to contribute positively to this initiative. Our extensive experience in the tiny house sector provides
us with unique insights into sustainable living and innovative housing solutions.
Furthermore, we would like to extend our request to include representation of our community in addressing the
legal chal enges faced by owners of Tiny Houses on wheels. We believe that the planned amendments offer a
timely opportunity to also improve regulations surrounding tiny houses on wheels, which are an integral part of the
housing solutions we advocate.
Our association is keen to share our expertise and engage in meaningful dialogue to enhance the effectiveness of
these proposed legislative changes. We are confident that our participation can offer valuable perspectives,
ensuring that the amendments not only support the development of granny flats but also address the broader
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spectrum of smal -scale housing solutions, including tiny houses on wheels.
We are hopeful that our involvement wil help in shaping policies that are inclusive and considerate of the diverse
needs of al stakeholders in the tiny house community. Your support in facilitating our participation in this process
would be greatly appreciated.
Please advise us on the necessary steps to formalise our involvement. We are ready to engage with MBIE and other
stakeholders at your earliest convenience and look forward to a col aborative and fruitful partnership.
Thank you for considering our request. We eagerly await your response and are excited about the potential to
contribute to this important initiative.
To help protect your privacy, Microsoft Office prevented automatic download of this picture from the Internet.
Yours Sustainably,
Sharla May
Founder and Director at
Collab Developments Ltd
9(2)(a)
w. wwwtinyhousehub.co.nz
w. www.tinyhouseexpo.co.nz
w. www.landshare.nz
RELEASED UNDER THE OFFICIAL INFORMATION ACT 1982
3
