New Zealand Approves WaterMark Certification for Over 90,000 Building Products

The first tranche of overseas building products has received the stamp of approval to be used in New Zealand following a law change to expand access, bringing more than 90,000 products onto the market.

The reputable certification scheme WaterMark, which guarantees plumbing products are suitable for use in Australia, has now been recognised as an endorsed standard in New Zealand, Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk says.

That means it’s now easier for Kiwi tradies, businesses, renovators, and homeowners to choose from tens of thousands more tapware, water service products, sanitary drainage, and stormwater drainage products already widely used across the ditch.

Increasing access to building materials will boost competition and put downward pressure on costs while also strengthening supply chain resilience, so builders are not left short of essential products during times of high demand or disruption.

By amending the Building Act earlier this year, the Government has cut through regulatory barriers and made it easier to approve quality overseas building products.

This allows the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE) to recognise building products, methods and standards that are already certified under overseas schemes.

WaterMark products are already familiar to many in New Zealand, but until now, builders and designers have often had to prove these products meet Building Code requirements when applying for a consent.

This change means Building Consent Authorities must accept these recognised products as compliant with the Building Code, which provides certainty across the system and ensures products that have already been certified under an approved overseas certification scheme can be used here without unnecessary delay.

There is much more to come, and officials will continue to evaluate WaterMark certified products throughout the rest of the year, potentially bringing the list of new products up to 200,000.

I have also approved the endorsement of 11 standards, in addition to the WaterMark products recognised by MBIE and announced today.

These recognitions will benefit building owners, designers, and builders by giving them greater confidence when specifying or using products that may be unfamiliar in New Zealand.

I am pleased to see one of the practical steps the Government has taken to cut red tape in the building system and reduce unnecessary costs come into effect.

Recognising more overseas building products will give Kiwis greater choice, making it easier and more affordable to build the homes and buildings our communities need.

Notes to editor: The official term for approval of an overseas product or standard is a recognition notice.

Recognition notices are now publicly available at www.building.govt.nz, along with a diagram showing how these overseas standards fit within New Zealand’s building regulatory framework.

The Government released the first version of the Building Product Specifications document in July, which lists international standards for products like plasterboard, cladding, windows, and external doors.

Guidance and public information were published in early September to ensure stakeholders understand the benefits of the new pathways and how they can utilise them, including the recognition of overseas standards.