Maurice Williamson

Wellington, Sept 6 NZPA - The Government has opened consultations on proposed changes to the Building Code.

They deal with timber treatment, fire protection and warning systems, noise protection and the rules around medium-density housing.

Building and Construction Minister Maurice Williamson said today consultation documents had been released and he wanted the building sector and consumer advocacy groups to make submissions.

"Without compromising quality or safety, the overall aim is to simplify and clarify regulations," he said.

"We want to maintain or improve the current level of protection and safety while making it easier to design good quality medium-density housing."

The documents are on www.dbh.govt.nz/current-consultations.