Kia ora Hunter,

 

Thank you for your request for information about Structural engineering
reviews.

 

I have attached an information sheet on our processes and requirements
under the Local Government Official Information and Meetings Act 1987.

 

We will respond to your request as soon as possible and in any event no
later than 20 working days after the day your request was received. This
will be by 22 May 2023.

 

If you have further questions please feel free to contact Jenny Hua
([1][email address]) on 09 301 0101, quoting reference
8140011855.

 

 

Ngā mihi,

The Privacy and LGOIMA team

Auckland Council

 

 

 

 

From: Hunter K <[FOI #22541 email]>
Sent: Sunday, 23 April 2023 4:24 pm
To: Official Information <[email address]>
Subject: Official Information request - Building Consent structural
engineering reviews by internal and external contract engineers

 

Dear Auckland Council,

Auckland Council conducts structural engineering reviews of building
consent applications internally (Council Engineers), and also by external
consultants contracted to the Council. This request is only regarding
structural engineer building consent reviews.

Under the Local Government Official Information and Meetings Act 1987
(LGOIMA), please provide all information regarding:

1. How Auckland Council selects its external consultants, including (but
not limited to):
a) any policy or process documents on tenders or procurement relating to
external consultant engineers; and
b) any information setting out the minimum standards of external
consultant engineers and that of their staff (e.g. CPEng registration).

2. If there was a tender process for external consultants, how many
companies applied and how many were successful? Please also provide any
information regarding how applicants were evaluated, selected and
rejected, and in particular the reasons for why certain candidates were
successful and others unsuccessful.

3. The performance expectations or KPI external consultant structural
engineers are expected to meet, including:
a) any performance expectations the external consultant engineers are
expected to meet, such as budget per project, communication with industry
design engineers (e.g. availability, contactability, correspondence,
phone, meetings);
b) details of how the work of review engineers are reviewed/evaluated
(e.g. assessment criteria, marking schedules etc);
c) policy, processes or any other systems ensuring that consistency is
maintained between engineers (both external consultants and internal
Council engineers).

4. The process by which complaints about external consultants are
addressed, and any relevant documentation.

5. The policy/process for resolution of technical design disagreements
between Council review engineers (internal or external companies) and the
design engineers (e.g. policies/process for escalation to senior CPEng
engineers).

6. The minimum credentials of internal Council and external consultant
engineers who deal with industry practitioners.
7. Process for deciding which projects undergo further review following a
building consent submission to the Council (at present a Building Consent
Application with a PS2 often goes through without further review, but at
other times it goes for further review by Council external consultants -
seems arbitrary);

8. Please provide the average fee per project charged for Council
structural design reviews as followings:
a) Residential subdivisions 3 storeys and under, and
b) Only considering cost per project that are under $20,000/project and
under, and
c) for the year ending 31 March 2023.
Please provide this separately for projects reviewed (i) internally by
Council Engineers, and (ii) by external consultants.

9. Please provide the total fees paid by the Council to QDesignz Limited
for building consent structural reviews for the year ending 1 March 2023.

Yours faithfully,
Hunter

-------------------------------------------------------------------

This is an Official Information request made via the FYI website.

Please use this email address for all replies to this request:
[2][FOI #22541 email]

Is [3][Auckland Council request email] the wrong address for
Official Information requests to Auckland Council? If so, please contact
us using this form:
[4]https://fyi.org.nz/change_request/new?bo...

Disclaimer: This message and any reply that you make will be published on
the internet. Our privacy and copyright policies:
[5]https://fyi.org.nz/help/officers

If you find this service useful as an Official Information officer, please
ask your web manager to link to us from your organisation's OIA or LGOIMA
page.

show quoted sections

Dear Hunter

I refer to your request for information relating to Structural engineering
reviews. Further to our acknowledgement on 26 April 2023, we require more
time to respond to your request.

I’m sorry that we will not be able to provide you the information today.
We are currently still collating and processing information for your
request. Therefore, Auckland Council is extending the time limit for
responding to your request under section 14 of the Local Government
Official Information and Meetings Act 1987 (LGOIMA). We will reply to your
request by 19 June 2023. Please note this is a maximum response time and
we will endeavour to respond sooner.

The reason for this extension is:

- The request is for a large quantity of information or necessitates a
search through a large quantity of information and meeting the original
time limit would unreasonably interfere with the operation of Auckland
Council.

Please note you have the right to request a review of this extension from
the Ombudsman.

If you have any questions please let me know.

Regards

Jenny Hua | Senior Privacy & Official Information Business Partner
Governance Services | Auckland Council
Ph 09 301 0101
Auckland Council, 135 Albert Street, Auckland
Visit our website: [1]www.aucklandcouncil.govt.nz

 

From: Mary-ann Childs <[email address]> On Behalf
Of Official Information
Sent: Wednesday, 26 April 2023 12:53 pm
To: Hunter K <[FYI request #22541 email]>
Subject: LGOIMA - 8140011855 - Structural engineering reviews

 

Kia ora Hunter,

Thank you for your request for information about Structural engineering
reviews.

I have attached an information sheet on our processes and requirements
under the Local Government Official Information and Meetings Act 1987.

We will respond to your request as soon as possible and in any event no
later than 20 working days after the day your request was received. This
will be by 22 May 2023.

If you have further questions please feel free to contact Jenny Hua
([2][email address]) on 09 301 0101, quoting reference
8140011855.

Ngâ mihi,

The Privacy and LGOIMA team

Auckland Council

From: Hunter K <[3][FYI request #22541 email]>
Sent: Sunday, 23 April 2023 4:24 pm
To: Official Information <[4][email address]>
Subject: Official Information request - Building Consent structural
engineering reviews by internal and external contract engineers

Dear Auckland Council,

Auckland Council conducts structural engineering reviews of building
consent applications internally (Council Engineers), and also by external
consultants contracted to the Council. This request is only regarding
structural engineer building consent reviews.

Under the Local Government Official Information and Meetings Act 1987
(LGOIMA), please provide all information regarding:

1. How Auckland Council selects its external consultants, including (but
not limited to):
a) any policy or process documents on tenders or procurement relating to
external consultant engineers; and
b) any information setting out the minimum standards of external
consultant engineers and that of their staff (e.g. CPEng registration).

2. If there was a tender process for external consultants, how many
companies applied and how many were successful? Please also provide any
information regarding how applicants were evaluated, selected and
rejected, and in particular the reasons for why certain candidates were
successful and others unsuccessful.

3. The performance expectations or KPI external consultant structural
engineers are expected to meet, including:
a) any performance expectations the external consultant engineers are
expected to meet, such as budget per project, communication with industry
design engineers (e.g. availability, contactability, correspondence,
phone, meetings);
b) details of how the work of review engineers are reviewed/evaluated
(e.g. assessment criteria, marking schedules etc);
c) policy, processes or any other systems ensuring that consistency is
maintained between engineers (both external consultants and internal
Council engineers).

4. The process by which complaints about external consultants are
addressed, and any relevant documentation.

5. The policy/process for resolution of technical design disagreements
between Council review engineers (internal or external companies) and the
design engineers (e.g. policies/process for escalation to senior CPEng
engineers).

6. The minimum credentials of internal Council and external consultant
engineers who deal with industry practitioners.
7. Process for deciding which projects undergo further review following a
building consent submission to the Council (at present a Building Consent
Application with a PS2 often goes through without further review, but at
other times it goes for further review by Council external consultants -
seems arbitrary);

8. Please provide the average fee per project charged for Council
structural design reviews as followings:
a) Residential subdivisions 3 storeys and under, and
b) Only considering cost per project that are under $20,000/project and
under, and
c) for the year ending 31 March 2023.
Please provide this separately for projects reviewed (i) internally by
Council Engineers, and (ii) by external consultants.

9. Please provide the total fees paid by the Council to QDesignz Limited
for building consent structural reviews for the year ending 1 March 2023.

Yours faithfully,
Hunter

-------------------------------------------------------------------

This is an Official Information request made via the FYI website.

Please use this email address for all replies to this request:
[5][FYI request #22541 email]

Is [6][Auckland Council request email] the wrong address for
Official Information requests to Auckland Council? If so, please contact
us using this form:
[7]https://fyi.org.nz/change_request/new?bo...

Disclaimer: This message and any reply that you make will be published on
the internet. Our privacy and copyright policies:
[8]https://fyi.org.nz/help/officers

If you find this service useful as an Official Information officer, please
ask your web manager to link to us from your organisation's OIA or LGOIMA
page.

show quoted sections

Dear Hunter
 
Thank you for your request for information regarding the structural
engineering reviews for building consents. Please find attached our
response letter and its attachments.

I also wish to apologise for the delay in getting this response to you and
thank you for your patience while we have worked on this response. If you
have any further queries please contact me on 09 301 0101, quoting
Official Information Request No 8140011855.
 
Kind regards
Jenny Hua
Senior Privacy & Official Information Business Partner
Governance Services
 
[1]Can you candidate? You can. Visit voteauckland.co.nz.

CAUTION: This email message and any attachments contain information that
may be confidential and may be LEGALLY PRIVILEGED. If you are not the
intended recipient, any use, disclosure or copying of this message or
attachments is strictly prohibited. If you have received this email
message in error please notify us immediately and erase all copies of the
message and attachments. We do not accept responsibility for any viruses
or similar carried with our email, or any effects our email may have on
the recipient computer system or network. Any views expressed in this
email may be those of the individual sender and may not necessarily
reflect the views of Council.

References

Visible links
1. https://www.aucklandcouncil.govt.nz/elec...

Dear Hunter

 
Thank you for your request for information regarding the structural
engineering reviews for building consents. Please find attached our
response letter and its attachments.

I also wish to apologise for the delay in getting this response to you and
thank you for your patience while we have worked on this response. If you
have any further queries please contact me on 09 301 0101, quoting
Official Information Request No 8140011855.
 
Kind regards
Jenny Hua
Senior Privacy & Official Information Business Partner
Governance Services
 
[1]Can you candidate? You can. Visit voteauckland.co.nz.

CAUTION: This email message and any attachments contain information that
may be confidential and may be LEGALLY PRIVILEGED. If you are not the
intended recipient, any use, disclosure or copying of this message or
attachments is strictly prohibited. If you have received this email
message in error please notify us immediately and erase all copies of the
message and attachments. We do not accept responsibility for any viruses
or similar carried with our email, or any effects our email may have on
the recipient computer system or network. Any views expressed in this
email may be those of the individual sender and may not necessarily
reflect the views of Council.

References

Visible links
1. https://www.aucklandcouncil.govt.nz/elec...