Southland District Council’s building solutions team is now 100% electronic.

The SDC’s new GoGet software went live on May 6, enabling full electronic submission and processing of building consent applications. The ability to submit paper files will still be available after July but the SDC says electronic submission and processing will now be its primary way of doing business. From July 1 a $70 fee will be charged for scanning paper building consent applications. 

Half of New Zealand’s councils have now used GoGet technology including Invercargill City Council and Gore District Council. 

The SDC says the benefits of applying for consents electronically include:

• electronic form guidance about what needs to be included in your submission
• the ability to create a ‘template’ submission and re-use it, saving time and effort
• visibility on the processing clock as it is seen by Council
• immediate electronic receipt of requests for information (RFIs) sent by Council
• indisputable receipt of Council receiving your response to RFIs, preventing time delays.

The move to paperless processing follows a recent open letter from the council to the Southland building community appealing for patience and compassion as it endeavoured to process hundreds of building inspection requests that had built up from before and during the COVID-19 lockdown, causing long wait times for somewhat frustrated builders.  

The council says the response has been overwhelmingly positive.

“As a result of us reaching out some contractor companies were able to offer us extra help. We have already engaged three inspectors who are helping us with inspections.”

SDC Manager for Building Solutions Julie Conradi said going digital and hiring the extra contractors had significantly increased the council’s capacity in the number of inspections they could complete. 

“We’ve now been averaging five to six inspections per person per day which is great,” she said.

The SDC is offering anyone struggling with the new system the option of booking a support phone call or video conference with a member of its team to talk you through the process. All inquiries should be directed to: [email protected].