Building Warrant of Fitness

A Building Warrant of Fitness (BWOF) is a document that is prepared by the building owner or the owner's agent and submitted annually to the local council - in this case, Whanganui District Council.

A BWOF is a declaration stating that the specified systems within the building have been inspected, maintained and reported in accordance with the Compliance Schedule for the previous 12 months and is issued along with a Code Compliance Certificate.

Specified systems examples include fire suppression systems, automatic doors, ventilation or air conditioning, lifts and escalators.

These specified systems help ensure a building is safe and healthy for members of the public to enter, occupy or work in.

Where to get information

The Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment website has a vast array of information relating to all aspects of the building industry, including Building Warrants of Fitness. It also has news and information about the Building Act and Building Code and information about the Ministry's building control services and activities.

Unsure how a Building Warrant of Fitness works?

The council has produced an information pack(PDF, 1MB) for building owners or agents. You may also like to find out more about safety in public buildings(PDF, 833KB) and your obligations as a building owner.

Independent Qualified Persons (IQP) Register 

Palmerston North City Council, Manawatu District Council, Whanganui District Council, Tararua District Council. Stratford District Council and recently South Taranaki and New Plymouth councilshave come together to form a Central Independent Qualified Persons (IQP) Register.

Based on the successful practice of other regions who operate a combined IQP Register such as the South Island and Wellington, Palmerston North City Council will administer a Central IQP Register for all IQPs approved to operate in the Manawatu, Palmerston North, Tararua and Whanganui districts.

This will make the registration process easier and more streamlined. It means you will maintain only one registration to operate as an IQP in all of these districts. It may expand the area you are currently approved to operate within, allowing more opportunity for your business or a reduction in compliance costs.

A representative from each council will form part of the governing panel with equal authority and a quorum required before any decisions can be passed. The panel will review all new applications for IQP registration, all complaints and any enforcement action. This will provide a more transparent application and disciplinary processes.

The centralisation of the register also allows for the establishment of dedicated staff to be available at Palmerston North City Council (PNCC) for general enquiries, administration of the Central IQP Register and processing IQP renewal applications.

To assist with the efficiency of the panel, administration staff will also be vetting all new IQP applications to ensure the minimum standard is met before it is submitted to the panel for approval.  If an application is poor and refused, the applicant must reapply and pay a further non-refundable application fee. Pre-application meetings are available with PNCC to review and discuss the minimum standard required, to support potential IQPs in this process.

All IQP’s across the Central Region forming part of this panel will be issued a PNCC Registration number. If you were previously registered with Tararua or Whanganui, that registration number will be null and void once you receive your new IQP number. Once registered under the Central IQP Register; you will then be required to renew your registration annually. This fee may change each year and you will be able to check the current rate at any time on the PNCC website.

PNCC’s complaints procedure and its IQP Code of Conduct guidelines and warning process will be adopted for the new Central IQP Register. You can refer to these documents here, by typing ICP in the search bar.

If you have any questions or feedback you would like to share about these changes, please feel free to get in touch with your current Building Compliance Officer or email to get in touch with the PNCC administration team.

Fees

Forms

Specified system forms for building compliance

SS 1 – Automatic Systems for Fire Suppression (e.g. Sprinkler System)(PDF, 222KB)
SS 2 – Automatic/Manual Emergency Warning Systems (Alarms)(PDF, 694KB)
SS 3/1 – Automatic Doors(PDF, 270KB)
SS 3/2 – Access Controlled Doors(PDF, 288KB)
SS 3/3 – Interfaced Fire or Smoke Doors or Windows(PDF, 227KB)
SS 4 – Emergency Lighting Systems(PDF, 241KB)
SS 5 – Escape Route Pressurisation(PDF, 171KB)
SS 6 – Riser Mains(PDF, 193KB)
SS 7 – Automatic Backflow Prevention Devices(PDF, 186KB)
SS 8/1 – Passenger Carrying Lifts(PDF, 200KB)
SS 8/2 – Service Lifts(PDF, 208KB)
SS 8/3 – Escalators and Moving Walks (Travelators)(PDF, 202KB)
SS 9 – Mechanical Ventilation or Air Conditioning Systems(PDF, 210KB)
SS 10 – Building Maintenance Units(PDF, 217KB)
SS 11 – Laboratory Fume Cupboards(PDF, 231KB)
SS 12/1 – Audio Loops(PDF, 187KB)
SS 12/2 – FM Radio Frequency Systems and Infrared Beam Transmission Systems(PDF, 237KB)
SS 13/2 – Natural Smoke Control Systems(PDF, 311KB)
SS 13/3 – Smoke Curtains(PDF, 188KB)
SS 14/1 Emergency Power Systems for Specified Systems 1-13(PDF, 256KB)
SS14/2 Signs for Specified Systems 1-13(PDF, 247KB)
SS 15/1 – Systems for Communicating Spoken Information to Facilitate Evacuation(PDF, 179KB)
SS 15/2 – Final Exits(PDF, 186KB)
SS 15/3 – Fire Separations(PDF, 227KB)
SS15/4 Signs for communicating information intended to facilitate evacuation(PDF, 210KB)
SS 15/5 – Smoke Separations(PDF, 244KB)
SS 16 – Cable Cars(PDF, 183KB)

BWoF renewals, change of details, invoices and general inquiries

Please email BWoF@whanganui.govt.nz