In the eboss confidence survey Architectural Designers of New Zealand board chair Fraser Gillies says current processes are overly bureaucratic.

“The RMA and consent process is culling 15 to 20% of residential projects before they start because of restraints on developers and oppressive costs of compliance,” Mr Gillies says.

“If you took the global recession out of the picture and just looked at the New Zealand situation with our top-heavy bureaucracy, I am convinced that in itself is creating its own micro-recession in the building industry.”

The CTMA World survey states that a dismal 2% say they believe the council helped improve the outcome the project consent related to.