This piece has been contributed by the Co-Lab team. Co-Lab is a council controlled organisation (CCO) owned by 12 councils across Waikato and Bay of Plenty.
Across New Zealand, councils are under increasing pressure to deliver timely, consistent building consent services while managing fluctuating demand and ongoing workforce constraints.
A group of councils in the Waikato and Bay of Plenty regions are taking a different approach – one that’s gaining attention as a potential model for the future.
Through Co-Lab Building Services (CBS), councils are working together to process building consents across council boundaries, shifting away from traditional, siloed delivery models toward a shared service approach.
From individual delivery to shared capacity
Historically, building consent processing has been managed within individual councils, requiring each Building Consent Authority (BCA) to respond independently to peaks and troughs in demand. This can lead to inconsistent workloads, delays during high-demand periods, and heavy reliance on external contractors.
CBS addresses this by enabling participating councils to share processing capacity.
Overflow work is distributed across the network based on availability, allowing councils to better manage demand collectively rather than in isolation.
This shift from individual delivery to shared capacity is helping to create a more balanced, efficient system.
Strengthening capability and consistency
Beyond managing workload, the shared service model is also strengthening technical capability across participating councils.
By working as a collective, BCAs can draw on a wider pool of expertise, supporting more consistent decision-making and helping to lift performance across the system. This collaborative approach builds on longstanding regional partnerships and reflects a growing focus on sector-wide consistency.
This is already evident in practice, as Imelda Bolton, Waikato District Council, General Manager – Customer Services explains:
“Working as a collective presents a valuable opportunity to work together to lift the customer experience through greater consistency and quality of consent decisions. Ultimately, the aim is to give our customers greater confidence in the process no matter where they are.”
Improving resilience in a constrained environment
Like many areas of local government, building consent processing continues to face workforce challenges. Recruiting and retaining skilled staff remains difficult, particularly for smaller councils.
The CBS model reduces some of this pressure by pooling resources and creating greater flexibility. Councils are less exposed to sudden changes in demand or staffing, and less reliant on short-term contractor support.
In doing so, the model supports a more sustainable and resilient consenting function.
Delivering better outcomes for communities
For customers, the benefits are practical. A more flexible system helps councils maintain service levels and improve turnaround times, even as demand shifts.
Equally important is the focus on consistency. A shared approach supports more uniform application of standards, contributing to a more predictable and reliable consenting experience across participating councils.
A model worth watching
While still evolving, the CBS model highlights what can be achieved when councils move beyond traditional boundaries and work together in new ways.
As the local government sector continues to explore opportunities to improve efficiency, capability, and service delivery, shared service models like this offer a compelling example of collaboration in action.
