The Standards Approval Board welcomes Pete Laurenson

Independent decision making though the Standards Approval Board

The New Zealand Standards Approval Board (SAB) is an independent statutory board, appointed by the Minister for Commerce and Consumer Affairs, set up under the Standards and Accreditation Act 2015.

Standards and Accreditation Act 2015 Section 11 (external link)

They are senior industry professionals who meet monthly and commit to a multi-year term. Rather than a governance role, board members support Standards New Zealand’s robust development process with independent decision-making and confirmation of checks and balances. Their functions include the appointment of standards development committee chairs and members, ensuring skills, knowledge, experience and sector representation. They also ensure due process has been followed in the development or revision of standards and ultimately approve the publication of new or revised New Zealand standards.

The board members’ function provides one of the fundamental benefits of standards produced by Standards New Zealand, in ensuring standards are consensus built, avoid bias, undue commercial or vested interests or monopolies, have balanced representation on development committees, have undergone adequate consultation, “ensuring all voices are heard” and work for all those who use them.

Board members also bring their industry knowledge, expertise, networks and relationships to their role, to champion the value of standards and their contribution within New Zealand’s standards and conformance quality infrastructure.

Welcome to Pete Laurenson

Pete Laurenson has been appointed by the Hon Minister Andrew Bayly for a tenure until September 2027. Pete’s working career has been largely based within the building and construction sector across the country.  He has held various senior management and board roles for private business, government agencies and community groups. He most recently was Manager Consenting for Auckland Council, and now resides in Queenstown where he is a General Manager involved in engineered landfill, quarry and land development.

Pete’s involvement with standards started with supplying building materials for over 20 years, and then a further 20 years in regulatory roles for councils and MBIE where his responsibilities included maintaining the NZ Building Code and the accreditation of Building Consent Authorities. He has chaired boards for the Building Officials Institute of NZ, Queenstown Chamber of Commerce, Queenstown Rotary, and International Accreditation NZ BCA Performance Advisory Committee. 

He has a particular passion for efficient use of technology to enable consistent access to quality information and sees the need for continued development into digital documentation, with verification of authenticity becoming increasingly important.

Farewell to Richard Merrifield

Pete fills the position vacated by long-term Board member Richard Merrifield who completed an eight-year tenure in February, continuing further to support the board until Pete’s appointment in September. Richard, based in Mahana, rural Nelson, was a Trade Qualified Builder and a Licensed Building Practitioner having undertaken project management and consulting work on numerous housing projects.

Richard’s previous roles include Deputy Chair of the Building Practitioners Board and a former member of the Plumbers, Gasfitters and Drainlayers Board, Director of the Building Research Association New Zealand (BRANZ), Chair of the Building Research Advisory Council (BRAC) and Life Member and former Chair of the Certified Builders Association New Zealand (CBANZ).

His expertise and experience have supported New Zealand Ministers over many years particularly through roles including the now disestablished team of high-level executives on the Construction Strategy Group and as a member of the Minister of Building and Housing Task Force on productivity and the Building Act Review Advisory Group.

Standards New Zealand National Manager Malcolm MacMillan says, ‘We thank Richard for his remarkable legacy contributing towards the robust and independent standards development process. The role may be hidden to many, but it ensures independent oversight to ensure checks and balances are in place before any standard is published. Richard will have overseen the production of hundreds of standards in his tenure. I’m also really pleased to offer a warm welcome to Pete and we are fortunate to have him continue the exceptional calibre of expertise on our Standards Approval Board.’