Support the citing of the

NZ Earth Building Standards

Help ensure a safe, affordable, and low-carbon future for buildings —

in Aotearoa New Zealand and beyond.

The Earth Building Association of New Zealand (EBANZ) invites building professionals and members of the public from New Zealand and around the world to sign this petition in support of citing the revised New Zealand Earth Building Standards (NZS 4297:2024, 4298:2024 & 4299:2024) in the NZ Building Code.

This suite of standards was first published in 1998. Since then there has been no reported failure of any earth building designed and built that complies with them. The standards have been extensively revised and expanded in 2020 and 2024, and now cover adobe, cob, rammed earth, pressed earth brick, poured earth and in-situ adobe, interior adobe veneer, earthen floors, earth and lime plasters, structural light adobe (SLA) and structural light cob (SLC). They also include advisory sections on strawbale and light earth method (LEM).

They represent decades of accumulated knowledge, thousands of volunteer hours by the standards revision committee, rigorous testing, and international best practice in safe, high-performing natural construction. These are world-class documents that make it easier for designers, builders, and councils to deliver durable, low-emission buildings using local materials.

Earthen, natural, and bio-based materials are increasingly recognised as vital to healthy, affordable, and sustainable housing, both here in Aotearoa and internationally.

We, the undersigned, call on the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE) to cite the 2024 Earth Building Standards as Acceptable Solutions to all relevant clauses (B1, B2, C1-6, E2, E3, H1) in the New Zealand Building Code.

Citing the updated Standards will:

◆ Provide clear compliance pathways for councils and professionals

◆ Enable affordable, resilient housing across all regions

◆ Support low-carbon construction using local resources

◆ Align Aotearoa with global advances in sustainable building practice

The revised Standards have been published and are ready for citing.

We urge MBIE to recognise them formally and bring New Zealand’s Building Code in line with the best of international practice.

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