The legislative framework starts with the Electricity Act 1992, which was amended in 2005. The Act cites the Electricity Regulations 1997 (amended in 2005), which references all the current standards and electrical codes of practice.

On this page:

• Building Code clauses relevant to electrical installations
• New Zealand and Australian standards
• New Zealand electrical codes of practice

Building Code clauses relevant to electrical installations

Clause	VM/AS	Clause relevance to electrical design/installation
B2 Durability	B2/VM1	Cites evaluation of durability by taking into account: • in-service history • laboratory testing • performance of similar materials.
	B2/AS1	Specifies the durability requirements of building elements that have a performance requirement under the Building Code based on the difficulty to detect problems or access or replace them.
C Fire safety	C/AS1	Part 7: D Spread of fire
E2 External moisture	E2/AS1	To maintain weathertightness of roof and wall cladding systems: 9.1.9.3 Pipes and service penetrations. Refer also to individual cladding sections (9.2 to 9.9 incl.) for specific requirements.
E3 Internal moisture	E3/AS1	Mechanical ventilation, if used, complying with G4 Electricity supply. Building Code does not specify minimum heating requirements except for retirement homes and early childhood education centres.
F2 Hazardous building materials	F2	Performance requirement F2.3.1 states: “concentrations of radiation shall not be in harmful concentrations”.
G2 Laundering	G2/AS1	1.1.2 Space provided for a washing machine shall have a cold water supply, a discharge pipe, a water trap and an adjacent 10 amp power outlet.
G5 Interior environment	G5/AS1	Methods of providing the heating requirements for habitable spaces, bathrooms and recreation rooms of retirement homes and early childhood centres.
G6 Airborne and impact sound	G6/AS1	Prevention of sound transfer through electrical wiring in or adjacent to inter-tenancy walls or floors.
G8 Artificial light	G8/AS1	To provide a minimum illuminance of 20 lux (lumens per m2 of floor area) to enable safe movement.
G9 Electricity	G9/VM1	The following documents shall be accepted as a method of verifying compliance with the relevant performances of NZBC G9: AS/NZS 3000, NZECP 34, NZECP 36 and NZECP 54.
	G9/AS1	Cites NZECP 51 as an acceptable solution for domestic dwellings. Cites NZECP 54 as a method of verifying performance for the installation of recessed luminaires. Sets rules for switches for use by people with disabilities.
H1 Energy efficiency	H1/AS1	Artificial lighting energy consumption in commercial, communal non-residential buildings having a net lettable area greater than 300 m shall comply with NZS 4243.2. Section 3.3 or section 3.4 to satisfy the requirements of Building Code H1.3.5.

New Zealand and Australian standards

The current electrical standards include:

NZS 3019:2004 Electrical installations – in-service testing
NZS 4512:2003 Fire detection and alarm systems in buildings
NZS 4301.3:1993 Intruder alarm systems – detection devices for internal use
NZS 6110:2007 Electrical installations – floor and ceiling heating systems
AS/NZS 1044: 1992 Limits and methods of measurement of radio interference characteristics of household electrical appliances, portable tools and similar electrical apparatus
AS/NZS 1102.106:1997 Graphical symbols for electrotechnical documentation – production and conversion of electrical energy
AS/NZS 1680.1:2006 Interior lighting – general principles and recommendations
AS/NZS 1768:2007 Lightning protection
AS/NZS 3000:2007 Electrical installations (known as the Australian/New Zealand Wiring Rules) (Currently, AS/NZS 3000:2000 is the cited document in the regulations; however, the 2007 version is recommended for use – regulations are currently being amended.)
AS/NZS 3008.1.2:1998 Electrical installations – selection of cables – cables for alternating voltages up to and including 0.6/1 kV – typical New Zealand installation conditions
AS/NZS 3012:2003 Electrical installations – construction and demolition sites
AS/NZS 3013:2005 Electrical installations – classification of fire and mechanical performance of wiring system elements
AS/NZS 3017:2007 Electrical installations – verification guidelines
AS/NZS 3018:2001 Electrical installations – domestic Installations
AS/NZS 3019:2007 Electrical installations – periodic verification
AS/NZS 3760:2003 In-service safety inspection and testing of electrical equipment
AS/NZS 4218:2004 Energy efficiency – small building envelope
AS/NZS 3010:2005 Electrical installations – generating sets
AS/NZS 4701:2000 Requirements for domestic electrical appliances and equipment for reconditioning or parts recycling
AS/NZS 4783.1:2001 Performance of electrical lighting equipment – ballasts for fluorescent lamps – method of measurement to determine energy consumption and performance of ballasts lamp circuits
AS/NZS 5033:2005 Installation of photovoltaic (PV) arrays
AS/NZS 60598.1:2003 Luminaires – general requirements and tests
AS/NZS 60598.2.4:2005 Luminaires – general requirements and tests
AS/NZS 60968:2001 Self-ballasted lamps for general lighting services – safety requirements
AS/NZS 60898.1:2004 Electrical accessories – circuit-breakers for overcurrent protection for household and similar installations – circuit-breakers for a.c. operation
AS/NZS 60898.2:2004 Electrical accessories – circuit-breakers for overcurrent protection for household and similar installations – circuit-breakers for a.c. and d.c. operation
AS/NZS 61046:2001 Auxiliaries for lamps – d.c. or a.c. supplied electronic step-down convertors for filament lamps – general and safety requirements
AS/NZS 61347.2.2:2007 Lamp controlgear – particular requirements for d.c. or a.c. supplied electronic step-down convertors for filament lamps
AS/NZS 61347.2.3:2004 Lamp controlgear – particular requirements for a.c. supplied electronic ballasts for fluorescent lamps
AS/NZS 61347.2.8:2003 Lamp controlgear – particular requirements for ballasts for fluorescent lamps
AS/NZS 61558:2000 Safety of power transformers, power supply units and similar – general requirements and tests
AS/NZS CISPR 14.1:2003 Electromagnetic compatibility – Requirements for household appliances, electric tools and similar apparatus – Emission
AS 4509.1:1999 Stand-alone power systems – safety requirements
AS 4777:2005 Grid connection of energy systems via inverters
AS 60529:2004 Degrees of protection provided by enclosures (IP Code)

New Zealand electrical codes of practice

NZECP 34:2001 Electrical safe distances
NZECP 35:1993 Power system earthing
NZECP 36:1993 Harmonic levels
NZECP 41:1993 Single wire earth return systems
NZECP 50:2004 Repair and maintenance of domestic electrical appliances by the owner of the appliance
NZECP 51:2004 Homeowner/occupier’s electrical wiring work in domestic Installations
NZECP 52:1996 Retrofit heaters for spa pool installations
NZECP 54:2001 Installation of recessed luminaires and auxiliary equipment