A bogus engineer has pleaded guilty to 113 forgery charges in the Taupō District Court on Tuesday.
Jonathan 'JB' Hall of Kodiak Consulting used chartered professional engineers' signatures to sign off building consent documents.
He's now been convicted and remanded on bail until his sentencing in March in the Rotorua District Court.
Engineering New Zealand CEO Dr Richard Templer said Hall's admission of forgery is "a very promising development".
"It's very rare to see this behaviour in the profession and I know Mr Hall's actions have caused a lot of stress for property owners and councils around Aotearoa," he said in a statement on Tuesday.
Hall's actions affected 42 councils from the Far North to Southland and potentially impacted over 1000 properties - a scale Dr Templer said was "alarming in its magnitude".
The documents signed included producer statements which provide assurance to councils a design meets Building Code and consenting requirements when signed by a chartered professional engineer.
Hall is an engineering technologist and does not have the same level of qualifications as a chartered professional engineer.
Engineering NZ has warned this may have compromised the structural safety of some building projects.
"I know many owners will still be hurting and there is much for councils to work through," said Dr Templer.
He said Engineering New Zealand has supported councils with guidance to determine the likelihood and types of risk to properties in their region.
"Engineering New Zealand is committed to upholding standards in the interest of public safety," said Dr Templer.
"This includes holding our members to account whenever required, and Hall's plea today will allow us to resume our disciplinary process."
