Right from the onset, and before the establishment of the legislation that entrenched NHBRC as a statutory body, the expertise residing in the Council for Geosciences was recognized. Also the independence of the Council for Geosciences, and its ability to serve the needs of the built environment, and specifically the homebuilding industry objectively, was considered paramount to the NHBRC in delivering on its mandate. The following actions were documented in the NHBRC Home Building Manuals, and which by Section 12 of the Housing Consumer Protection measures Act prescribed the technical requirements to be met by both engineers and home builders. The section reads as follows: