Advocating for Women in Construction “Representation of women in the sector is slowly increasing, but nowhere near fast enough,” NAWIC President Colleen Upton says. NAWIC sees many women who worry they won’t be welcome express interest in construction careers. “When there are huge shortages, why do we not look at half of the population? They […]

Q&A with NZCB CEO Malcolm Fleming Uncertainty about forward workloads and a lack of government direction regarding the future of vocational education and apprentice training; these are the two biggest challenges chief executive of New Zealand Certified Builders, Malcolm Fleming, believes Kiwi tradespeople face today. But with construction costs growing and regulations changing, his role […]

Stats NZ data says that 2,850 new homes were consented to in New Zealand in October 2024, down 6.9% compared with October 2023. The annual number of homes consented is down 16%. The most notable statistics from this batch of consents data are on the shrinking gap between multi-unit and stand-alone houses. “Since July 2024, […]

A new Infometrics report says that concrete roads are on average 17% cheaper over whole-of-life, reduce embodied carbon in roading. Commissioned by Concrete NZ, The Case for Concrete Roads builds on three past reports, the oldest from 2013. Concrete roads could significantly reduce the cost and frequency of road maintenance. “The report shows that although […]

To give time for a review into better managing the risks of quake-prone buildings, new legislation has changed the timeframes building owners have to complete strengthening work. The Building (Earthquake-prone Building Deadlines and Other Matters) Amendment Act came into effect on 26 November 2024 and includes an extension of four years on remediation deadlines for […]

Minister for Building and Construction Chris Penk made headlines during his first year in the role for reviewing the consent system, insulation standards, granny flats, and much more. Penk has focused on reforming the building consent system all year. He says it’s why New Zealand has some of the least affordable housing worldwide, alongside unreasonably […]