As Kiwis face the cost-of-living squeeze, their approach to acting sustainably is growing complex.   The latest Better Futures 2026 report from the Sustainable Business Council (SBC) and Kantar shows that while everyday financial pressures dominate attention, sustainability remains a key factor in consumer choices and trust.   The report highlights New Zealanders’ top social […]

A suite of proposed updates to New Zealand’s road user rules is being welcomed by the freight industry as a practical step toward safer, more efficient transport.   Industry body Transporting NZ endorsed several of the changes put forward in the NZTA’s latest consultation, calling them “common sense” measures that largely reflect how roads are […]

While demand remains strong, construction costs are starting to feel upward pressure, primarily from rising diesel prices.   QV says that although overall cost escalation remains modest, fuel-intensive trades such as excavation, piling, and demolition are experiencing sharper increases. Excavation costs, for example, rose 7.8% in a month due to the diesel spike.   QV […]

An Auckland construction company was hit with a $35,000 fine after pleading guilty to three RMA charges for repeated sediment and concrete slurry escapes.   The charges involved releasing contaminants, violating regional sediment control requirements, and disregarding an abatement notice from Auckland Council.   “Resource consents, erosion, and sediment control rules exist to protect Auckland’s […]

A sharp spike in fuel and freight costs is putting serious pressure on our logging and timber industry – and that squeeze is starting to show up in quotes, lead times, and delivered‑to‑site timber prices for builders and trade contractors. Diesel prices have surged roughly 80% in recent weeks, with wholesale diesel now around $2.30–$2.35 […]

Construction was the sector with the highest number of insolvencies in 2025. Still, new data shows the rate of new insolvencies is slowing, suggesting the worst pressures may be easing for the industry. BWA Insolvency’s Quarterly Market Report recorded 3,132 liquidations, receiverships, and voluntary administrations across the country in 2025; the highest since the Global […]