Heavy rain turns a building site into two problems at once. While the downpour is on, the question is where your dirty water is going. Once it clears, the question is whether the site is safe to walk back onto. Both sit with the person in control of the work, and both are easier to […]

Sustainable Engineering director Jason Quinn says New Zealand doesn’t have a building science problem, but a construction execution one Jason Quinn spent about a decade at NASA working in propulsion and combustion physics. Seeking change, he took a year off in New Zealand, fell in love with the country, and never left. He soon became […]

The Live Well, Build Well initiative began in late 2022 to help residential construction workers improve their mental health and wellbeing. Backed by the Mental Health Foundation and ACC, the programme is designed to help builders and tradies build the mental strength and resilience needed to cope with the demands of working in a challenging […]

Canterbury’s meth use is now almost 40% above its average level from last year, recent wastewater testing shows. National consumption has risen to an estimated 36.6kg per week.  This level of methamphetamine use has a weekly social harm cost of almost $40 million. Cocaine use has decreased since it spiked in the October 2025 quarter, […]

Budget 2026 gives the construction sector a clearer picture of where government investment is heading over the next four years. While the headline figure is around $7 billion in new capital investment, the Budget shows a shift towards resilience, renewals and maintaining existing infrastructure alongside major new projects. Funding includes a new ward tower at […]

The search for the next generation of skilled workers remains one of the biggest challenges facing New Zealand’s infrastructure and construction sectors. As demand for civil works, utilities and transport projects continues to grow, the industry is increasingly looking beyond traditional recruitment pathways to attract new talent and inspire groups that have historically been underrepresented […]