Homeowners can now build granny flats up to 70 square metres in their backyard without a building consent. The legislation, which will come into effect early in 2026, was a key commitment of the coalition government. The Building Act changes were passed through their third and final readings with unanimous support from MPs. Homeowners will […]
Showing how building costs have surged ahead of other common costs, national construction costs have increased by about 61% since 2015, compared with a 33% increase in the CPI. The Consumer Price Index is a measure of inflation for the nation’s households that records changes in the price of goods and services. New Zealand’s construction […]
When US President Donald Trump unveiled a new round of import tariffs in April 2025, New Zealand wood exporters were relieved to learn their products had been spared. Timber and wood products were temporarily exempt from the initial 10% tariff due to a pending trade investigation into US lumber imports. Although the exemption is only […]
Details of a scaffolding collapse onto a busy Auckland road have been revealed, as the court case draws to a close. The nine-metre-high scaffold for townhouses built on the boundary of the Ellerslie Racecourse fell onto Remuera’s Peach Parade on a windy January day last year. A WorkSafe investigation found the scaffold was effectively free-standing […]
34,078 homes were consented in New Zealand in the year ended August 2025, according to the latest Stats NZ data. This represents a 1.3% increase for the year ended August 2024, indicating an uptick in construction activity that reflects the optimistic outlook of the sector as a whole. “The number of homes consented has started […]
What is the future of New Zealand’s built urban environment, and how can we improve on past mistakes? This big question is central to the work of the Urban Design Forum (UDF), which promotes nationwide urban design excellence and keeps these issues at the forefront. Their calls to balance quantity with quality when it comes […]
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