News

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 […]

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 […]

As fuel prices continue to hit record highs, Transporting NZ is calling for urgent changes to heavy vehicle regulations to allow certain trucks to carry higher payloads. The move aims to improve efficiency across the freight sector and ease the growing financial pressures on businesses and consumers. Transporting New Zealand chief executive Dom Kalasih says […]

A man has died in Christchurch after being fatally electrocuted while apparently trying to retrieve copper from a live power transformer. The incident occurred shortly after midnight on Brooker Avenue in Burwood’s Red Zone, where emergency services were called to reports of a fire at a power box. Upon arrival, police and fire crews found […]