News

The existing quake-prone building system will be reworked, Construction Minister Chris Penk announced. “The Government is removing the New Building Standard (NBS) ratings currently used by engineers to determine whether a property is earthquake-prone,” he told the media. He expects the new system to save New Zealanders more than $8.2 billion in remediation and demolition […]

Consent figures from June and July, as reported by Stats NZ, indicate a gradual uptick in growth. “Apartment consents rose in both monthly and annual terms this July,” economic indicators spokesperson Michelle Feyen said. Stand-alone house consents rose 1.7% in the year ended July 2025, while multi-unit home consents were down overall. Within multi-units, the […]

Signs of recovery emerging Tentative signs that the construction industry is recovering, such as residential consents levelling off, government infrastructure projects restarting, and falling interest rates, are to be celebrated, says the New Zealand Chinese Building Industry Association (NZCBIA). But the main focus of the report was the workforce, with demographics changing and the growing […]

The consent rules for small single-storey structures, such as garden sheds, sleepouts, garages, and the like, are being changed by the government. Regulation Minister David Seymour and Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk announced that the minimum required distance between single-storey buildings under 10 square metres and a property boundary will be removed. The setback […]

The Government has unveiled what it calls the most significant reform of New Zealand’s building consent system since the Building Act came into force in 2004. Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk said the changes aim to break down barriers that have been stalling productivity in the sector for decades, despite advancements in construction methods […]

New Zealand’s sand shortage grows, and demand is not slowing down. The crisis has been building over recent years, but by Christmas 2024, Auckland had run out of sand for construction. Sand is a critical resource in New Zealand’s construction industry, used not only in concrete but as bedding for roads and pipes and in […]