$2.6 billion of the shovel ready infrastructure fund has been allocated to 150 projects, but details on these projects are sorely needed for the infrastructure sector to plan its future workforce needs Ministers Robertson and Jones announced today that $2.6 billion of the $3 billion shovel ready fund has been allocated to 150 projects, with $400m still to be allocated. Continue →

Managing and monitoring waste produced on a construction site needs careful planning. Continue →

With the announcement today that New Zealand is moving to COVID-19 alert level 1 at 11:59 on Monday 8th June, the construction industry has now published a revised standard and protocols for ongoing operations Key changes from alert level 2 to alert level 1 are: The relaxing of physical distancing requirements on site. Continue →

Homeowners, builders and DIYers will soon have an easier time making basic home improvements as the Government scraps the need for consents for low-risk building work The Government is introducing new exemptions to the Building Act in a move save homeowners $18 million in consenting costs each year, though building work must still meet the Building Code, Minister for Building and Construction Jenny Salesa announced today. Continue →

Industry and government have been working with Site Safe to update the existing construction protocols to reflect what is now permitted under Level 2 Site Safe Chief Executive Brett Murray says “we’ve been working with a cross-industry working group to make sure everyone has access to this important information as soon as possible, so businesses will have time to get to grips with what level 2 means for them. Continue →

A new national Standard and Protocols have been developed for the construction industry, providing clarity over what will be expected as the industry returns to work under Alert Level 3 “The government’s announcement that construction will be able to operate under COVID-19 Alert Level 3 is a huge relief to us all,” says Civil Contractors New Zealand Chief Executive Peter Silcock.  Continue →

Auckland Council has submitted a list of 73 key projects to the Infrastructure Industry Reference Group, the taskforce set up by the Government to seek out ‘shovel-ready’ infrastructure projects that can start quickly to stimulate the economy and reduce the economic impact of COVID-19 The list is made up of two parts: 30 key projects ranked in order of priority and a further 43 projects that are not ranked but that also meet the Government criteria. Continue →

The New Zealand Government’s recent announcement that it has established an industry-led taskforce to identify fund large “shovel-ready” infrastructure projects after the COVID-19 lockdown is welcome news to a sector reeling from the impacts of the pandemic When the time comes, the construction and infrastructure sector will play a critical role in New Zealand’s economic recovery and the government’s acknowledgement of this will help alleviate some concern about what life may look like past the pandemic. Continue →

Government guidance on handling construction contracts will give many construction companies the confidence to continue to employ their people and take a lead role in the economic recovery following the lockdown, says Civil Contractors New Zealand Chief Executive Peter Silcock Government commitment to a fair and consistent approach to construction contracts impacted by COVID-19 closedown is welcome and will make a huge difference for construction companies. Continue →

After four years of planning and court battles, the demolition and re-development of Invercargill CBD is facing more hold ups with the country under lockdown As all non-essential workers head home for a minimum of four weeks to combat COVID-19, the Invercargill CBD development is unlikely to meet its target open date. Continue →

New Zealand construction software company Acuite has formed a partnership with Australian time lapse services leader, photoSentinel which promises to deliver tangible benefits to the construction industry across both sides of the Tasman Construction productivity software has been game changing in the past few years. Continue →

34,672 dwelling consents were issued for the year to May, the highest since December 1974, putting us firmly in the midst of one of the three biggest new building booms on record, CoreLogic Senior Property Economist Kelvin Davidson says The latest dwelling consents figures confirmed that the ramping up of construction activity across NZ isn’t finished yet, despite signs of capacity constraints around labour and materials in the industry.  Continue →

A New Zealand Construction Sector Accord was announced by five ministers, including Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern, signalling long-term commitment between government and industry to collaborate on key work areas for a healthy construction sector Government and construction industry leaders have signalled a shared commitment to transform New Zealand’s construction sector. Continue →

The world’s best unbuilt or incomplete projects have been celebrated at the 2019 MIPIM Architectural Review future project awards By Ted Tabet first published by The Urban Developer Now in its 18th year, the awards are the only competition exclusively celebrating excellence in unbuilt or incomplete projects across a range of different categories. Continue →

After a decade of construction, the world’s first “underground” hotel looks set to open its doors The $210 million Shimao Wonderland InterContinental, located 30 kilometres from Shanghai, has been built in an abandoned quarry that plunges 80 metres below ground level. Continue →

A total of 6,645 planned and ongoing construction projects by the world’s megacities valued at US$4.2trn are sparking interest in residential and infrastructural developments, according to GlobalData The United Nations predicts that, between 2016 and 2030, the percentage of the world’s population living in cities with at least a million inhabitants is likely to grow from 23% to 27%, and the number of megacities is projected to increase from 31 to 41. Continue →

Robotic technology company FBR has built its first house in less than three days, in what the company describes as a feat of engineering to impact the future of the construction industry Perth-based FBR, formerly known as Fastbrick Robotics, successfully constructed a 180sq m, three-bedroom, two-bathroom house, The Urban Developer reports. Continue →

The new Housing and Urban Development Authority (HUDA) will help the government cut through red-tape to deliver urban regeneration in our largest cities, an infrastructure expert believes But to deliver affordable housing the government must now turn its attention to greenfield development and wider policy reform, says Stephen Selwood, Chief Executive of Infrastructure New Zealand. Continue →

Increasing demand for services is putting pressure on talent acquisition, with construction companies around the world turning to technology to forecast hiring, manage costs, and grow revenue This finding comes from Teletrac Navman’s second annual Telematics Benchmark Report: Global Construction Edition, which found that the global construction industry is expected to grow at 4.2% from 2018 to 2023, and to be worth US$15.5 trillion globally by 2030. Continue →

Building Better Homes, Towns and Cities (BBHTC)  has announced the key themes of their research in the year ahead Continuing to address New Zealand’s housing needs, the National Science Challenge is digging deeper into housing for the ageing population and how New Zealand can build spaces for generations. Continue →