Two major Auckland projects in the New Zealand Upgrade Programme have moved closer to construction with the release of tender document Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency has issued the Registration of Interest, to allow shortlisting for construction companies to build stage one of the Southern Motorway improvements between Papakura to Drury South. Continue →

Tiny needle-like fibres that can become airborne if bedrock is disturbed has the potential to cause an asbestos-type disease, scientists warn The fibres come from a mineral called erionite which originates in silica-rich volcanic rock commonly found in many parts of the world and especially throughout the Auckland region. Continue →

A combined plea from three key infrastructure associations garners a partial response from a government accused of using shovel-ready projects for politicking ahead of the election Details of 59 projects were released on July 27 by the government’s Infrastructure Reference Group after infrastructure industry leaders and opposition party MPs had earlier called for the release of the government’s full list of shovel-ready projects. Continue →

The Resource Management Review Panel has recommended replacing the Resource Management Act with two new acts, but can they succeed where the RMA failed? Continue →

Construction and infrastructure leaders are calling for urgency around the release of the government’s full list of ‘shovel-ready projects’ as increasing numbers of workers face redundancy and business confidence amongst construction and infrastructure companies nose-dives Early this month the Government announced it had selected 150 projects worth NZD$2.6b that would create or retain 20,000 jobs. Continue →

A world first, a whole two-storey house was printed in one piece using the largest 3D concrete printer in Europe The two-storey house is located on the premises of Kamp C in Westerlo, Belgium. Continue →

$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 →