Construction
Concerns raised over NZ fire regulations
Plans for what will be the country's tallest apartment tower are stuck in a dispute over whether a single stairwell for its top 11 floors is good enough in an evacuation.
Calls to electronically track building products
Fixing and replacing non-conforming building products could be costing more than $200 million a year, according to new research.
Fears building regulator overhaul will leave it out of touch
The Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment is overhauling its building arm, raising fears this will distance it from companies and councils. Audio
Building industry warns of weakness in quality control standards
Tradespeople are warning of widespread weaknesses in quality control standards in New Zealand in the wake of London's Grenfell Tower fire. Audio
Commerce Commission asked to investigate steel bar
The building regulator has asked the Commerce Commission to investigate seismic steel reinforcing bar sold by a major supplier.
$1.2bn Auckland housing development given the green light
A $1.2 billion housing development in Auckland is finally going ahead, after years of opposition.
Enormous Chinese bank says time is right for NZ project
China Construction Bank has a billion dollars of lending in this country, three times more than it had a year ago. Its deputy chief executive here, Lloyd Cartwright, told our reporter Phil Pennington… Audio
Global sand shortage?
David Owen explores the global business of sand in a rather worryingly titled New Yorker article 'The World is Running Out of Sand'. Audio
Reliable steel supply key in construction boom
Analysis - Demand for a steel supply system New Zealanders can rely on matters more in the middle of a construction boom, writes Phil Pennington.
Higher floors needed for Dunedin flood risk
New homes in South Dunedin will have to be built up to a metre higher above the ground because of the area's 2015 flood.
High costs and worker shortage hit construction
An acute shortage of construction workers is pushing property developers and building companies to the wall. Audio
Developers, builders crumbling under rising building costs
The building industry is blaming an acute shortage of skilled workers on the sharp recent rise in building costs. Anusha Bradley reports. Audio
Taranaki Cathedral to acknowledge 'good, bad and ugly' past
The dean of New Zealand's oldest stone church hopes to use a multi-million-dollar restoration project to do more to acknowledge the darker side of its history. Video
Seven workplace deaths in a fortnight
Seven people have died in workplace accidents in the past fortnight, and Worksafe says a culture change is needed.
Business commentator Fran O'Sullivan
Kathryn Ryan talks Business with Fran O'Sullivan, taking a look at Orion Healthcare, and also the plight of NZ construction firms, and whether Chinese firms also be allowed to take part in the major… Audio
Nights' Science - Geoff Hunt
This week's after dinner scientist is into the applied stuff - using what we know about about physics and chemistry and mathematics - to build stuff. His name is Geoff Hunt, who up until a few days… Audio
Land-bankers in Wellington mayor's sights
Wellington land owners who sit on empty land without developing it could be the target of new penalties, if the city's mayor gets his way.
Economists optimistic despite poor GDP figures
Economic growth was lower than expected in the final quarter of last year, and the value of exported goods suffered its sharpest quarterly fall in the past 25 years.
Despite that, economists remain… Audio
Ply in the sky: wooden buildings on the rise
High rise wooden buildings are economic to build, environmentally friendly and much more earthquake resilient than traditional building systems based on concrete and steel, an industry player says. Audio, Gallery
Australia's Downer buys Hawkins Construction
The country's second biggest construction firm Hawkins has been bought by Australian engineering giant Downer EDI.
