Construction stories
Shipping containers have kept Queenstown’s Kawarau Falls Bridge replacement moving through extreme weather and a wide river crossing.
Owners of leaky homes can now join the claim for longer, after judges extended the opt-in window to five months and awarded costs.
Businesses want more roads, rail and broadband investment, but most doubt the current plan will deliver the best economic outcomes.
Business groups say the proposed commission could cut costly overruns, improve procurement and give investors greater certainty over the pipeline.
New hotel rooms could squeeze occupancy and rates if development outpaces demand in New Zealand’s tourism markets.
Construction activity remains strong nationwide, with ready-mix concrete output topping 1 million cubic metres in the June quarter.
Coastal homes in Hawke’s Bay won praise for stretching modest budgets, with two beach designs taking top honours at the awards.
Business leaders say transport bottlenecks and planning delays are constraining growth as most back higher public-private infrastructure spending.
Mass timber is gaining traction because it can match concrete on strength while cutting build times, waste and carbon emissions.
Auckland faces a USD $5.9 billion transport funding gap over the next decade as revised population forecasts point to faster growth.
The 2020 opening is set to bring more than NZD $320 million in economic benefit to Canterbury over eight years and support local events.
A specialist procurement body could unlock up to NZD $12 billion in extra value from New Zealand’s $125 billion infrastructure programme.
Heritage works at the 1876 Sudima Hamilton are set to draw new retailers as the CBD’s revival lifts foot traffic and spending.
Corrosion is estimated to cost New Zealand more than GBP £10 billion a year, prompting the ACA to run specialist courses in Auckland and New Plymouth.
The 52-metre scheme would replace the Leader’s Building and could briefly make central Wellington home to a record-breaking timber tower.
The factory could ease housing shortages by speeding up and cheapening construction, with excess capacity set to serve Southeast Asia.
Record visitor numbers helped push hotel and motel consent values to GBP £490 million in the June 2017 year, Stats NZ says.
Freight may return to the quake-hit South Island rail line within a month, easing road pressure and cutting transport costs for customers.
The win highlights growing recognition for complex infrastructure, with the Auckland project praised as New Zealand’s most difficult yet to deliver.
Architects are increasingly choosing engineered wood as it can cut costs, speed builds and improve occupant satisfaction in commercial projects.
