The Government is becoming increasingly heavy-handed over Auckland's housing shortage, with talk of a new Crown agency to free up more land.

Some of New Zealand's historic buildings are about to be hit by a multibillion-dollar bombshell, as the Government forces their strengthening, experts claim.

Confusion surrounds the ability of body corporates of leaky buildings to claim GST refunds, as the Inland Revenue seems reluctant to have its decisions in two leading cases stand as precedents.

Home-building consents fell last month as a drop in approvals for apartments offset gains for other types of dwellings

Former American FBI special agent turned New Zealand DIY hardware chain boss John Hartmann is leaving Mitre 10.

Fletcher Building engineers are assessing Mainzeal Property & Construction sites and the company hopes to finish some of the 40 jobs and employ subcontractors and some members of Mainzeal's 400 staff.

SkyCity asked for taxpayers to pay for the marketing and promotion of the international convention centre, but the Government ruled it out.

Another company linked to Dame Jenny Shipley is under pressure and may be forced to stop operating by September if it cannot meet new Reserve Bank requirements.

If work on Mainzeal Property and Construction's sites is frozen for another six weeks, national construction activity could be depressed by up to 3 per cent, says an economist.

Fletcher Building chief executive Mark Adamson could slice costs by $75 million, as the construction giant tries to pare back spending to bolster its bottom line.

A High Court judge has stepped down from hearing the case of three men associated with Dominion Finance.

Prime Minister John Key has given his qualified support to Jenny Shipley remaining chair of the soon-to-be-listed power company Genesis.

The trial of three men associated with the collapsed firm Dominion Finance was adjourned just after lunch yesterday for reasons the Herald is prohibited from reporting.

An out-of-pocket Mainzeal Property and Construction subcontractor estimates the builder could record $50 million to $100 million of losses.

An Auckland construction boss has warned about the building resurgence, saying now can be the most perilous time for businesses.

The gigantic task of upgrading New Zealand's earthquake-prone building stock to a safe level has not yet sunk in, Housing and Construction Minister Maurice Williamson says.

Imperilled are the jobs of hundreds of employees, and the financial future of numerous subcontractors, writes Brian Rudman. The latter are now at risk of being bankrupted for no fault of their own.

A mainzeal contractor has been issued with a trespass order after trying to remove $1 million worth of equipment from an apartment building yesterday morning.

New Zealand's commercial construction sector has been nailed into the ground by the recession, industry chiefs say, and Mainzeal Property and Construction's receivership came after a string of others.

The collapse of Mainzeal Property and Construction will cost Auckland ratepayers millions to settle a leaky-building claim.

Raja Sharma invested his life savings in an apartment in Hobson Gardens after falling in love with New Zealand and immigrating with his wife to Auckland.

Angry subcontractors are trying to retrieve their tools locked in a Wellington Mainzeal construction site after the company went into receivership.

Work has stopped on a number of Mainzeal developments around Auckland today after the construction firm was placed into receivership yesterday.

Fallout from the Mainzeal receivership is hitting listed lines company, Horizon Energy.

Mainzeal Property and Construction - one of New Zealand's largest construction companies - has gone into receivership.

Consents for 127 retirement village units is one feature of strong building consents data for December.