Latest from Construction

Big jump in Fulton Hogan profits

State house subsidy for new buyers

First-home buyers in the provinces will be given a subsidy of up to $20,000 to move into vacant state houses, Housing Minister Nick Smith announced today.

New mortgage rules now in force

The Reserve Bank's new mortgage lending restrictions come into force today, restricting the number of high loan-to-value ratio mortgages banks can lend.

Key rejects builders' fears mortgage rules will reduce home starts

Prime Minister John Key has dismissed builders' concerns that new Reserve Bank mortgage lending limits will reduce the number of new homes being built.

Business confidence soars to 5-year high

New home build trend dips

The trend for the number of consents granted for new houses appears to be flattening after two years of growth, Statistics New Zealand said today.

Fletcher plan follows model set by Formica

Fletcher Building chief Mark Adamson says the changes being made at New Zealand's largest listed entity mirror the corporate recovery at Formica Group.

Waterview tunnel chapter set for Alice in underland

Alice, the Waterview Connection's tunnel boring machine, is lined up at the mouth of her first Mt Roskill wall, ready to dig the country's biggest roading job.

Firms sued in test case on school leaks

Building products giant Carter Holt Harvey is among companies battling a multimillion-dollar claim brought by the Ministry of Education over leaky schools.

Fletcher surges on result

In what turned out to be a tale of two countries, Fletcher Building announced a lift in its annual net profit yesterday, with Australia's economic downturn detracting from a strong showing in New Zealand.

Australia needs 'dose of Thatcher'

Australia has old-fashioned union arrangements and needs "a dose of Margaret Thatcher," says Mark Adamson, the British chief executive of Fletcher Building.

Fletcher unveils $326m profit as NZ revives

Govt's new house affordability step

The Government fired another shot in its battle to control rising house prices yesterday, announcing law changes it says will curb charges levied by local authorities on developers for providing infrastructure such as roads and sewerage to new subdivision

Williamson: Bulk homes the future

New Zealand buildings including houses will increasingly be manufactured in bulk in factories and assembled on site, and the consenting process will have to change accordingly, says Building and Construction Minister Maurice Williamson.

Company sticks by expansion plan

Port bosses express confidence mayoral investigation will vindicate their blueprint for further development.

Fletcher feted for Formica turnaround

When Fletcher Building paid around $1 billion for Formica in 2007, the business was only three years out of a financial hole and Chapter 11 bankruptcy.