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

A proposed rewrite of Auckland's tarnished heritage rules leaves power in the hands of unelected officials and shuts out the public.

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.

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.

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

SkyCity got special treatment in its pitch to build the international convention centre - but nothing which will get in the way of a formal deal being struck.

The Government's goal of building 2000 new state houses in two years has been questioned after it was revealed that it had built only 68 homes in the past year.

Recommendations of amendments to the Building Act to give owners of reinforced masonry buildings a deadline to bring up to earthquake standard or demolish them - which threatens many heritage buildings.

Walkers and cyclists are jubilant at winning Auckland Council committee support yesterday for a harbour bridge pathway, but face another workout before a final council sign-off.

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.

Maurice Williamson says if a potential conflict of interest arose in his portfolio, he would order officials not to give him the relevant papers, writes John Armstrong.

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.

John Key approved the Construction Minster's directorship of a company involved with Mainzeal but says any concerns about possible conflicts of interest are a "beat-up".

The first cardboard cladding tubes, each weighing 120kg, were installed to shape the $5.3 million A-frame building.

Waikato town planners are bracing for an overflow of Aucklanders from the Super City as it seeks to find living space for its booming population.

Mainzeal employees reacted with shock and anger to the news that around 200 staff had been made redundant in an effort to reduce costs.

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

A recent pick-up in Australian housing loan approvals has gone into reverse, suggesting a series of interest rate cuts is taking its time in percolating through the economy.

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.

The receivers of Mainzeal Property and Construction say about half of the failed firm's staff have been made redundant.

Plans to sling a walking and bike path under the Auckland Harbour Bridge have become a preferred choice of the Transport Agency, provided it is paid for by tolls.

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 proposed three-storey retail and apartment building on Ponsonby Rd is sparking debate about the merits of modern architecture along the famous character strip.

The collapse of Mainzeal has people worrying about who will construct the residential and commercial buildings required for Christchurch, writes Liam Dann.