Are tenders the best way of selecting your build partner? Are you going to accept the lowest tender? Does the lowest price ever deliver the best outcome?

When detailing channel drainage be it in a domestic driveway or in a public thoroughfare, load ratings will be important along with other aspects such as slip resistance and hydraulic performance.

Yet again there have been record rainfalls in the country with devastating outcomes for the local inhabitants and their livelihoods.

The Post Editorial published in THE POST of Saturday, July 12 2025, referred to:

‘… The Independent Reference Group on Climate Adaption released a framework this week. While not government policy, it was commissioned by the Ministry for the Environment. It said our unpreparedness for climate change is leading to “larger and more frequent recovery costs, unmanaged financial strain, and disproportionate impact on some groups.”…’

The EBOSS 2025 Builder Sentiment Report, funded by the BRANZ Building Research Levy, brings together significant data from a June survey of 431 New Zealand builders. The data reveals that New Zealand’s construction sector remains under significant pressure, however, many builders are adapting to the realities of a weaker market, and a looming skills shortage is set to create new opportunities for apprentices as the industry recovers.

Professor Anthony Hōete shares three recommendations from ModelDocs — a BRANZ funded research programme that delves into NZ’s building consent process to seek behavioural transformation.

What can LBPs, architects and BCOs do better to reduce consenting timeframes?

In my opinion it is only by analysing Terrace and Apartment housing developments with the use of Dynamic Simulation computational modelling processes that an objective evaluation can be made of the potential for passive summer over-heating to occur in the most likely vulnerable units.

Similar challenges are occurring in Australia and the United States.

Ten frequently asked questions that can help with general understanding and challenges that are regularly faced in the New Zealand construction industry.

In LBP skills maintenance 124 we gave a general overview of retention money, what it is for and what contractors should look out for if they choose to retain it as part of a commercial contract. This month, we’re looking at retentions again from the point of view of a subcontractor who is having retention money withheld from them. 

Licensed Building Practitioners (LBPs) play a critical role in ensuring the structural integrity and weather-tightness of New Zealand’s residential buildings. However, recent data and industry commentary suggest that a significant number of LBPs are not adequately prepared for building inspections, leading to concerning failure rates. These failures often stem from issues such as non-compliance with the Building Code, incomplete documentation, or work being carried out beyond the LBPs scope of competence.