New Zealand (NZ) stories
First-home buyers are being refused finance after going unconditional, as tougher bank rules and lending checks squeeze borrowing.
A Christchurch restaurant faces NZD $20,000 in fines after WorkSafe found months of ignored Covid-19 rules and missing vaccine-pass checks.
Public confidence is fading that damaging temperature rises can be avoided, even as concern about climate change hits its highest level in nearly a decade.
Contract wording will decide whether builders absorb Covid-19 shutdown and isolation costs, with no automatic time extension if it is silent.
A mechanic’s light vehicle was crushed in a truck park when a departing dump truck drove over its tray and left without realising.
Construction firms are under pressure as insolvencies account for a quarter of all business failures, with New Zealand now watching closely.
Auckland martial arts centre Oliver MMA faces a USD $12,000 fine, the first COVID-related penalty WorkSafe has issued under the traffic light system.
Rising rates and tighter lending rules could cool New Zealand’s housing boom in 2022, after values topped GBP £1m nationally for the first time.
Buyers are getting more choice as supply improves, even though New Zealand house prices hit fresh records in November and growth begins to ease.
Tree roots can crack walls and disrupt drains when dry soils shrink, making monitoring essential for homes and infrastructure.
Workers were exposed to toxic fumigants after poor respirator practices at a pest control firm prompted a GBP £250,000 fine.
Smaller infrastructure projects are hit hardest, as consenting now costs $1.29 billion a year and delays have nearly doubled.
Data breach consequences go beyond systems damage. Trust, reputation, and legal implications create the need for transparency and open communication.
Rising listings in New Zealand are set to ease price pressures, with Wellington and Dunedin already shifting towards a buyer's market.
A TAIC report warns poor planning around level crossings can leave road users exposed to trains after a double fatality near Morrinsville.
Small firms can avoid a holiday cash squeeze by chasing invoices early, boosting stock and hiring staff before demand peaks.
The civil construction lobby will have a new voice on training, immigration and safety when Alan Pollard takes over as Chief Executive in January.
Adopting 4.0 technologies could lift New Zealand construction wages by GBP £3.5 billion and add up to USD $8 billion to GDP over five years.
Phase one of the park could supply electricity for 30,000 homes and help Canterbury businesses and aviation cut fossil fuel use.
Safety lapses in erecting festive lights on high streets and shopping centres could put workers and the public at risk, warns IPAF.
