Auckland stories
Record-low losses and near-universal gains in New Zealand’s housing market are being driven by tight supply, strong demand and cheap borrowing.
New Zealand’s median house price climbed by NZD $100,000 in October, with 10 regions hitting record highs amid tight supply and strong demand.
Payment disputes and tougher retention rules are pushing construction firms towards digital tools to avoid fines and delays.
Job seekers in Manawatū will start a six-week infrastructure course in November, with trainees employed by firms from day one.
The government’s plan could cut household costs, but councils fear losing control over water assets as a 30-year fix is pursued.
The bill could unlock up to 105,500 extra homes in major cities by letting most sites add three storeys without resource consents.
Property values rose 1.4% nationally in September, but activity is easing as tighter lending and higher rates weigh on buyers.
The rollout begins in Auckland hospitals and for travellers, as ministers face criticism for delaying quicker Covid detection by over a year.
Compact New Zealand construction sites are gaining safer, faster handling as rotating telehandlers replace multiple machines and cut transport times.
Overcrowded emergency housing is increasingly being linked to new infections as officials warn the delta variant is spreading among vulnerable groups.
Businesses facing port delays will gain extra freight capacity as KiwiRail adds a weekday Auckland-Christchurch service from early October.
Housing pressure is driving New Zealand's first large-scale build-to-rent scheme, with 295 apartments planned for Sylvia Park in Auckland.
Banks and public services face rising disruption as attackers eye energy and water networks, with millions already lost to cyber incidents.
Westland is the country's most affordable area, with house prices at just 3.2 times income and rent and deposits well below national norms.
Nearly half the reports involved firms that may have been open illegally, as WorkSafe reviewed 582 alleged Covid-19 breaches.
Property deals are being slowed by fresh restrictions, but Colliers expects demand to recover quickly once alert levels ease.
Affordability pressures are starting to bite, with Hamilton and Rotorua both posting quarterly falls after a rapid run-up in values.
Businesses must shift to contactless operations, remote work and tighter checks as Delta-driven Alert Level 3 curbs customer access.
Businesses must shift to remote work where possible as Level 3 rules ban most customer access and require contactless trading.
Passengers will get a new rail operator next January after Auckland Transport awarded an eight-year, NZD $130 million-a-year deal to Auckland One Rail.
