Construction
$600k earthquake rebuild named NZ's best architectural design of 2025
Canterbury shone at this year's ADNZ Resene Architectural Design Awards, with five of eight winners from the region.
Rates could go up for properties that get new granny flats
Rates could be raised for properties with granny flats, an economist says, after new rules were passed allowing people to build structures up to 70 square metres in their yards.
Boom in DIY building expected as rules eased
Builders are anticipating an uplift in DIY with new rules around the construction garden shed, sleepout and garage coming into effect.
It'll soon be easier to build granny flats in the backyard, if they're small
Legislation changing the Building Act passed its third and final reading in Parliament on Thursday morning with unanimous support from MPs.
Christchurch: The 'capital of cool'
Our second biggest city is experiencing the type of revival that should make the rest of New Zealand envious.
Christchurch - city of colour, capital of cool
Our second biggest city is experiencing the type of revival that should make the rest of New Zealand envious Audio
Government to build 82 more classrooms and a new school
Education Minister Erica Stanford says the government had halved build costs which freed up the funding to rapidly growing areas.
Price to fix town stopbanks at 'catastrophic risk of failure' doubles
For two years Spring Creek residents have been warned to be ready to evacuate if there is heavy rain.
Auckland Museum reopens after asbestos closure
Visitors welcomed back after museum closed due to asbestos discovery five months ago. Audio
Soil may hold the answer to stormwater solutions
An expert in water-sensitive design urges us to think harder about what lies beneath our feet
Stormwater solutions lying in the soil
An expert in water-sensitive design urges us to think harder about what lies beneath our feet. Audio
Wellingtonians ponder pros, cons of intergenerational living
Land and affordability are two major issues facing the community-living project in the capital. Audio
What's missing from new quake plans?
One expert says the government's changes on earthquake-prone buildings are more about saving money than lives - but there's some sensible stuff in there.
What's missing from new earthquake plans
One expert says the government's changes on earthquake-prone buildings are more about saving money than lives - but there's some sensible stuff in there Audio
Auckland Museum volunteers innovate after gallery closures
It's been a tough year for Auckland Museum. The discovery of asbestos in May has hit the organisation with multi-million-dollar bills and a big drop in visitor numbers. But the volunteers who guide… Audio
Redevelopment of Wellington Town Hall progresses
The redevelopment of Wellington's Town Hall is nearing the pointy end, with much of its auditorium completed. Reporter Nick James has more. Audio
Quarry company seeks to take over part of Belmont Regional Park
A quarry company seeking to take over a section of regional park is confident it's offering a like-for-like land swap, despite protests from local advocates. Kate Green has more. Audio
Quake building rule change could be 'win' for closed Chateau Tongariro
The 96-year-old building closed in February 2023 due to earthquake risk. Audio
New earthquake building rules pose big challenge for Dunedin, developer says
The cost of developing stone heritage buildings in Dunedin's CBD will become "prohibitively expensive" due to the reinforcement requirements, a property developer says. Audio
