Environment Minister Dr Nick Smith is urging people to be responsible and respectful when using fireworks over the Guy Fawkes week ahead, with sales permitted from tomorrow until Wednesday 5 November.

“We want people to enjoy their fireworks but this relies on users carefully following instructions, ensuring children are properly supervised and being conscious of neighbours and animals,” Dr Smith says.

Building and Housing Minister Dr Nick Smith today welcomed the latest figures from Statistics New Zealand that show strong annual growth in the number of building consents.

"There were 24,046 building consents issued across the country in the year to September 2014. This is a six-year high, and reflects an increase of 22 per cent on the same period last year," Dr Smith says.

"The rate of building consents in Auckland, meanwhile, are at an eight-year high, with 7320 consents issued in the year to September 2014 - 30 per cent more than the previous year.

Building and Housing Minister Dr Nick Smith today welcomed the findings of the second National Construction Pipeline report, which confirms building and construction activity in New Zealand is expected to reach unprecedented levels by 2017.

A Queenstown Lakes Housing Accord has been signed between Housing Minister Dr Nick Smith and Mayor Vanessa van Uden to provide an additional 1300 homes over the next three years.

“The Queenstown Lakes District is one of the five least affordable housing areas in New Zealand, with a median house price of $664,000. The Accord agreed today aims to deliver a 20 per cent increase on the number of houses that have been built in the area in the past, and accordingly it will improve both supply and affordability in the region,” Dr Smith says.

Fletcher Residential has been chosen as the Government’s private sector partner for a new affordable housing project on an 11.5-hectare Crown-owned site in Christchurch, Building and Housing Minister Dr Nick Smith announced today.

The Resource Management Act needs to explicitly recognise the importance of New Zealanders’ access to more affordable housing if the downward trend in home ownership over the past 20 years is to be reversed, Building and Housing, and Environment Minister Dr Nick Smith said today at the Property Council New Zealand’s Residential Development Summit in Auckland.