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New guidelines on how to effectively install insulation are being welcomed by Building and Housing Minister Dr Nick Smith.

A revised standard, Energy efficiency – Installing bulk thermal insulation in residential buildings, has been published by Standards New Zealand and provides extended guidelines for insulation installers and building owners on how to do the job effectively.

Development activity is continuing to gather pace in Auckland, according to the Auckland Housing Accord quarterly monitoring report released today by Building and Housing Minister Dr Nick Smith and Auckland Mayor Len Brown.

A $300 million, 600-home development on land at Christchurch’s Riccarton Racecourse is a step closer after the signing of a deed today, Building and Housing Minister Dr Nick Smith says.

The nearly 1100 dwelling consents issued in Auckland in July shows New Zealand’s building boom is continuing to gather momentum, Building and Housing Minister Dr Nick Smith says.

“In Auckland, our greatest area of housing need, consents were issued for 1087 dwellings in July – up 18 per cent on June – while the 9622 issued for the year to July was 12 per cent higher than the previous year.

Consultation on proposed changes to the Building Code to strengthen steel reinforcing mesh testing requirements has opened today, Building and Housing Minister Dr Nick Smith says.

“The Government is tightening the requirements for verifying that steel mesh used in New Zealand matches up to our standards. We are increasing the number of tests required, clarifying exactly how the tests are done and requiring the tests to be undertaken by internationally accredited testing laboratories,” Dr Smith says.

Invitations for expressions of interest (EOI) in the Tāmaki redevelopment reaffirm the Government’s commitment to a large-scale transformation of housing in Auckland, Ministers Bill English and Dr Nick Smith say.

The redevelopment of 2500 state-owned houses in the area is being led by the Tāmaki Regeneration Company (TRC), a joint venture between Auckland Council and the Government.  

Strong progress on building and section consents in the Wakatipu Basin has led to Queenstown-Lakes Housing Accord targets being increased nearly 50 per cent during the next two years, Building and Housing Minister Dr Nick Smith says.

Dr Smith and Queenstown-Lakes Mayor Vanessa van Uden released the revised figures after discussions today, saying they would go from 950 to 1400 for the remaining two years of the accord.

Claims by the Labour Party that the number of people being declined KiwiSaver grants for a new home are increasing is deliberately misleading and overlooks the trebling in the number of people using the scheme, Building and Housing Minister Dr Nick Smith says.

The Government has approved three new Special Housing Areas (SHAs) for Nelson, bringing the number in the area to 13 with the potential for up to 484 homes, Building and Housing Minister Dr Nick Smith says.

“Average house prices in the Nelson region have increased by 10 per cent in the past year and we need to increase supply. The issues are not as acute as in Auckland but we need to grow out with greenfields development and also make provision for townhouses and apartments.

The Government is increasing the income and house price caps of the KiwiSaver HomeStart scheme to ensure it meets its objectives of helping New Zealanders buy their first home, Building and Housing Minister Dr Nick Smith says.

Residential and commercial building work has hit an all-time record of $18.3 billion and 29,000 homes, confirming New Zealand is in the midst of the largest building boom ever, Building and Housing Minister Dr Nick Smith says.

“We have topped 29,000 homes being built for the first time in 12 years, with a 16 per cent increase nationally on last year. This is the longest and strongest period of growth on record.

More than half a million people will be employed in  construction-related occupations  by 2021 in support of New Zealand’s building boom, Tertiary Education, Skills and Employment Minister Steven Joyce and Building and Housing Minister Dr Nick Smith say.

The ministers today released the National Construction Occupations Projections report, which shows construction-related occupation numbers are expected to hit 539,500 in the next five years, up 10 per cent from 2015.

Building activity is at record levels nationwide and is forecast to continue to boom in the latest National Construction Pipeline Report, Building and Housing Minister Dr Nick Smith says.

“This report shows annual construction activity across New Zealand has topped $31 billion, an all-time high, and is projected to reach $37 billion in 2017. The report shows residential construction is particularly strong and forecasts construction activity to remain stronger for longer as compared to last year’s report, with the boom continuing to 2021.

The Government is proposing changes to 32 Building Code compliance documents to ensure standards keep pace with industry developments, best practice and new research, Building and Housing Minister Dr Nick Smith says.

“The construction sector is growing at a phenomenal rate and building activity is at record levels. We need to ensure we maintain the standards of building work through this boom. These new and updated standards are part of our plan for addressing New Zealand’s housing challenges.”

A housing website launched by Labour today claiming 98 per cent of New Zealand has a housing crisis lacks credibility and shows how desperate the opposition has become to overstate New Zealand’s housing challenges, Building and Housing Minister Dr Nick Smith says.

Independent data published this week by Massey University showing a 6 per cent national improvement in housing affordability during the past year is welcome, Building and Housing Minister Dr Nick Smith says.

“This independent index on housing affordability shows the average Kiwi home is 6 per cent more affordable today and 40 per cent more affordable than when National came to office. It highlights that in the debate over house prices and income-to-house ratios, the lowest interest rates in 40 years are being overlooked.

Smoke alarms installed in rental properties in Whanganui and Westport have already saved lives, proving the worth of new legislation requiring them in all rentals, Building and Housing Minister Dr Nick Smith says.

“Amendments to the Residential Tenancies Act were about saving lives, and already we’ve heard of two instances of smoke alarms installed in the past few weeks preventing tragedies.

Ten hectares of Counties Manukau Health land is being considered for the Government's Crown land housing programme, with consultation starting today, Building and Housing Minister Dr Nick Smith says.

The Government has today approved an additional Special Housing Area (SHA) in the Queenstown district which is expected to provide more than 300 homes, Building and Housing Minister Dr Nick Smith says.

“This SHA is spread across 51 hectares of greenfield land on Ladies Mile in Queenstown. The proposed development includes a retirement village comprising independent villas, serviced apartments and staff accommodation units, plus a 72-bed rest-home care facility.

The Prime Minister today announced a new $1 billion Housing Infrastructure Fund to accelerate the supply of new housing where it’s needed most, Finance Minister Bill English and Building and Housing Minister Dr Nick Smith say.

The contestable fund will be open to applications from councils in the highest growth areas – currently Christchurch, Queenstown, Tauranga, Hamilton and Auckland.

Mr English says the Housing Infrastructure Fund will help bring forward the new roads and water infrastructure needed for new housing where financing is a constraint.

Building consent data released today shows construction rates have hit an all-time high of $17.8 billion nationwide covering residential, commercial and infrastructure work, Building and Housing Minister Dr Nick Smith says.

“The construction sector is booming, with strong residential and commercial building activity across the country. The level of residential building activity in Auckland of $4.3 billion and nationwide of $11.4 billion is an all-time high in actual and inflation-adjusted terms.

Tenancy law changes covering smoke alarms, insulation, enforcement of standards and property abandonment come into effect tomorrow, Building and Housing Minister Dr Nick Smith says.

“These are the most significant changes in tenancy law in 30 years and will affect more than 450,000 rental homes. I want tenants and landlords to know their new rights and responsibilities,” Dr Smith says.

The licensing of a record 30,000th building practitioner is a positive sign of a nationwide construction boom and the increased emphasis on skilled tradespeople, Building and Housing Minister Dr Nick Smith says.

“The construction industry is at an all-time high, with $18 billion of work under way in the past year. The quality of this work depends on skilled tradespeople, such as builders. It is a sign of confidence in the industry and in the registration system that we are today celebrating the 30,000th licence being issued to Peter Watson.”

A strengthened code of conduct for engineers requiring serious deficiencies in buildings or structures to be notified to regulatory authorities was tabled in Parliament today by Building and Housing Minister Dr Nick Smith.