Urban Development News from the media | 29 July 2025 | Overseas products to make it cheaper to build

Overseas products to make it cheaper to build

Thousands of additional building products including plasterboard, cladding systems, external doors, and windows will all be easier to use in construction sites across New Zealand, Mr Penk says

Our government is laser focused on economic growth, which drives more jobs and increasing wages. We want to see a construction boom, and this is an important step.

Quality overseas building products have been given the green light for New Zealand construction, ending costly monopolies on a small number of products that are currently used in New Zealand, Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk says.

https://www.beehive.govt.nz/release/overseas-products-make-it-cheaper-build

Christchurch Regeneration Milestone: Te Kaha Stadium Enters Final Construction Phase

Landscaping and big screens are being installed at One New Zealand Stadium at Te Kaha after another big month of progress on site.

“We’re getting into the business end of the project now with landscaping and external works well underway,” says Christchurch City Council Project Director Kent Summerfield in a new video released today.

The external works are now “particularly advanced” at the southern end of the site, which backs onto Tuam Street in central Christchurch.

“In total, we’ll be planting around 10,000 native trees and plants around the site over the next few months. These will be in a mixture of raingardens, garden beds and planters,” says Mr Summerfield.

https://www.newsline.ccc.govt.nz/news/story/trees-and-big-screens-signal-business-end-of-construction-on-new-stadium

Ministers release Homelessness Insights Report

The Government has released the latest Homelessness Insights Report and announced a series of actions to reduce the number of people living without shelter, including sleeping rough in New Zealand, Housing Minister Chris Bishop and Associate Housing Minister Tama Potaka say.

“Homelessness is a problem New Zealand has grappled with for a long time. It is a symptom of a dysfunctional housing market and is exacerbated during challenging economic times,” Mr Bishop says.

“Census data shows an ongoing trend of increasing homelessness, with 4,122 people living without shelter in 2013, 3,624 people in 2018 and 4,965 in 2023.

“The 2018 to 2023 period showed a 37% increase of people living without shelter despite the large-scale use of Emergency Housing costing well over $1 billion across that period.

https://www.beehive.govt.nz/release/ministers-release-homelessness-insights-report

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