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Govt grant for firm that later failed
New Zealand's biggest off-site housing manufacturer received a $287,500 Government grant before Prime Minister John Key opened its Kumeu factory.

Nick Russell: Court decision on insolvency victory for the little guy
Small business owners, particularly in the construction industry, should be breathing a sigh of relief this week.

Stock slides as Fletcher earnings drop
Bad business purchases here and in Australia hit Fletcher Building's bottom line result yesterday, leaving some shareholders keen to sell.

Court ruling on claw-backs welcomed
A Supreme Court ruling that clears up a contentious area of insolvency law could put a hand brake on liquidators trying to claw back funds.

Big win in 'claw-back' case
The Supreme Court has today unanimously reversed an earlier ruling on liquidators' abilities to claw back money, which subcontractors and tradespeople had rallied against.

MP plays wait and see on bridge SkyPath
Northcote MP Jonathan Coleman won't say whether he supports the SkyPath proposed for beneath the Auckland Harbour Bridge but he is in favour of people using the bridge.

Industry chief welcomes house factory
An industry chief has welcomed the new Matrix house-building factory in Trentham.

Scaffolding removed from Sofitel So
Scaffolding has been taken down before work is completed on what was promoted as Auckland's newest five-star luxury hotel.

Green light for $100m Ryman plan
Neighbours have failed to stop Ryman Healthcare getting consent for a $100 million-plus village between Greenlane and One Tree Hill.

Timber in, 'out pops a house'
New Zealand's first factory turning out finished houses has opened in Wellington, aiming to produce up to 500 places annually.

First-home buyers beat deposit rule
First-home buyers struggling to get on the property ladder are turning to new builds, which fall outside the high loan-to-value-ratio restrictions.

Malcolm Rands: Housing with emphasis on homeliness
Auckland: "There are few places on earth one might change so radically and so fast" - Nat Cheshire, architect.

Green light for quarry apartments
A new special housing area for up to 90 apartments is approved - but the tenants will potentially have to tolerate years of a quarry being filled up at their back door.

Art deco building to be a facade
The historic former headquarters of lingerie company Berlei, standing in the way of the $500 million-plus SkyCity International Convention Centre, will be gutted and only its facade will remain.

Eco-home tested in disaster-prone area
Vo Van Duong's bamboo and coconut leaf house looks much like others deep in Vietnam's Mekong Delta.

Chch rebuild boosts ads for skilled jobs
The number of skilled vacancies advertised online in New Zealand rose 1.1 per cent last month to its highest level in nearly six years as the Canterbury rebuild increased demand for skilled....

Developers blame infrastructure for progress
Property developers say the failure to quickly resolve Auckland's housing crisis is not their fault - lack of infrastructure is one of the biggest impediments to more building.

SugarTree apartment ready for residents
Residents will next month begin moving in to the new $250 million high-rise SugarTree apartment development between Nelson St and Union St.

Win for firm that dug up carpark
A Court of Appeal win for a Christchurch company which dug up a carpark over a $300,000 payment reinforces the importance of clear communication in arrangements.

Toppled crane brings down power lines
An unattended crane rolled down a street in an Auckland suburb, bringing down power lines last night.

Not our fault if photo fad goes wrong
Property owners say they can't be held responsible for a death-defying fad like the one where three youths took selfies off the roof of an Auckland building.

Geoff Cumming: Pushing the boundaries
Housing crisis - what housing crisis? Drive around Auckland's outskirts and you'd be forgiven for thinking the home building sector was ahead of the game as thousands of new-builds come on....

Surge in summer job listings - Trade Me
New figures show there's been a big hike in demand for jobs over the past year. So what vacancies are employers looking to fill - and where?

For sale: 30 spare rooms
Nick Ferrier's residence was a good candidate to feature on My House, My Castle - not least because of this castle's three turrets.

Top homes for sale: Dream home by Lake Taupo
Robyn and Michael Higgins built their dream home in Wharewaka on the shores of Lake Taupo, and they even included a proper man cave. But a year later, they were hit by tragedy.