Australia has old-fashioned union arrangements and needs "a dose of Margaret Thatcher," says Mark Adamson, the British chief executive of Fletcher Building.

The 38m brick chimney at Victoria Park Market was considered a liability if Auckland was ever struck by a large earthquake.

Andrew Newman is remarkably relaxed about recent coverage in national media highlighting the risk to the central Hawkes Bay town of Waipawa if the dam his company is backing fails in an earthquake.

Vector's new technology could have far- reaching effects, reports Fran O'Sullivan.

Maori groups are engaging directly with businesses on major projects.

Beca has forged a new opening in the competitive Chinese construction market by leveraging New Zealand's reputation for designing and building first-class food and beverage manufacturing facilities.

Opus New Zealand managing director Peter Mathewson says the nation's infrastructure market is suppressed at present as construction and consulting companies wait for the Christchurch rebuild to start in earnest.

Travel choices and reliability are imperative, says a transport expert.

New Zealand's big infrastructure job is being funded by the state - but public-private partnerships (PPPs) have emerged on two big Auckland sites.

We talk to two key players driving action in the quake-damaged city

Long-term political focus is needed to drive our significant infrastructure investment, says Karen Silk.

Budgets are tight, but there are good opportunities for asset optimisation, says Beca managing director Don Lyon.

Large-scale projects at home and overseas keep the infrastructure division busy, writes Anne Gibson.

Law changes have big implications for the building industry, says Andrew Stevens.

The New Zealand Superannuation Fund says it is willing to go where others fear to tread with regional irrigation schemes.

Cutting across traditional discipline and reporting lines can make a huge difference to big city projects.

The Waterview Connection is crucial to the city's future, reports Anne Gibson.

Questions remain over the network's ability to attract consumers, writes Bill Bennett.

Patrick Strange's tenure at Transpower has seen overdue investment in infrastructure.

Have PPPs been a central government success story?

More skilled graduate specialists are needed to cope with infrastructure projects.

Tom Fail lists the key themes to consider when managing infrastructure project risks.

I enjoy the role here, I feel very privileged to have the position. It can be frustrating, but it is also rewarding when you start seeing physical signs of progress being made.

Congestion charging and public transport investment are two sides of the same coin, writes Paul Callow.