Another company linked to Dame Jenny Shipley is under pressure and may be forced to stop operating by September if it cannot meet new Reserve Bank requirements.

SkyCity asked for taxpayers to pay for the marketing and promotion of the international convention centre, but the Government ruled it out.

SkyCity got special treatment in its pitch to build the international convention centre - but nothing which will get in the way of a formal deal being struck.

If work on Mainzeal Property and Construction's sites is frozen for another six weeks, national construction activity could be depressed by up to 3 per cent, says an economist.

Fletcher Building chief executive Mark Adamson could slice costs by $75 million, as the construction giant tries to pare back spending to bolster its bottom line.

The Government's goal of building 2000 new state houses in two years has been questioned after it was revealed that it had built only 68 homes in the past year.

Recommendations of amendments to the Building Act to give owners of reinforced masonry buildings a deadline to bring up to earthquake standard or demolish them - which threatens many heritage buildings.

A High Court judge has stepped down from hearing the case of three men associated with Dominion Finance.

Prime Minister John Key has given his qualified support to Jenny Shipley remaining chair of the soon-to-be-listed power company Genesis.

Maurice Williamson says if a potential conflict of interest arose in his portfolio, he would order officials not to give him the relevant papers, writes John Armstrong.

The trial of three men associated with the collapsed firm Dominion Finance was adjourned just after lunch yesterday for reasons the Herald is prohibited from reporting.

Auckland's critical housing shortage worsened again last year - but the gap between population growth and house-building may be closing at last.

An out-of-pocket Mainzeal Property and Construction subcontractor estimates the builder could record $50 million to $100 million of losses.

John Key approved the Construction Minster's directorship of a company involved with Mainzeal but says any concerns about possible conflicts of interest are a "beat-up".

The first cardboard cladding tubes, each weighing 120kg, were installed to shape the $5.3 million A-frame building.

Waikato town planners are bracing for an overflow of Aucklanders from the Super City as it seeks to find living space for its booming population.

A recent pick-up in Australian housing loan approvals has gone into reverse, suggesting a series of interest rate cuts is taking its time in percolating through the economy.

An Auckland construction boss has warned about the building resurgence, saying now can be the most perilous time for businesses.

The receivers of Mainzeal Property and Construction say about half of the failed firm's staff have been made redundant.

Plans to sling a walking and bike path under the Auckland Harbour Bridge have become a preferred choice of the Transport Agency, provided it is paid for by tolls.

Imperilled are the jobs of hundreds of employees, and the financial future of numerous subcontractors, writes Brian Rudman. The latter are now at risk of being bankrupted for no fault of their own.

The screech and hammer of tools returned to a Mainzeal construction site yesterday - but only as subcontractors were finally allowed to remove their equipment.

A proposed three-storey retail and apartment building on Ponsonby Rd is sparking debate about the merits of modern architecture along the famous character strip.

The collapse of Mainzeal has people worrying about who will construct the residential and commercial buildings required for Christchurch, writes Liam Dann.

A mainzeal contractor has been issued with a trespass order after trying to remove $1 million worth of equipment from an apartment building yesterday morning.

New Zealand's commercial construction sector has been nailed into the ground by the recession, industry chiefs say, and Mainzeal Property and Construction's receivership came after a string of others.