Economic activity in Canterbury is gathering pace, according to the January edition of the ASB Bank's Cantometer.

Australian workers are being sought for a large Auckland building project beginning soon, outraging NZ First leader Winston Peters, who says Kiwis have been snubbed.

Skills shortages for the Christchurch rebuild and a lack of homes in Auckland are likely to be key factors influencing the employment sector in 2013, a report says.

The building sector has taken off and Canterbury earthquake repairs are one of its biggest drivers.

The number of consents issued for new homes continued a 20-month growth trend by rising again in November, show figures out today.

Originally published on June 16, this Westmere home combines quirky architecture with artistic decor to create the creative's dream house.

Auckland builder George Levick expects tougher new seismic standards to be a big boost to the construction sector.

The ASB Building on Jellicoe Street is already turning heads on the waterfront and this week a large reflector device in the shape of a sail was installed on the top of it. The reflector is to act as an important part of the buildings ventilation and lighting system and was designed using cutting-edge yacht design technology. It is an integrated part of the massive funnel installed in May 2012 that forms part of the passive ventilation and natural lighting system under the main vent on the top of the building. Credit McCabe photography

There's been a surprisingly big jump in building activity, with the biggest quarterly gain in the past ten years, driven by construction work in Canterbury and the upper North Island.

An Auckland developer says Chinese are using property as a ticket into this country because owning real estate increases immigration visa points.

Manufactured exports have been faring much better than domestic sales.

Property sector could face bills dwarfing the leaky building issue.

Fulton Hogan has suffered an 89 per cent drop in annual profit which its departing chairman described as "disappointing and totally unacceptable".

Auckland currently has capacity for thousands of dwellings on existing greenfield land, writes Len Brown. "So the issue is clearly more than just land supply."

House builders and buyers are creating a buzz on Whangarei's Tutukaka coast, as Aucklanders and expats have ramped up purchases of coastal property this year.

Distribution and logistics centres in the spotlight as firm looks to save money.