Carter Holt Harvey's cladding sheets and systems used in 880 school buildings were "inherently defective", the Court of Appeal has heard.

Building activity has reached its strongest growth rate in almost 15 years and is up sharply in the latest quarter, but critics say it is still not helping relieve Auckland's housing crisis.

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

Small business owners, particularly in the construction industry, should be breathing a sigh of relief this week.

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

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.

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

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.

John Key says the SkyCity convention centre plan grew in both size and "flashness" until public backlash persuaded the Government not to spend any more money on it.

Arch Hill residents have won concessions from big-box retailer Bunnings in an attempt to minimise the effects of the controversial new store on their Auckland neighbourhood.

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

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

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

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.

Auckland: "There are few places on earth one might change so radically and so fast" - Nat Cheshire, architect.

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.

Vo Van Duong's bamboo and coconut leaf house looks much like others deep in Vietnam's Mekong Delta.

The RMA Knights who say no have been a shadowy tribe until now and it's been hard to pin much damage to the economy on them, writes Bernard Hickey.

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....

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.

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

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.

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

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.

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....