New Zealanders are showing a rising resistance to overseas investors, a business survey has found.

Nearly 1000 apartments and townhouses priced from $500,000 are planned at Wynyard Quarter on the Auckland waterfront when the first block of residential land is offered to developers in March.

The country will continue to swelter, as temperatures in some areas reach at least 30C today.

Consents for 127 retirement village units is one feature of strong building consents data for December.

With Rotorua's new convenience retail complex the Redwood Centre, located about 3km east of the city's CBD, due to open on Friday only a few tenancies remain to be filled.

Asia's richest man, Sir Li Ka-Shing, is EnviroWaste's new owner after his Hong Kong-based Cheung Kong Infrastructure paid $501 million for it.

SkyCity has confirmed plans to increase floorspace at its Auckland casino.

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

In one of the biggest commercial property deals of the year, New Zealand Post has sold two Auckland properties for about $33 million.

Building developer Cooper and Company has opened a new retail precinct in the $1 billion Britomart area near Auckland's waterfront.

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

The Government's moves to permanently abolish tree protection rules for those not already named on district plans will be further strengthened, an expert says.