February 2025
In this newsletter:
Industry news at a glance
DigiComm 2025: Special discounted rates for BIF members
MBIE submission: Work with engineered stone and materials containing crystalline silica
Stats NZ: Ready-mixed concrete: December 2024 quarter
Stats NZ: Home consents up in Otago in 2024, down in all other regions
New Zealand Infrastructure Commission: Auckland's Infrastructure - the cost to serve a city that's growing upwards
Reminder: MBIE submissions for insulation requirements closing soon
INDUSTRY NEWS AT A GLANCE
RNZ: NZ supermarkets may soon have new barcodes
The transition to 2D barcoding is picking up pace in New Zealand.
GS1 New Zealand’s Chief Operating Officer Richard Manaton spoke to RNZ this week about the global transition to 2D barcodes and the benefits on offer for businesses who embrace this change.
BusinessDesk: Fast-track applications have a $448,000 price tag
(Photo: BusinessDesk / Getty)
DigiComm 2025 - Special discounted rates for BIF members
BIF is pleased to team up with NZIOB to offer members a 10% discount to the upcoming DigiComm conference on Thursday 20 March in Auckland.
The theme for the conference is ‘Growing our global digital community’. There will be an international focus to the day, looking at emerging trends and practical applications of digital technologies in construction and infrastructure. You can find out more about the programme on the NZIOB website.
To register for the conference at a discounted rate:
1) Click 'Register' on the event page
2) Tick 'Member' or 'Non-member' and fill out your personal details
3) Enter friend10 in the discount code box to receive 10% off when you check out
MBIE submission: Work with engineered stone and materials containing crystalline silica
MBIE is seeking feedback on a range of options to control the risks from engineered stone and other sources of exposure to respirable crystalline silica. To have your say and make a submission, please visit the MBIE website. The deadline is Tuesday 18 March.
Stats NZ: Ready-mixed concrete: December 2024 quarter
Stats NZ released the data on ready-mixed concrete on 12 February 2025. These stats provide an indicator of construction activity.
Key facts:
In the December 2024 quarter, the actual volume of ready-mixed concrete produced was 967,964 cubic metres, down 6.2 percent compared with the December 2023 quarter.
In the year ended December 2024, 3.82 million cubic metres of ready-mixed concrete was produced, down 7.7 percent compared with the year ended December 2023.
In seasonally adjusted terms, the volume of ready-mixed concrete fell 4.7 percent in the December 2024 quarter, following a 0.6 percent rise in the September 2024 quarter.
For further information, please visit the Stats NZ website.
Stats NZ: Home consents up in Otago in 2024, down in all other regions
There were 33,600 new homes consented in Aotearoa New Zealand in the year ended December 2024, down 9.8 percent compared with the year ended December 2023, according to figures released by Stats NZ earlier this month.
The five regions with the highest number of new homes consented in the year ended December 2024 were:
Auckland with 13,939 (down 10 percent compared with the year ended December 2023)
Canterbury with 6,544 (down 6.0 percent)
Waikato with 2,755 (down 22 percent)
Otago with 2,338 (up 19 percent)
Wellington with 1,833 (down 24 percent).
For the full breakdown of the figures, please visit the Stats NZ website.
New Zealand Infrastructure Commission, Te Waihanga: Auckland's Infrastructure - the cost to serve a city that's growing upwards
Auckland is growing rapidly, and the city faces different infrastructure challenges than other parts of NZ, due to its size, density, and growth rate. This report aims to provide a better understanding of the city's infrastructure challenges and opportunities and focuses on three specific areas:
The cost to service Auckland with network infrastructure
What Auckland households currently spend on infrastructure
Aucklanders' perceptions of different options for paying for infrastructure
You can read the full report on the New Zealand Infrastructure Commission website.
Reminder: MBIE submissions for insulation requirements closing soon
A reminder to our members that the submissions on the insulation requirements in housing and other buildings are closing soon on Friday 28 February. To have your say and make a submission, please visit the MBIE website.
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