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In this newsletter:
- Building Leaders Forum with Claire Falck, BRANZ
- Give feedback on the Building Product Specifications
- BuildLink Magazine: Summer 2025
- 2025 National Construction Pipeline Report
- New Zealand Infrastructure Commission Report
- Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei Properties starts first 51 of 350 homes
- GS1: SCAN 2.0
- Forsyth Barr: Building News Wrap
- Businesses feeling Christmas cheer
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We will be closed from the 22nd of December to the 12th of January 2026.
For all urgent inquiries during this time, please contact Julien Leys, BIF NZ Chief Executive, on 021 655 598.
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Building Leaders Forum with Claire Falck, BRANZ
In the latest episode of the Building Leaders Forum series, BIF NZ Chief Executive Julien Leys chats with Claire Falck, CEO of the Building Research Association of New Zealand (BRANZ). BRANZ provides independent and trusted building research, testing and quality assurance to support better buildings and focusing on improving New Zealand's building system performance. BRANZ plays an incredibly valuable part in its coordination of research and innovation for the New Zealand building industry.
Watch the interview by clicking on the thumbnail below.
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BIF NZ: Building Leaders Forum with Claire Falck, CEO at BRANZ
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Give feedback on the Building Product Specifications
The Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment is seeking feedback on the new draft of the Building Product Specifications, which will enable a greater range of building products to be used more easily in Aotearoa New Zealand. Read more about the consultation, including how to have your say, here.
Submissions are due by 9 February 2026 at 5pm.
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BuildLink Magazine: Summer 2025
BuildLink have just released their Summer 2025 edition of the BuildLink magazine - you can read it by picking up a copy from a BuildLink store or by clicking here to view it online.
Pages 35 - 37 contain a piece from BIF NZ's Chief Executive Julien Leys, reflecting on the last few years in the industry and exploring the likelihood of the building and construction sector finding its footing again in 2026.
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2025 National Construction Pipeline Report
Pacifecon have released their National Construction Pipeline Report for 2025. The report is commissioned by the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE) and jointly produced by BRANZ and Pacifecon, who have collaborated on every annual edition since 2012.
The report offers both national and regional perspectives, covering actual and forecast activity in residential, non-residential, and infrastructure sectors. This year’s findings highlight encouraging trends, signalling renewed strength and opportunities across construction pipelines through to 2030
To gain access to the report, click here to visit their website and fill out the form.
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New Zealand Infrastructure Commission Report
The New Zealand Infrastructure Commission has released its annual report for 2024-2025. You can view it here.
View past editions here.
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Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei Properties starts first 51 of 350 homes
Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei Properties is an iwi-owned property development and investment entity rooted in the heart of Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland. Construction is about to begin on the first 51 townhouses at Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei Properties’ land at Ōwāiraka Mt Albert, as part of a wider 4000-home residential development by the entity.
Read about the development on the ex-Unitec land here.
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GS1: SCAN 2.0
GS1's final SCAN 2.0 publication for the year has been released, with the key highlights of 2025 including digital transformation, advancing sustainability and traceability, collaboration and engagement, and more. Read here.
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Forsyth Barr: Building News Wrap
Forsyth Barr publishes insights and analyses into the building industry and kindly share it with us. Many thanks to Forsyth Barr for the following information.
New Zealand:
- Softer month for NZ housing market: National sales fell -12.2% seasonally adjusted month-on-month (previously +11.5%) and are -5.7% below the prior year (previously +7.8%)
- Net migration ticks up but remains at low levels
- Construction sentiment is improving, though unevenly
- Construction activity to rebound in 2026: Pacifecon forecasts growth in activity from 2026
- Several new bridges in the pipeline: Announced plans include a NZ$60m bridge at Waiohiki (link); a new two-lane Pekatahi Bridge on SH2, expected to cost between NZ$64-69m (link); a NZ$22m Pepe Stream bridge on SH25 (), and strengthening of the Ngaruroro River bridge for NZ$10-20m (link).
- Fletcher Buildings court cases roll on:
- Fletcher noted that the cost of repairing the NZICC after the fire was NZ$1.1b with NZ$700m of that covered by its own insurance – Fletcher’s position remains that the fire was caused by the subcontractors and is seeking to recover losses from the defendants insurance
- Fletcher Building Limited has been joined as an additional respondent to the claim against Iplex AU in relation to Pro-fit pipe issues in WA. The Court decision also revealed that Iplex pleads it was not the manufacturer of all of the pipes in question.
- Kennards Hire sees tick up in activity: The equipment hire company has reported a +40% increase in enquiries and a ‘significant’ uplift in contract volume after a difficult FY25 where revenue declined -10%.
- Banks give themselves an early Xmas present: All major banks except KiwiBank have lifted mortgage rates +20-30bps across the 2-5 year terms.
Australia:
- Activity in construction slows: Construction -18.7, (previously -8.4; contraction < 0< expansion) and manufacturing -18.0 (previously -21.6). Machinery reported a material uplift, supporting a recovery in manufacturing, while construction activity slowed on the back of a lower investment in the future work pipeline.
- Rising interest rates could derail a housing development upturn: Consultancy firm Macromonitor projects the current upturn in housing development to peak at 225,000 new housing starts by 2027, as rising interest rates hit property investors who are driving the current boom.
- Federal government to release A$10b for Melbourne rail loop. The total project is expected to cost A$34.5b.
- Peet looking for a new owner? It has been reported that Goldman Sachs is looking for a buyer of the c.A$900m ASX listed land developer. The move comes five months after Peet bowed to shareholder pressure and launched a strategic review in September.
International:
- US data remains depressed:
- Traffic of prospective buyers held steady (Dec.): 26 (previously 26).
- Present and future sales up (Oct.): present sales 42 (previously 41) and future sales 52 (previously 51).
- Homebuilder confidence inched higher (Oct.): 39 (previously 38: positive > 50 > negative).
Chart of the week (below): A better year ahead - NZ residential construction outlook and consents are both firmly positive heading into 2026.
ANZ residential construction outlook vs residential consents:
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Source: ANZ, Stats NZ, Forsyth Barr analysis
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Businesses feeling Christmas cheer
Businesses are embracing the concept of "green shoots" with confidence climbing to its highest level in 30 years this month. Read the BusinessDesk article about it here.
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If you would like to be on the mailing list to receive our BIF monthly newsletters directly, please let us know by emailing office@bifnz.co.nz
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