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Chief Executive's Report:
Julien Leys
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Welcome to our April newsletter.
Seeing fuel prices soaring is never good for our industry. While it's not the first time we've seen a fuel crisis, our industry is always one of the first hit - and one of the hardest. I spoke to Miriam Bell of The Post about why this is the case - you can read the article here.
It's been another big month for us at BIF NZ. I've attended the regular New Zealand Construction Industry Council (NZCIC) meetings. I'm pleased to pass on from our most recent meeting (photo below) that there will be industry engagement from MBIE on regulations needed to support the legislative changes for warranty and PI requirements for the upcoming Building Amendment Bill. This engagement will be taking place until mid-2026 ahead of the Bill being introduced to Parliament in June.
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Today's cabinet reshuffle announcement sees Hon. Chris Penk and Hon. Chris Bishop retain their portfolios of Building & Construction and Infrastructure respectively. We're excited to see what they have in store for our industry as the general election approaches (don't forget to enrol to vote or update your details - check here).
Our next episode of the Building Leaders Forum series is out! This month I sat down with Paul Bull, Chief Executive Officer of Signature Homes. We had a great chat about everything from design, to housing demand, to councils, to emissions. Paul has been in the industry for over 30 years so it was a very interesting conversation. You can view the video on YouTube by clicking the thumbnail below, or visiting our YouTube channel here.
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BIF NZ: Building Leaders Forum with Paul Bull, CEO of Signature Homes Group
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A reminder that as of yesterday, minimum wage has increased to $23.95 per hour and KiwiSaver employer contributions have increased to 3.5% and will now apply to 16–17‑year‑old KiwiSaver members, too. Do check your payroll systems and processes and ensure everything is up to date.
Finally, we are now in the new BIF NZ financial year (2026-2027). Membership subscriptions will be sent out after Easter.
It's a stressful time for a lot of folks right now, so check in on your mates and keep up the toolbox talks. We've been through this before and we can get through it again.
Wishing everyone a safe and happy Easter!
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Ngā mihi nui,
Julien Leys
Chief Executive, Building Industry Federation of New Zealand
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In this newsletter:
- Industry news
- Stats NZ: Home consents up 12%
- Building News Wrap
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Industry news
- 20 March, BusinessDesk: Government agencies underspent $2.4b on capital investment in September quarter
- 20 March, BusinessDesk: Plumbers a step closer to signing off on their own work
- 25 March, The Post: Iran war: Diesel price rise adds a $7 million cost a day to NZ, trucking body says
- 27 March, BusinessDesk: Government deciding which businesses face fuel rationing for new response plan
- 27 March, BusinessDesk: Fuel crisis could get ugly, Bishop warns infrastructure sector
- 30 March, NZ Herald: Government mulls buying extra diesel storage, despite axing a similar plan in 2024
- March 30, RNZ: Almost 8000 construction, manufacturing jobs gone
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Stats NZ: Home consents up 12%
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There were 37,534 new homes consented in Aotearoa New Zealand in the year ended February 2026, up 12 percent compared with the year ended February 2025, according to figures recently released by Stats NZ.
"The annual number of new home consents has increased for seven consecutive months," economic indicators spokesperson Michelle Feyen said.
Meanwhile, in February 2026, the seasonally adjusted number of new dwellings consented rose 2.7 percent, after rising 2.0 percent in January 2026.
Read more about the number of home consents on the Stats NZ website here, or building consents here.
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Building News Wrap
Forsyth Barr generously shares their monthly Building News Wrap with BIF NZ. In this edition, they note that the housing market is picking up after a slow start to the year with national sales up 22.2% seasonally adjusted month-on-month. Fast track approvals keep coming in the form of a new Bay of Plenty highway, Ayrburn Screen Hub, and National Green Steel Ltd's structural steel manufacturing plant approved in Hampton Downs.
Their chart of the week (below) shows migration has turned the corner with both a lower number of NZers leaving and more new NZers arriving.
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Source: Stats NZ, Forsyth Barr analysis
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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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