Further Construction Contracts Act Amendments as of 1 September 2016
The latest amendments under the Construction Contracts Amendment Act 2015 have come into force as of 1 September 2016. The definition of ‘construction work’ has been broadened to include design, engineering and quantity surveying work. The effect of the wider definition means designers, engineers and quantity surveyors can ensure they are paid for their services in a timely manner, while consumers can hold architects, engineers and quantity surveyors to account for their work. Parties to contracts involving design, engineering, and quantity surveying will now be able to access the payments and dispute resolution services under the Construction Contracts Act 2002. The change will only apply to contracts entered into or renewed on or after 1 September 2016, and will not affect contracts entered into or renewed before 1 September 2016.
2016 Second Edition Unit Titles Manual – Thomson Reuters
Thomson Reuters has published the second edition of its Unit Titles Manual, a practical guide to understanding the Unit Titles Act 2010 (the Act). The manual was written to assist bodies corporate to understand the Act, regulations, and wider considerations that are generally relevant to people at all levels of a body corporate. The second edition provides commentary on amendments to the Act, and includes a new comprehensive chapter on dispute resolution, written by Director of the Building Disputes Tribunal, and dispute resolution expert John Green.
Highest Annual Housing Consents in over a Decade
Statistics New Zealand has released new data confirming annual housing consents have reached new highs. Over 29,000 new homes were granted building consent in the year to June 2016, marking a 16 percent increase from the previous year. The annual total is the highest since 2004, with Auckland and surrounding areas as the main growth contributors. A total of 2,752 new homes were consented in June 2016 alone, which marks a 35% increase from June 2015. Non-residential consents have also increased by 63%, reaching a record high of $739 million in June 2016. Regional growth showed the regions with the largest dwelling consent growth were Auckland, Wellington, Waikato and Bay of Plenty, while Christchurch showed a 14 percent decrease following previously increasing rates. Statistics released on 30 August 2016, also show an increase in the overall value of planned building work (excluding housing) of $1 billion dollars over the past year. Investment in schools, universities and hospitals have been identified as the main contributors to this significant value increase. In the year to July 2016, $6.3 billion of non-residential building work was consented, compared to $5.3 billion in the July 2015 year. Education buildings including the University of Otago and University of Canterbury accounted for half, while health buildings such as Christchurch Hospital contributed one-quarter of the increase.
Further Support for Puhoi to Warkworth Motorway Project
On 2 August 2016, Transport Minister Simon Bridges announced that the NZ Transport Agency will enter into preferred bidder negotiations with the Northern Express Group for the Puhoi to Warkworth motorway project (the Project). The Project has been identified as one of the Government’s Roads of National Significance, forming the first part of a larger motorway project in the Northland area identified as key to economic growth. Mr Bridges believes that delivering the Project