20 years ago:
• The merger of the New Zealand Master Builders Federation and the Housing Industry Authority (HIA) brought together the two major organisations representing New Zealand’s construction industry.
The merger provided for the HIA to become the Housing Industry Council, operating under the umbrella of the Federation.
Federation president Frank Hart said the HIA and the Federation had become increasingly active in many of the same areas. “It has now reached the point where, for a country the size of New Zealand, this overlapping of interest makes it logical to join forces,” he said.
15 years ago:
• The Building Industry Authority (BIA) launched the country’s only legally recognised building product certification under the brand name Codemark.
BIA chairman Sir George Chapman said Codemark would become the ultimate accolade for any building product, material or system in New Zealand.
Codemark was the seal of approval for BIA accreditation of building products. BIA accreditation was binding on all territorial authorities and building certifiers. Its legal standing is what set it apart from an appraisal.
10 years ago:
• A report by construction analysts BIS Shrapnel predicted the total value of building authorised in the New Zealand construction industry to grow by 9% in the 2004-05 financial year.
The report said the primary driver of overall growth was the strong underlying demand for dwellings in the residential sector.
This demand originated from the historically high intakes of annual net long-term and permanent migration into New Zealand since 2001-02.
5 years ago:
• The Government should plan ahead and obtain advance design and environmental approvals for future infrastructure projects, according to the Association of Consulting Engineers New Zealand (ACENZ).
The organisation welcomed the Governement’s multi-million dollar package of infrastructure spending to help stimulate the economy, with many projects being fast-tracked.
However, ACENZ president Brent Meekan said New Zealand should follow the example of a number of European governments which ensure they have a supply of approved “shovel-ready” projects.
