Job losses, new consents down, companies in liquidation - it's been a rough few years for the construction sector.
It has lost more than 11,000 jobs in the year to October, with building consents down 16 per cent in that time.
That after what was considered boom times just a couple of years ago, with record consent numbers coming through.
It has been a year of sweeping reform for the minister overseeing the sector.
Chris Penk has proposed widespread changes to the Building Act, such as making granny flats up to 60 square metres not need a resource consent, making remote consenting the default and simplifying insulation standards.
He is also proposing to ease the way for overseas building products and to allow for self-certification of work by tradespeople.
All of this in an attempt to make it easier and more affordable to build in New Zealand.
But critics are concerned of hidden or future costs, or even the return of a devastating crisis like the leaky buildings of the early 2000s that so many people now have to live with.
Photo: RNZ / Samuel Rillstone
