WELLINGTON: New Zealand report reveals that the productivity of the country's construction sector has remained unchanged since 1985, despite significant technological advancements, reported Xinhua.
Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk expressed concern over the stagnant productivity levels highlighted in the report by the New Zealand Chinese Building Industry Association.
It highlighted major and widespread productivity challenges facing the country's construction sector.
One of the key challenges is the increasingly slow build process, with the time taken to build a home increasing by 50 per cent since 2013, from 13 months to 19 months, which helps to create an unaffordable housing market, forcing Kiwi families to spend more of their income on housing, with renters now spending nearly 40 per cent of their income on housing, the report said.
The construction sector as a crucial part of the New Zealand economy contributed 99 billion NZ dollars (US$59.67 billion) in sales in 2023 and indirectly supported 20 per cent of all jobs in New Zealand, Penk said.
The government has been working to make it easier and more affordable to build, focusing on streamlining the building consent system and removing unjustifiable red tape that is slowing down the build process.
The measures include removing barriers for overseas building products to be used in New Zealand, making remote inspections the default approach, and making it easier for minor changes to be made to a building consent, Penk said.