New Zealand Certified Builders Media Page

We feature a lot in the press, here you will find relevant articles as well as our TV campaigns and anything else that is press/media related. Happy browsing...

19th July 2022 –  NZCB welcomes certainty about timing for implementation of new insulation standards
 
New Zealand Certified Builders (NZCB) welcomes the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment’s (MBIE) decision that most of the changes to energy efficiency ratings (H1) component of the building code, which introduce new standards for insulation, will take effect from May 2023.
 
NZCB’s newly appointed Chief Executive, Malcolm Fleming says while the full suite of changes were due to take effect in November this year, the deferral of all of the changes other than those relating to window glazing, gives the industry and government time to work together to address challenges to implementing the new requirements.
 
“The building industry is already experiencing significant pressure from supply chain constraints, skill shortages and price escalation for building materials, in the context of ongoing high levels of building demand. Deferring the timeframe for the new insulation standards recognises more time is needed to enable the industry to be ready to implement them effectively,” says Mr Fleming.
 
The new regulations are aimed at reducing the energy needed for heating residential homes by up to 40 percent. They double the requirement for roof insulation, increase the performance requirements for windows, and raise requirements for underfloor insulation.
 
“As well as the availability of products to meet the new requirements, builders need to adapt to new methods of design and construction, which requires system-wide training,” says Mr Fleming.
 
For its part, NZCB is developing specific H1 training and support materials for its member builders, and will encourage their participation in any MBIE-led training, to ensure they are well-equipped to meet the new requirements and contribute to improved energy efficiency outcomes.
 
“With this preparation, NZCB believes the industry will be best positioned to ensure effective implementation of an initiative that will lead to better insulated homes and commercial buildings as one key aspect of our collective response to climate change,” says Mr Fleming.
 
NZCB’s member builders are typically from small to medium-sized building firms that offer a full spectrum of residential and light commercial building services. Reflecting its focus on quality, NZCB is the only building trade association that requires builders to hold a formal trade qualification to be eligible for membership, and it provides ongoing skills development for its members.

16th April 2020NZCB commentary on Covid-19 recovery 16 April announcement

NZCB welcomes today’s announcement by Government, which enables builders to return to work and contribute to the country’s economic recovery from Covid-19. The well-established focus on health & safety in the building sector is a strong platform for ensuring successful implementation of the new Covid-19-related risk management protocols developed by industry representatives in consultation with Government. As a trade association, we are supplementing this with member briefings (“Toolbox” sessions) to reinforce health and safety requirements and provide other practical guidance for the return to work.

Our members tend to be builders in small to medium sized building firms that typically do residential and light commercial building work, and as SMEs have certainly felt the impacts, along with every other sector. However, we also see some potential positives emerging from what has been incredibly challenging situation for everyone, which I’m happy to speak with you further about if you are interested:

  • With more people available in the workforce, following displacement from the tourism and hospitality sectors in particular, there’s a significant opportunity to attract and recruit more people into trade training/apprenticeships and build the pipeline of trained workers that will be required for the intensive infrastructure planned to kick-start the economy. But what we learned in the Global Financial Crisis was during that period of uncertainty, builders stopped taking on apprentices. So in our view, Government should look at providing an employer subsidy to builders to incentivise this and capitalise on this opportunity.
  • SMEs in the building sector should emerge out of this Covid-19 crisis more resilient than before. In a period of enforced lockdown, they’ve had a chance to work on their respective businesses behind-the-scenes, reassessing and dealing with things that they’ve been too busy to deal with in recent years due to such high levels of demand for builders. One example is the reminder this situation has given builders about the need for written contracts, in the context of consumers cancelling plans and not paying and disagreements about who pays to secure sites during lockdown.

Please let me know if you’d like any further information or comment on the above or other matters relating to the building sector, particular in respect of the perspectives of smaller building firms (vs large construction companies).

Kind regards
Grant Florence
NZCB Chief Executive 
New Zealand Certified Builders 
021 906 487 | [email protected]


5th December 2019 – New Board Member

The NZCB Board have appointed new Independent Director, Tricia Indo.  Read more about Tricia and her appointment here.


21st May 2019Bench Seat Donations

Bench seats made by the participants of the Regional Apprentice Challenge competitions were donated to the Cancer Society, nationwide, and gratefully received.  Read about some of them here.


16th April 2019Regulation Changes

What needs to be taken into account during the Building Act overhaul?  Read here what Grant Florence reckons.


12th March 2019Apprentice Challenge in the Regions.

It’s that time of year again, and we’re all over the regional publications, while the Apprentice Challenge is underway:


31st January 2019 – Christchurch Rebuild

Is the Canterbury Rebuild coming to an end?  Read what Grant Florence has discovered, here…


12th October 2018 – Proud New Members

A great way to get your name out there is to approach a local journalist and associate yourself with a reputable and national organisation like NZCB – check with us first for the correct way to approach any media outlet.  DuraBuild Construction are a great example, here.


1st October 2018 – Homeowner Survey

The results are in, and homeowners are still complacent about entering into building contracts, or having a building guarantee.  Read more about the survey here, and it’s results here.


26th September 2018 – Member Wellness

NZCB has partnered with Employee Wellness Programme, to help Members maintain wellness on the work site and in the office.  Read more about it here….


9th August 2018 – Substandard imported materials

What’s the answer to substandard building materials coming into New Zealand?  Read about what NZCB’s Chief Executive thinks the wider issue is, here…


18th July 2018 – Playhouse giveaway

All the hard work of 2018’s Apprentice Challenge participants will now be helping sick kids, with the latest donation of one of the castle-themed playhouses finding a home at Tauranga Hospital.  Read more about it here.


8th June 2018 – New Chair

The NZCB Board has appointed a new Chairman.  Read more about Kevin Sceats, here.


6th June 2018 – Apprentice Challenge

The winner and runner up of the 2018 NZCB Apprentice Challenge showed their media skills on Seven Sharp last night!  View the video here.


30th May 2018 – Apprentice Challenge

And the winner is…!  Congratulations to all participants in this year’s apprentice challenge final in Rotorua.  Read more here about winner Matt Hatchard and his apprenticeship journey.


28th May 2018 – KiwiBuild

Does the New Zealand building industry have the capacity for KiwiBuild?  Grant Florence has some concerns – read more here.


23rd May 2018 – Playhouse giveaway

Ahead of the Apprentice Challenge finals in Rotorua, NZCB are giving away the castle-themed playhouses made by apprentices during their regional competitions.  Read more here…


21st May 2018 – Annual Conference

Get ready Rotorua!  We’re on our way, and ready to celebrate 20 years of raising the standards in New Zealand.  Read about it here.


15th May 2018 – Budget

As the Budget 2018 announcement looms, how will the building sector fare?  Read more here.


7th May 2018 – #CareersAdvice

The ASB/KPMG Strategic Insights Panel has just announced its latest initiative #CareersAdvice, an online hub providing school leavers practical information to help advise their next steps in skills development. NZCB are proud to have contributed content to this project. Read more here.


2nd May 2018 – Skills shortage?

It’s not news that the industry is desperately short of skilled labour.  Read NZCB’s Chief Executive’s comments about some possibly strategies, here.


25th April 2018 – Building supplies co-op

Read our response to the launch of this Canterbury-based building supplies co-operative, here.


18th April 2018The 2018 NZCB Apprentice Challenge begins, with all regional events occurring on one day – 21st April – and winners of these events off to finals in Rotorua on 25th & 25th May, in conjunction with NZCB’s 20th Anniversary Conference & Expo.  Read about the Timaru event here,  the Invercargill event here, Tauranga’s event here, Manawatu/Taranaki here, Gisborne here, Taranaki here, Masterton’s event here, and Dunedin’s event here.


29th March 2018 – Is LBP working?

Grant Florence speaks to the media about whether LBPs should have to be present on all building sites, and whether they should be trade qualified, here…


28th March 2018 – Are corners being cut?

Everyone makes mistakes – even experienced builders.  Are quality issues exacerbated when building levels are high?  Read more here about NZCB’s findings on this matter…


27th March 2018 – Top tips for building in 2018

Building this year?  Then you can’t go past this advice from NZCB’s Chief Executive, Grant Florence, published on Stuff today.  Read more here…


13th March 2018 – Sting Operation

Brent Chatterton, Chairman of NZCB, says there are no surprises here, in the news today…


5th March 2018 – Apprentice Challenge

Preparations for the 2018 NZCB Apprentice Challenge are underway, with all Regional Events to take place on 21st April.  The opportunities and prizes are epic, so why not encourage your apprentice to take part?  Click here for more details on how to apply.  Click here to read about it in the news.


1st March 2018 – CBL Insurance

NZCB recognises that some of our members and their homeowners may have some concerns around the interim liquidation of CBL Insurance.  Please read the following statement from NZCB, regarding our position on this, and keep an eye on this page for further updates.  Click here.


12th December 2017 – Merry Christmas from all the team at NZCB!


11th December 2017A fantastic result for all the hard work put in by Nelson Bays NZCB Members, and a huge boost to the Nelson Marlborough Rescue Helicopter Trust, which is a benefit to the entire region.  The auction results here…


8th December 2017 – Well done to Nelson Bays Regional President Garry Nott, and all NZCB Members in his region who helped with this worthy cause.  Read more here about their charity house build…


10th November 2017 – Congratulations to NZCB member, ZB Homes in Bay of Plenty who have just taken out the top spot in the Deloitte Fast 50 Awards! Read more here…


25th August 2017 – NZCB hits the news again, with both Grant Florence and Brent Chatterton talking about the future of the industry and how to “smooth out the bumps”.  Read more here…


24th August 2017Certified Builders have provided some food for thought to all political parties, in the lead up to the General Election, addressing the issues associated with the continued high demands on the building and construction sector.  Click here to read the press release, which has been distributed to all media and political leaders.


21st August 2017NZCB’s very own building guarantee, Halo 10 Year Residential Building Guarantee, is making the news again.  Read about the ongoing success of this mandatory product, exclusive to NZCB members, by clicking here.


2nd August 2017NZCB’s Nelson Regional Association is in the news again, this time partnering with Mitre 10 Mega to raise substantial funds for Nelson Marlborough Rescue Helicopter Endowment Trust.  Read all about it here.


21st June 2017NZCB’s Building InSites programme, improving build quality through education on site, has hit the news.  Read more about it here.


30th May 2017Hear what NZCB Apprentice Challenge 2017 Winner – Chris McLean has to say about the NZ building industry. “Your country needs you to pick up a hammer”. Read it here.


19th May 2017See the video and read all about how New Zealand Certified Builders’ Otago Regional Committee raised almost $8,000 for Search and Rescue Dogs Otago, here.


7th April 2017NZCB Apprentice Challenge for 2017 starts tomorrow (8th April), with the regional events happening in 14 locations, nationwide.  There have been record levels of interest from apprentices, with the competitions kicking off at 8:00am. Click here to read more


14th December 2016 – Media Release: NZ Certified Builders (NZCB) welcomes the report on building warranties/guarantees based on a comparison of the situation in New Zealand with the UK, which emphasises the importance of these for anyone wanting to undertake a new home build or significant renovation.  NZCB Chief Executive, Grant Florence said “NZCB believes mandatory building guarantees are in the best interests of both consumers and our members and, for this reason, we introduced an industry-leading mandatory guarantee scheme in January 2016.  To read the full media release click here.


12th October 2016Our new television commercial is all ready to go!  Phase 2 is all about homeowner engagement, and airs on various channels from 16th October.  


21st September 2016NZCB have released the results of a Consumer Satisfaction Survey, undertaken in May 2016, which amongst other things, highlights some misunderstandings around the LBP scheme and trade qualifications.  Read more here.


6th September 2016NZCB makes the news with upcoming commencement of the building works for our new National Support Office in Marsh Street, Tauranga.  See Grant Florence talking to the Bay of Plenty Times, here.


17 August 2016The NZCB Board have appointed a new Additional Director, Reneé Jaine.
Read more about the appointment here.


30 July 2016NZCB Proudly featured on Houzz.  26 NZ Fireplaces to Warm Up Beside


27 July 2016Great NZCB exposure on NewsHub last night – if you missed it, here’s the link (@ 3:36mins): http://www.newshub.co.nz/politics/auckland-councils-mission-422000-new-homes-by-2040-2016072713#axzz4Fe2S2J51


29 May 2016Phase 1 of NZCB’s television commercials, “awareness”, airs until 24th July 2016.  Click here to view the advert.


30 May 2016Regional carpentry apprentices compete in the capital for top honour.  Following a series of regional events that involved building children’s playhouses, twelve regional champions gathered in Wellington over 26-28 May for the national final of the Certified Builders Carpentry Apprentice Challenge.  www.itab.co.nz for photos…read more


25 May 2016Builders and other tradies converge on the capital for massive trade conference and expo.  With building and housing issues high on the public agenda, New Zealand Certified Builders (NZCB) is holding its 18th annual conference and expo in Wellington over 26-28 May.  Building and Housing Minister Dr Nick Smith will open the conference to over 500 delegates….read more