Advisory firm BDO NZ has released the 2020 Construction Survey. In two parts this year – giving a pre and post-COVID snapshot of the industry, the 2020 survey report looks at the impact COVID-19 has had on the industry and the industry's key concerns and strategies for survival and growth.
Darrell Trigg’s final article as Master Builders’ President for Building Today
Believe it or not, my role as National President Master Builders comes to a close at the end of August at the Master Builders AGM.
As everyone says, where did the last two years go, and how did they slip by so fast? It has been a real privilege to get around the country and meet the members that range from extremely large businesses to one employee. The passion for the Master Builders brand, their people and the industry has been fantastic to experience. I look forward to continuing to support them all at the events such as Apprentice of the Year, House of the Year, NZ Commercial Project Awards, together with all of their local events.
Recent progress on site has been tremendous, thanks to the great support from suppliers and subcontractors since we came out of Level 4 Lockdown. The last of the parapet/balustrade walls to the roof have been poured. The round tower and the lift shaft in the centre are complete, and the spiral staircase that winds around the lift is being formed.
In our view, non-residential building in the Northland region seems to have bounced back post-COVID relatively well. Indicators are that non-residential sector activity will peak in the first quarter of 2021 and drop off from there. As always, many factors contribute, but COVID is the biggest in recent times. The strong bounce-back we’ve seen can be largely attributed to current projects that are yet to be completed, but once these are finished there seems to be some reluctance to start the next wave. We’ve personally experienced this ourselves.
I’m writing this article from my dining room on Day 10 of the Alert Level 4 lockdown — as we are adjusting to the new norm for the immediate future, and wondering what the long-term outlook will be for our businesses and the industry as a whole.