Maria Slade

New Zealand

Senior Journalist at The National Business Review

Editor at BusinessDesk

Senior journalist at the National Business Review. Fascinating time to be covering business news.

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Articles

Jennian Homes, GJ Gardner take part in Auckland Council consents trial

2 weeks ago | businessdesk.co.nz | Maria Slade

The Auckland Council is running a trial allowing builders to sign off on their own work in a bid to speed up the consenting process and build homes more efficiently.Under the pilot programme, group builders Jennian Homes and GJ Gardner will self-inspect their work using a mobile app, with council inspectors checking the information.The trial covers the process from the building consent application through to final inspection and the issuing of a code compliance certificate (CCC).The aim was...
Private building consent body offers competition

3 weeks ago | businessdesk.co.nz | Maria Slade

A private organisation will begin processing building consents in competition with local councils this month, after officially gaining registration.Building Consent Approvals, owned by a trust, is the country’s first independent building consent authority and plans to target group home builders as potential clients.Independent authorities have been allowed under the Building Act since 2004, but none have been set up until now.The move comes amid wider initiatives by the Government to speed up...
NZ Post: The secretive SOE transforming into a courier operator

3 weeks ago | businessdesk.co.nz | Maria Slade

When it comes to the national postal service, the Government works in mysterious ways.The tectonic shift away from snail mail in favour of digital communication is obvious to all, and New Zealand Post has been frank about its couriers’ modern role as an online shopping delivery service.
Liquidator Damien Grant survives bid by Ormiston lender to remove him

4 weeks ago | businessdesk.co.nz | Maria Slade

An American financier has failed in a bid to remove Damien Grant as liquidator of a South Auckland property development.New York-based Arena Alceon NZ told the High Court that Grant and his colleague, Adam Botterill, had not acted independently and impartially in the insolvency of Ormiston Rise and Ormiston Rise Development.But in a decision released on Wednesday, Associate Judge Dale Lester refused to sack them.“While I am more than satisfied there is at least the appearance that Messrs...
Multi-million-dollar mansion for sale while subbies remain unpaid

1 month ago | businessdesk.co.nz | Maria Slade

A multi million dollar luxury home associated with an Auckland developer who owes subcontractors for other projects is on the market.Last June, Aaron Ghee told 92 unsecured creditors owed $3.5m by his business, Sanctum Projects, to accept 15 cents on the dollar, or see the company go bust and get nothing.Nearly a year on, subbies are still owed the final payments agreed to in the compromise.Meanwhile, interests associated with Ghee have completed an architecturally designed home adjacent to...
$15m Paritai Drive mansion for sale while subbies remain unpaid

1 month ago | businessdesk.co.nz | Maria Slade

A $15 million luxury home associated with an Auckland developer who owes subcontractors for other projects is on the market.Last June, Aaron Ghee told 92 unsecured creditors owed $3.5m by his business, Sanctum Projects, to accept 15 cents on the dollar, or see the company go bust and get nothing.Nearly a year on, subbies are still owed the final payments agreed to in the compromise.Meanwhile, interests associated with Ghee have completed an architecturally designed home adjacent to Auckland’s...
New World first retailer at Drury, Kiwi Property says

1 month ago | businessdesk.co.nz | Maria Slade

The rapidly growing area of Drury in South Auckland is to get a New World supermarket, following the purchase of land from developer Kiwi Property.Supermarket operator Foodstuffs’ purchase of 1.2 hectares at Drury represents Kiwi Property’s first sale of large-format retail land at the 53-hectare development.Kiwi Property told the NZX at its annual results announcement on Monday that the sale at an undisclosed price went unconditional in April.CEO Clive Mackenzie said it was great to confirm...
James Kirkpatrick's K Rd development may get reprieve

1 month ago | businessdesk.co.nz | Maria Slade

James Kirkpatrick Group’s proposed 11-storey building on Karangāhape Rd looks set to get a last-minute reprieve from Auckland Council.The property developer was headed to the Environment Court after being denied consent for the $100 million mass timber building near the new Karanga a Hape City Rail Link train station.Chris Bishop, the minister responsible for Resource Management Act reform, called the decision to reject the project because it was too large and out of keeping with the area...
Heartland hastening them out with uncompetitive rates, homeowners say

1 month ago | businessdesk.co.nz | Maria Slade

When Auckland homeowner Jo went to refix her mortgage with Heartland Bank, she was shocked to see the interest rates it was offering.She has always shopped around for her home loan and moved to Heartland a few years ago because it was offering the most competitive rates.Not any more.The bank confirmed at its interim results announcement in February that it is exiting the New Zealand home loan market and has since told customers it is no longer offering 18-month, two- and three-year terms.At...
Frantic property flipping a worry in low income areas

1 month ago | businessdesk.co.nz | Maria Slade

What explanation could there possibly be for a house being sold 10 times in under two months?In September and October last year, the pleasant-looking home at 88 Lawrence Crescent in Hillpark, on the other side of the southern motorway from Auckland’s Botanic Gardens, became the subject of such a frenetic chain.The price of the three-bedroom, one-bathroom property on a full site see-sawed from the original sale of $850,000 to a low of $746,000 before soaring to $894,000 and eventually being...