Category Archives: Opinion

By Dentons Kensington Swan’s Stuart Robertson (partner), Justin Fredrickson (associate), Ossama Mohamed (summer clerk) As all of us will be aware COVID-19 has caused massive disruption and financial stress around the world. New Zealand as a whole and regionally has been in different levels of lockdown since March 25, 2020. While there has been assistanceContinue reading “Rule Britannia! Britannia rules COVID-19 insurance coverage waves”

New Zealand’s economic recovery from the hammer blows of the Covid-19 pandemic, and the employment prospects for many of those made jobless by it, will be closely tied to our construction sector.

When the topic of robots in the workforce is brought up, it’s easy to feel a little uncomfortable. After all, we commonly hear comments like ‘one day when robots are doing our jobs’ or ‘a machine can do that, quicker and cheaper’. However, the truth is far less scary than these conversations and sensationalism.

Six forces are converging in a post-Covid New Zealand that will fundamentally transform our urban centres. Left unchecked, the results of this convergence could be ghost CBDs characterised by untenanted buildings and distressed landlords, and a population still afflicted by the housing affordability crisis hampering our younger generations.

The press is awash with stories around when the 150 projects that are ‘shovel ready’ and worth an estimated $2.6 billion will be released to market. These projects, and the certainty of pipeline they bring, are undoubtedly vital for the construction industry.

​The concept of human induced vibration (vibrations caused by human footfall) can conjure up images of Millennium Bridge-style swaying or collapsing buildings. But, in reality, the ‘damage’ caused by human induced vibrations is less likely to ruin a structure and more likely to cause discomfort for people using it.