4. Construction Activity—Residential Building and Build QualityJAMI-LEE ROSS (National—Botany) to the Minister for Building and HousingConstruction Activity—Residential Building and Build Quality4. JAMI-LEE ROSS (National—Botany) to the Minister for Building and Housing: What reports has he received showing construction activity has topped $18.3 billion and that this is the highest rate ever in inflation-adjusted terms?Hon Dr NICK SMITH (Minister for Building and Housing): The reports for the year to June—Rt Hon Winston Peters: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. I seek your guidance on this question. If one reads it it is simply unintelligible; for example $18.3 billion—when? Over what period of time? On construction activity—what? None of that is explained and the Minister is being asked a question that in terms of what you would expect from any First World Parliament is simply below par. Mr SPEAKER: Order! No I—[Interruption] Order! I find the question intelligible enough for it to be answered and it can be. Hon Dr NICK SMITH: The reports for the year to June do show construction activity across New Zealand is now at an all-time high and 20 percent higher in real terms than any previous peak. I am particularly encouraged by the increased investment in residential housing at nearly $12 billion per year and the June figures for consent in Auckland being up 30 percent on the previous June last year. We have now had five consecutive years of strong growth in Auckland house building taking the rate from 3500 per year to over 9500 per year—or to use the Leader of the Opposition's language we are building a bloody lot of houses. Jami-Lee Ross: What reports has he received on further projections of new house construction particularly in Auckland and how does the number of houses projected to be built compare with historic numbers?Hon Dr NICK SMITH: The latest pipeline report which is independently produced by the Building Research Association of New Zealand on housing construction in Auckland shows that the equivalent of two Whangareis or 80000 homes are in the pipeline to be built over the next 6 years. It is projecting over 13000 homes being built in Auckland next year—and that is an all-time high—and it is staying above those record levels all the way through to 2022. The track record of 4 consecutive years of strong growth in housing construction plus this independent report showing continued record construction shows that the Government's programme of increasing housing supply is working.Jami-Lee Ross: What steps is the Minister taking to ensure that standards of work are maintained through this building boom?Hon Dr NICK SMITH: There are risks to the quality of building work with the record levels of activity which are stretching the skills base the industry capacity and councils' quality assurance systems. We are making a record investment in new apprenticeships in the building sector we are reforming the accreditation system for building consent authority so as to raise standards and I announced over the adjournment changes to 32 building code compliance documents to help ensure that we maintain the very best practice and latest building research in ensuring that we get quality as well as quantity.