A new Government report shows construction activity during the next six years is expected to top $200 billion.
The latest National Construction Pipeline Report shows residential construction in Auckland is driving what it describes as a "golden era"' for the building industry.
The report, commissioned by the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment, predicts 80,000 new homes will be built in Auckland by 2020, compared with 30,000 during the past six years.
The report said construction activity next year would be worth a record $37 billion.
However, Building and Housing Minister Nick Smith said house consents in Canterbury were plateauing and were expected to drop from almost 8000 this year to 3000 by 2020.
Nationally there was a clear shift towards the building of apartments, and smaller, attached homes, he said.