ER7 An assessment of the likely changes to construction businesses in Christchurch post recovery (July 2016)

This report looks at the changes to business structures, recruitment and resourcing over the period since the first earthquakes in 2010 and 2011.

There have been significant changes to construction businesses in Christchurch since the earthquakes. These changes can be seen in the ways in which businesses have grown and adapted to cope with the changing demands that the rebuild posed.

The report shows that construction businesses have a large degree of adaptive capacity and are able to quickly move their business models to take advantage of growth and opportunities. They are now better prepared towards facing these changes through adapting their processes, with a focus on maintaining business rather than growth and attention to retaining current staff rather than recruiting new staff.

This report provides some suggestions on possible scenarios and what could be done to support businesses as they emerge from the Christchurch rebuild.