Hon GRANT ROBERTSON (Minister of Finance): The National Construction Pipeline Report 2021 was released yesterday, and it highlighted the resilience of the construction sector during COVID-19 and noted that the outlook looks positive. Construction activity is forecast to grow steadily to about $48.3 billion in 2024, driven largely by the residential sector. The report shows residential construction has seen unprecedented interest in the past year despite these changing economic conditions, with more than 265,000 new dwellings forecast to be consented over the next six years, at an average of 44,000 dwellings a year. The construction sector is now our fourth-largest employer, with over 281,400 people for the year to the end of September, and the Government's investments in apprenticeships and trade training have supported this, with 171,000 people taking up the opportunity, including 81,000 apprentices.