Hon GRANT ROBERTSON: The construction sector is supporting our recovery. Statistics New Zealand reported on Friday that the volume of building activity rose 3.2 percent in the March quarter, following on from a 9 percent jump in the previous December quarter. Residential construction rose 3.5 percent, while industrial and commercial building activity increased 2.7 percent. Statistics New Zealand also reported last week that annual building consents rose 18.1 percent to 50,583 compared with the previous year, only the second time ever that it has been over the 50,000 mark. Economists are expecting the momentum in the construction sector to continue despite the challenging environment that they are facing. 