Six builders in top-comp finals

The Port Taranaki building and five private homes have been named as the Taranaki finalists in New Zealand's premier building competition.

Built by Clelands Construction, the Port Taranaki Centre is a finalist in the Retail and Business Project section of the Registered Master Builders 2010 House of the Year.

Six local finalists in the top 100 was believed to be the greatest number for some time, said Taranaki Master Builders Association president Andrew Pepper.

"It just underlies some of the great building that is going on in the province. It's obvious that the bar is high here."

There had been national Taranaki winners before and he rated the chances of local builders as high.

The other local finalists range from the sustainable home in Egmont Village that was the supreme winner in the Taranaki section of the contest to an ultra-modern Moturoa home that boasts sliding walls.

Mr Pepper's own natural timber and zincalume-panelled home won the Taranaki Daily News People's Choice Award as well as taking out a silver and bronze award.

The finalists represent the best of more than 530 entrants in 19 regional competitions held throughout the country this year.

Registered Master Builders Federation chief executive Warwick Quinn says 2010 had seen incredible levels of competition from around New Zealand.

"The competition has set the benchmark for building standards in New Zealand for the past two decades and the national competition will no doubt raise the bar yet again.

"The quality of workmanship seen throughout the country is outstanding, builders are taking pride in their work and this is reflected in the quality of the entries."

The finalists' properties will be judged during September and October and national winners announced at a gala dinner in Auckland on November 27.

The full list of finalists are: Abode Design and Build for a Westown property; David Fabish for a property in Moturoa; Paul Jones Construction for an Egmont Village property; Cavalier Homes Taranaki for a property in Merrilands; Terry Clegg Builders Ltd for a property in Bell Block; and Clelands Construction Limited for the Port Taranaki Centre in Moturoa.

- © Fairfax NZ News