New Zealand eyes Australian building product standards

Chris Luxon says building costs have gone up 41 per cent In the last five years across NZ. (Ben McKay/AAP PHOTOS)

In a bid to ease high costs of building in New Zealand, the government will relax barriers to overseas products and adopt Australian standards.

Plumbing products through Australia's WaterMark certification could be first off the rank as New Zealand chases a relaxation of regulatory settings.