Why does mould keep coming back in winter? Recurring mould is usually a sign of excess moisture, poor ventilation, or hidden water issues—not just a surface cleaning problem. Learn what causes mould in New Zealand homes, how it can affect indoor air quality and your family's health, and the practical steps homeowners and landlords can take to prevent it from returning.

Redeveloping industrial land? Learn how environmental due diligence, contaminated land assessments, and Preliminary Site Investigations (PSIs) can help identify hidden risks, reduce costly delays, and support compliant, successful developments across New Zealand.

Discover how SQN, experts in asbestos management and environmental consulting is driving excellence in 2026. From an industry-leading NPS score of 8 to major government compliance milestones, ISO/IEC 17020 updates, and our Wellington expansion—explore our mid-year review.

“Whilst Jan–March can be a tough stretch, this past quarter was one of the most productive we have experienced. The market moved in ways we didn't expect — yet our teams didn't miss a beat.”

Our General Manager, Andre Halkyard, shares his reflections on Q1 of 2026 and outlines how SQN is positioning for the year ahead.

New Zealand’s most complex infrastructure and redevelopment projects demand more than basic compliance. From legacy asbestos and contaminated land to live-facility operations and regulatory scrutiny, the risks facing major projects are increasingly technical and interconnected. This article explains why a multidisciplinary Technical Advisory Board—or “brain trust”—is essential for delivering defensible decisions, managing historical uncertainty, and protecting people, assets, and reputations across Aotearoa’s most high-risk environments.

Asbestos Awareness week 17 - 23 November 2025

When it comes to workplace hazards, asbestos is often treated like a problem of the past. People assume it was banned decades ago, that it only affects certain trades, or that “it’s fine as long as you don’t touch it.”

But here’s the blunt truth…. asbestos hasn’t gone away.

It’s still in buildings, infrastructure, and even some products across Aotearoa, quietly putting workers, communities, and businesses at risk.

Check out our special offer to make asbestos awareness a little nicer to have - take action today!

For the most part, asbestos awareness training should give learners a good idea where asbestos might be lurking. But there may be more lurking under the surface or in unusually places.....

Read on to learn more.

This article was created for Asbestos Awareness Week 2024.

It is not uncommon for training to be seen as a box ticking exercise. Something that has to be done before something else can happen.

That is certainly true in the asbestos industry, especially when it comes to asbestos removal. Asbestos removal operatives must hold NZQA unit standards to carry out licensed asbestos removal work.

Fun fact, "SQN" - Sine Qua Non - means without which not, or something that you need before something else. Very apt in this situation!

Does that mean we need to offer the bare minimum to our students? From speaking with both students and employers, we believe everyone wants the same thing - workers to be safe - but how do we get there when there is an expectation to get training done and dusted in a single day?

Here is where we are super proud of our latest program with Besafe Training: Environmental Decontamination.

If we had a dollar for every time someone said: "But we don’t have to worry about asbestos anymore, do we?"

This is definitely a very frequently asked question in it’s various forms! “But we haven’t used asbestos for years”, or “All the asbestos has been removed from here”, and “There is no asbestos here”. Or how about “Nah, that’s not asbestos” and never forget “I have worked with asbestos for years and I’m fine”.

These are the famous last words we are told by clients, builders, tradies and site managers before we start a survey. More often than not, when someone says something like this (with confidence), we will find asbestos. No, we are not bringing it with us! But it is just the way it seems to go - Murphy’s Law.

Read the full blog now.

Dear Tamaki Makaurau Auckland,

What a week we have had already. Very few of us knew what was coming on Friday 27 January, let alone the scale of devastation that would befall our big city.

If you are worried about the flood damage to your property, please contact us now for free advice and support.

Read on to understand what the risks are and how you can minimise the harm to yourself and your community.

With good asbestos management, we can mitigate the risk of asbestos day to day. But this hasn’t always been the case.

We at SQN support you with taking the scariness out of asbestos. Our approach is always risk based and we bring you pragmatic asbestos solutions. But since October is the spooky month, we thought we would share some of the scarier facts about asbestos that we are all collectively working away from.

Read these 10 facts we have compiled for you and tell us what you found the most surprising.

Read through the highlights of what is happening here and around the world with asbestos. Keep up to date with what is happening at SQN.

If you have ever seen the aftermath of an Asbestos Demolition Survey, you will understand why we usually ask for for the property to be empty before we get started.

Not seen what happens on an Asbestos Demolition Survey? Let us show you more….

Join us behind the fencing of a project we recently managed….

Humans are naturally curious. So when we see fencing around a building site, of course we are interested about what is going on. Especially if it is a building we pass often.

Let us take you through the steps of this tricky job and how we kept the work on schedule, on budget and safe. Watch the short video below and scroll through our blog to read more detail.

How do you choose your training provider for asbestos training? Reputation? Quality? Location? Available dates? Independent? Or price….?

You likely have a priority list because you can’t always have everything you want!

What value does SQN offer?

Read our latest blog to find out what is important to us when it come to giving you a great learning experience

Asbestos doesn’t break down, it isn’t going anywhere fast. We have been dealing with it for decades and will continue to deal with it for many more.

During our work, we unfortunately come across asbestos containing materials (ACM) in bad condition. Sometimes it is just time that has weathered and damaged these materials, but too often it is human damage.

We often talk about the asbestos legacy, but do you want to be part of a positive change, or one of the horror stories?

Read some of our discoveries and learn from the mistakes of others!

Do I need asbestos training?

If you are asking this question, the answer is probably yes. What training depends on the type of work you are doing though. Have a read of this blog to learn more. We are covering asbestos related work, asbestos removal work and asbestos assessors.

One thing we have noticed is that people want just one point of contact for the asbestos part of their projects. Whether this is a multimillion dollar redevelopment, a property management company or the owner of a single house.

So, you have your asbestos management survey, it is probably part of your asbestos management plan *tick* - but now you want to renovate or demolish your property.

Or, you have an asbestos refurbishment survey for your project *tick* - but now your scope of work has changed and the survey doesn’t cover all the works you will be carrying out.

What do you need to do next?