Fletcher Building [FBU] is investigating the possibility of asbestos contamination at the trouble-plagued New Zealand International Convention Centre (NZICC) in Auckland.

The centre, being built by Fletcher Building and originally intended for opening in 2019, has been subjected to numerous problems and delays with the most drastic of these being the fire that extensively damaged the central Auckland building in late 2019 when the project was already delayed. 

Operated by SkyCity Entertainment, the NZICC is currently slated to open in February 2026.

But Fletcher Building said in a statement to NZX on Thursday that it notes media reports in relation to the investigations by the Ministry of Business, Innovation & Employment and WorkSafe “into the potential asbestos contamination of certain fire doors supplied by Pacific Door Systems, the country’s largest fire door manufacturer, which is owned by the ASSA ABLOY Group“.

“Fletcher Building’s project team for the New Zealand International Convention Centre has been made aware that this issue may involve fire doors supplied to the project by Pacific Door Systems,” Fletcher Building said.

“They are undertaking investigations to confirm the extent of any issue.”

The company said that surface testing undertaken to date had confirmed “no asbestos residue in occupied or public areas”.

“…The current advice is that potentially impacted doors are safe in their current, installed state. SkyCity has been informed of the situation and we are working closely together to understand any impacts.”

The statement gives no indication of when there will be a further update. Interest.co.nz sought further comment from the company and a Fletcher Building spokesperson responded that the investigation is “still in the early stages so at this point we don’t have anything to add other than what was in the statement earlier”. 

“The site remains open though and work is continuing there.”

A notice on the Pacific Doors Systems website says the asbestos issue has impacted a product known as ‘FRB board’ or ‘FRB core’, “which is manufactured by a third party outside of New Zealand”. 

“FRB core is a product that PDS and other manufacturers in both Australia and New Zealand use in the manufacturing of certain Pyropanel fire-rated doors,” the notice says.

“It is important to stress that FRB core and the Potentially Impacted PDS Fire Door Categories do not contain asbestos ‘by design’. Instead, this is a contamination event in relation to which an explanation and more information is being sought from the relevant third party manufacturer,” the notice says.

Pacific Doors says while the scope of the contamination issue remains under investigation, “it will be prudent to handle any doors in the Potentially Impacted PDS Fire Door Categories as if they could contain asbestos, out of an abundance of caution”.

It goes on to say the doors “should pose no risks while they remain ‘in situ’ with the FRB core fully encapsulated”.

Fletcher Building recently reported a $419 million after-tax loss for the year to June 30, 2025.

The full-year loss compares with a $227 million loss in the 2024 year and comes after Fletcher Building had to digest $702 million worth of writedowns in the latest year, with $644 million of those relating to continuing operations of the business.

Itrecently officially put the ‘for sale’ signs on its problematic construction division and when announcing its full year results gave clear indications that the residential and development operations may be following the construction unit out of the door.