TIMBER OUTPUT

Auckland Star, Volume LXXV, Issue 215, 11 September 1944, Page 6

TIMBER OUTPUT

ZONING SUPPLIES AUCKLAND REQUIREMENTS Information dealing with the com trol and distribution of timber supplies has been compiled by the Council of the Building Industry and forwarded to the Auckland City Council. The North Island is to be subdivided into zones, each zone to receive a specified quantity of the total North Island timber output, states the council's report. Routing and responsibility of the supply to each area is to be largely controlled by the Sawmillers' Federation, and the Auckland allotment is understood to be 2,000,000 super feet per month. The Auckland allotment will supply private and State housing requirements, joinery factories, repairs and jobbing, defence and hospital jobs, commercial buildings, local bodies, industrial firms employing carpenters, the Public Works Department, the furniture trade and undertakers, and possibly boat builders and plywoods. Imported timbers, Oregon and redwood, will, to a certain extent, supplement the supplies available to joinery factories and commercial builders, and dismantled camp buildings will possibly supplement housing requirements. The report adds that the quantity of timber available for housing will undoubtedly be limited to about 1,000,000 feet, this providing approximately 100 hpuses per month, a number far short of requirements. Auckland's estimated monthly requirements are 4,000,000 feet, so that the shortage will be 2,000,000 feet. Suggestions in the council for the relief of this shortage are the complete elimination of dressing heart in cottage work except for external trim, an increase in the production of bricks and more use of cement and concrete products. Weatherboards, it is stated, could be eliminated in favour of alternatives. Other suggestions include the general release of surplus pinus for boxing, the release of oregon stocks, including surplus over ship stock to essential commercial builders, and release of redwood to all joiners with State support to cover extra cost.