STATE HOUSING

Press, Volume LXXIX, Issue 24028, 17 August 1943, Page 4

STATE HOUSING

FEW CONTRACTS LET LAST YEAR PURCHASE OF LAND CONTINUED Only 277 contracts for the construction of State houses were let in the 1942:43 financial year, compared with 2875, 3294, and 4165 respectively in the three preceding years. These figures are given in the annual report of the Director of Housing Construction (Mr G. Albertson). However, 1259 units were completed last year arid handed over to the State Advances Corporation and other Government departments, as compared with 3208 in 194142 and 3966 in 1940-41. _ , . "Notwithstanding the difficulties the department has continued to purchase land suitable for housing purposes, so that when the necessity has passed for actual war works construction there will be ample land available for an accentuated and vigorous building Programme. During the last year 741building sites have been purchased, this bringing the number of sites acquired to date up to a total of 35,784. “The number of serviced sections available for purchase is, naturally, limited, and the department considers that it should not unduly deplete it if private building is to make its contribution in overcoming the housing shortage. “In order to be prepared for the postwar building programme, we should have on hand enough land for at least two years’ requirements, say, 30,000 sections. The policy of purchasing land two years ahead of building requirements is necessary in order to allow time for surveying and planning of subdivisions, and also the construction of the roads and the installation of all services before house construction can efficiently commence.”