1947 BUILDING PROSPECTS

Press, Volume LXXXIII, Issue 25083, 15 January 1947, Page 5

1947 BUILDING PROSPECTS

SOME PROMISE OF IMPROVEMENT

“The year 1947 seems to hold some promise of improvement,” said the District Building Controller (Mr H. Stevens) when he was asked yesterday about the building position. The number of houses completed last year was not as great as one might expect, judging by the permits issued. This was largely because of a shortage of interior wall lining. Builders had accepted contracts, progressed with construction until they were held up for materials, and then advanced other houses to a similar stage. Many houses were therefore not completed by the end of the year. There were indications that stocks of interior wall lining would improve soon, Mr Stevens said. A new factory in Wellington would commence operations this month, and it was expected that some of its output would be available in the South Island. Because of the number of houses awaiting completion it was doubtful whether the demand would be satisfied for some time, but a good number of standing houses should be completed rapidly. As a result of successful negotiations by the Government, increased supplies of plaster of paris would be available from overseas to augment the New Zealand output from raw materials obtained from Australia. This should greatly help the manufacture of fibrous plaster wall boards.

It might be some time before there was a major improvement in timber supplies. It was hoped that the scheme to improve housing conditions for sawmill workers in bush areas would aid production. Transport also caused difficulty from time to time. Cement supplies were at present sufficient to meet local demands; but it was still not possible to approve indiscriminate use of this commodity for concrete paths, kerbing, and other non-essential work. There was a serious shortage of reinforcing steel for larger buildings, although shipments from Australia were expected to give some relief.

The- supply of baths still did not equal the demand, and showers were being installed in new homes in the meantime. The shortage of corrugated iron continued, and, to meet the need. New Zealand factories were working at full pressure to supply composition roofing and tiles to meet the need.