CONFERENCE ON HOUSING

Press, Volume LXXXIX, Issue 27073, 23 June 1953, Page 11

CONFERENCE ON HOUSING

PRELIMINARY TALKS HELD

MINISTER MEETS FOUR ORGANISATIONS (New Zealand Press Association) WELLINGTON. June 22. After talks today with representatives of four organisations interested in the building industry, the Minister of Works (Mr W. S. Gbosman) said tonight that the approach had been co-operative and constructive. The organisations had shown that they were eager to assist in the national housing campaign. Representatives of the New Zealand Master Builders’ Federation, the New Zealand Timber Merchants’ Federation, the Dominion Sawmillers’ Federation, and the New Zealand Master Painters’ Federation met the Associate Minister of Finance (Mr C. M. Bowden), the Minister of Industries and Commerce (Mr J. T. Watts) and the Minister in charge of the State Advances Corporation (Mr J. R. Marshall) at meetings at which Mr Grosman presided. Preliminaries to the national housing conference called for August Were discussed at today’s meetings. Mr Goosman said that talks with other organisations would be held during the next fortnight In discussions with the sawmillers and with timber merchants the importance of widening housing timber specfications was emphasised by industry representatives, said a statement from the Minister’s office. It was pointed out that the production of exotic timber had reached 200,000,000 feet a year and would expand, while the production of indigenous timbers must decline. More general use of exotic softwoods in housing would contribute to a reduction in housing costs by removing delays in supplying of timber, it was said. It was suggested that housing specifications ,be widened to take advantage of exotic timbers, which would continue to be freely available.

When meeting the master builders’ representatives this morning, Mr Goosman put forward the Government’s view that reasonable competition was needed if the cost of housing was to be reduced to levels people could afford to pay. The effect on building costs of uncertainties in supply was also raised, and is to be investigated.