Building Relief Slight

Press, Volume CVII, Issue 31502, 17 October 1967, Page 32

Building Relief Slight

(N.Z. Press Association) WELLINGTON, Oct 16. Although joinery manufacturers now found it easier to buy high grade Indigenous timber at reduced prices, there was a reduced demand for the industry’s products and increased competition for the limited work offering, Mr T. A. Scrivener, president of the Joinery Manufacturers’ Federation, told the federation’s conference today. Basing his prediction on the continuing decline in

building activity, Mr Scrivener said that unless there was a rapid change in Government policy the number of houses built would probably decline to the 1959 level. There was little doubt that the Government was concerned at the difficulties being experienced in the building industry but there was no evidence to suggest that the measures taken to provide some relief, mainly the easing of building controls, were having any marked effect in stimulating building. Referring to the Australia-

New Zealand Free Trade Agreement, Mr Scrivener said that many New Zealand exporters were finding that their products did not have free and unrestricted entry into Australia because of the retention of quota systems. “At the present time New Zealand can supply only raw and semi-finished timber products,” he said. “To some extent the Australian industry is protected and the Australian citizen is being denied the chance to buy New Zealand products on possibly better terms.”