Support pledged on housing

Press, Volume CXIV, Issue 33480, 11 March 1974, Page 14

Support pledged on housing

from Our Own Reporter*

WELLINGTON.

The need for urgent action in the production of lower-cost homes for rental or purchase is admitted by the president of the Timber Merchants’ Federation (Mr G. R. Kear).

He has promised the full; support of the federation to the Minister of Housing (Mr; Fraser) in his attempt to close the housing gap. “We must accept the Min-; ister’s figures that there are! 14,000 names on the waiting! list for State houses, that' 4000 of these are urgent, and that another 4000 are close to that category.” Mr I Kear said.

"It must also be accepted that when he says (as he did to the Master Builders’ conference in Dunedin earlier this week) that a shift by the New Zealand industry of! one-sixth of its housing out-j put from higher-cost homes to lower-cost housing would' meet the most urgent need, this is no more than fact.

“Having read what Mr Fraser said in Dunedin, I do not regard his statement as a threat to the building industry or to anyone else. | “He has made it perfectly! clear that the Government is! prepared to negotiate large' design-and-build contracts with New Zealand builders if these are forthcoming, and that New Zealand builders will have a chance to tender before overseas firms are asked.

"The building industry, and the other industries which work with it, must get their priorities in order,” Mr Kear said.

“These priorities have been clearly set by the commission. the public need comes first, and the prime need is for lower-cost dwellings to house lower-income families.

"Our builders have been given adequate warning of what is required — the Minister is even prepared to : ‘bend’ the State house speci-' fications if required — but he himself is up against an.

inflexible barrier. He must produce those houses — on the ground and ready for occupation — thirteen months from now.

“My federation believes that, with the co-operation and understanding of all branches of the building industry, this target can be met, and we are prepared to' support the Minister in his! efforts to house New Zea-! landers on reasonable terms.”