‘Sub-standard’ housing

Press, 15 March 1979, Page 16

‘Sub-standard’ housing

PA Hamilton Many New Zealand families were living in substandard conditions because of the Government's failure to control the economy, said the president of the Master Builders’ Federation (Mr D. Paterson) at the federation’s conference. “Repayments are beyond their resources and inflation has destroyed their chance to accumulate the necessary deoosit,” said Mr Paterson. Six years ago the building industry was asked by the Government to expand from 20.000 to 40.000 houses a year. This year the industry was being asked to build “enough to satisfy the demand.”

But in the last six years interest rates had risen to a record level largely as a result of Government failure to control the economy. “As a consequence, many families are living in sub-standard accommodation, with no prospect of improving their conditions.” Mr Paterson was “fearful for the future of the industry because of the actions of certain unions." The Bank of New Zealand building site in Wellington and the Mangere Bridge site were the exceptions in a year of generally reasonable and constructive dealing with the unions, he said. The bank was a classic case of one part of the in-

dustry ensuring there would be no demand for its services, he said. The main Government buildings in Wellington would be redesigned as a result of the action. “Workers associated with structural steel frames can be assured that clients will go to extreme lengths to avoid requiring their services,” said Mr Paterson. On the Mangere Bridge site, a small but militant group had refused generous offers by employers, and turned deaf ears to the advice of responsible union executives. “One is forced to ask the purpose of these strikes,” he said.