BUILDING PERMITS

Evening Post, Volume CXL, Issue 118, 15 November 1945, Page 8

BUILDING PERMITS

CONTROL MUST STAY

SHORTAGE OF MATERIALS

An indication that the issue of building permits must be controlled for some time was given today by the Minister of Works (Mr. Semple), who said the demand for building of all types was at present far in excess of the productive capacity of the building industry with the labour and material resources available. Insufficient materials, particularly timber, were available to maintain the existing labour force in the industry at full production on the most essential classes of work on an economical basis, said the Minister. Even with adequate supplies of building materials there was no doubt that the demand for buildings would continue to be in excess of the industry's capacity for some years to come.

"It is the Government's policy," said Mr. Semple, "to revoke the many wartime regulations as early as possible and already many controls have been relaxed, including some affecting the sale, distribution, and use of building materials. Certain controls still remain, however, including those affecting the isue of building permits, and it appears that at least this measure of control must remain for some time."

The Minister continued that while he was reluctant to announce the necessity of certain measures of building control being continued, he had decided that the public were justified in expecting a fair measure of cooperation from the State during the present difficult period, and accordingly the more information that could be made available in respect to the operation of the control the less irksome the restrictions would be.

In that connection, therefore, he had instructed that a sjmple pamphlet should be prepared for distribution amongst local authorities, architects, builders, contractors, and material suppliers, setting out the present basis of building control and brief notes on the procedure to be-adopted in applying for building permits. Such a pamphlet had now been printed and would be distributed by the Building Controller soon.