VIRTUAL ABOLITION OF N.S.W. HOME BUILDING LIMITS

Greymouth Evening Star, 5 October 1949, Page 9

VIRTUAL ABOLITION OF N.S.W. HOME BUILDING LIMITS

AUCKLAND, October 4 (P.A.).— “Realising that continued restrictions on housing are now unnecessary and are out of step with public opinion, the New South Wales Government has virtually abolished building control on housing,” said Mr P. C. Savory, immediate past president, of the Auckland Master Builders’ Association, on his return to Auckland by the Monowai today after attending a conference of the Australian Builders’ Federation at Brisbane. Mr Savory represented the New, Zealand Builders’ Federation. “In New Zealand the maximum floor space for a family of up to two children is 1300 square feet but m New South Wales the same family can build to 1600 square feet,” said Mr Savory. “Even more space is permitted in Victoria if a section is particularly valuable. Builders in Australia feel as we do in New Zealand that the amount of material and manpower likely to be saved by the remaining housing controls does not warrant the expense of administering them. The shortage of materials in all Australian States is practically identical with that affecting the building industry in New Zealand. “Australian builders are now placing orders with English and European export houses for reinforcing steel, cement, and general hardware. They are very disappointed with the alteration by New Zealand last year of the exchange rate. It virtually killed the importation of a vast quantity of New Zealand pinus timber. This is regrettable as the almost limitless stand of timber now ready to be cut would have been the means of balancing our adverse trade balance with the Commonwealth and would at the same time have provided Australia with much-needed building material.”