PREFABRICATED HOMES

Otago Daily Times, Issue 27212, 15 October 1949, Page 7

PREFABRICATED HOMES

Commonwealth To Subsidise Imports Overcoming Acute Shortage NZPA—Copyright Rec. 3 p.m. CANBERRA, Oct. 14. , To help overcome the acute housing shortage the Commonwealth Government will subsidise the importation of 10,000 prefabricated homes by £3OO each. Announcing this, the Prime Minister, Mr Chifley, said that the Commonwealth’s contribution would be by way of waiving duty and paying freight charges. The twin objects of the scheme 'would be to accommodate more workers in areas producing coal, steel and other basic materials and to house the increasing stream of migrants. The terms of the Government’s offer are: First, that only prefabricated houses approved by the Commonwealth or ordered by State housing authorities are included; secondly, that the Commonwealth contribution must not reduce the cost of the unit to less than the cost of the traditionally-built dwelling of similar accommodation: thirdly, houses must be primarily for areas producing basic materials and. fourthly, preference in allocation must be given to workers needed for the production of basic materials. Otherwise the allocation will be on a needs basis agreed upon between the Commonwealth and the States.

A report on the structural soundness and durability of each type of house is in the process of preparation. Nearly 60,000 dwellings were begun in Australia and over 52,500 were completed in the last financial year.