POST-WAR HOUSING IN AUSTRALIA

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 87, Issue 61, 15 March 1943, Page 3

POST-WAR HOUSING IN AUSTRALIA

TEN-YEAR BUILDING PLAN COMMONWEALTH PROBLEMS Reed. 6 p.m. Canberra, March 13. Australia will be at least 250,000 houses short after the war, according to Professor Copland New Zea-land-born Commonwealth Prices Commissioner and economic consultant to Mr. J. Curtin. He declared that, even with a 10year building plan, it would be necessary to build 50,000 to 60,000 houses yearly, employing about IOU.OUO workers. The income expended would, in turn, bring other industries into activity, thereoy provoking employment lor about 300,000 workers, about onetenth of Australia’s total labour force. The central economic and social objectives to which Australia was committed alter the war, he said, were, firstly, to absorb men and women from the fighting services into civilian ocupation; secondly, to provide minimum standards ol food and housing for millions ot people in devastated areas; thirdly, to build up living standards within Australia; and fourthly to improve social services.

Price control would have to be a feature of the economic planning after the war, said Professor Copland. He advocated an extension of guaranteed prices for all primary produce and said a continuance in post-war years of price control for primary industries was necessary as part of an ordered plan of rural development.