SUPPLY IS IMPROVING OF CONSTRUCTION MATERIALS IN DEMAND

Wanganui Chronicle, 3 October 1947, Page 6

SUPPLY IS IMPROVING OF CONSTRUCTION MATERIALS IN DEMAND

(P.A.- Wellington, Oct. 2. Some improvement in the supply of construction materials could be expected during the coming year, and a substantial improvement might follow in the second year as a result of steps being taken to improve production and transport, said the Commissioner of Works (Mr. E. R. McKillop) today. Mr. McKillop said that if there was manpower to tackle the work immediately ahead, the cement demand would reach 400,000 tons, but New Zealand could not use more than 300,000 tons. Even this figure could not be reached, because, though the capacity of New Zealand plants was 315,000 tons, transport, plant and coal problems would reduce production to about 200,000 tons.

Brick production of 18,000,000 would meet only half the demand and though the timber production never had been higher at an estimated 345,000,000 super feet, this would be well below the year's demand for 418,000,000 super feet. Transport was the main difficulty in the North Island, and deliveries from the south to the north were only about one-seventh of normal.

New Zealand needed 50,000 tons of structural reinforcing steel this year, but only half that tonnage is likely to be available, mainly from Australia, providing there are shipping facilities.

Even though production was spasmodic the prospect was that the full demand of 60,000,000 square feet of wallboards would be met.

Importations from Britain of sanitary earthenware were unlikely to be increased. The demand was for 56,000 pieces, and the estimated supply was 39,000 and with a local production of 18,000 reasonable quality pieces. Production of second-grade articles was much too high in proportion to firstgrade, added Mr. McKillop. In roofing materials the production of cement and earthenware tiles had shown most advance, and was increasing rapidly, but there was a shortage of 2,000,000 square yards of asoestos, cement roofing and of corrugated iron, of which only 2000 to 3000 tons were expected, leaving a gap of 18,000 tons.