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Summary of Votes under the Control of the Minister of Works and Proposed Ways and Means of raising the Necessary Funds, Year ending 31st March, 1948

HOUSING As already stated, housing generally has been in tlie forefront of the Government's activities over the past year, and, despite the many problems and difficulties encountered, a further 2,595 house units have been completed and handed over for occupation, thus alleviating still further the housing needs of the people. As at 31st March, 1947, 3,631 house units were in course of construction and a further 1,472 in the hands of contractors but not started. The short supply of nearly all kinds of building materials has necessitated the increasing use of alternatives and experiments in new methods of construction. Unfortunately, many of the materials for these alternative methods are themselves in short supply, and in order to assess the position accurately in regard to supplies a complete survey is being undertaken of all materials required to meet the building programme, both private and State building, during the current year in an endeavour to accelerate this most important work. Considerable progress has been made in the provision of houses and farm buildings for rural settlement of ex-servicemen. A total of 152 houses have so far been completed in addition to 323 farm buildings, while contracts have been let for a further 170 houses and 346 farm buildings. With a view to increasing timber-production the Ministry has undertaken the erection of prefabricated houses for timber-workers. It is anticipated that 1,200 of these houses will be provided within the next three years, and contracts involving the erection of 150 of these houses have already been let and further contracts are pending for an additional 150. When operations were resumed in the Hutt Valley at the beginning of 1944 we were faced with a £7,000,000 project representing the construction of 1,000 houses per annum over a period of four years. Depsite considerable difficulties, the programme is well up to schedule. Good progress is also being made with the Tamaki Scheme at Auckland, whilst the work at Mount Roskill, where large areas are being developed, is proceeding rapidly. In Christchurch development is proceeding satisfactorily in large blocks at Shirley and Bryndwr, whilst the large project at Corstorphine, in Dunedin, is being rapidly built up and completed.' Investigations are in hand for future development in the Dunedin metropolitan area. Similar work is progressing in the smaller towns and centres

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Vote. Loans. ' Consolidated Fund. Total. £ £ £ Railway-construction 145,000 145,000 Housing construction .. 7,482,000 7,482,000 Public buildings 1,600,000 250,000 1,850,000 Lighthouses and harbour-works 32,000 32,000 Roads, &c. 382,000 382,000 Soil conservation and rivers control 350,000 50,000 400,000 Irrigation, water-supply, and drainage .. 400,000 400,000 Highways construction 561,000 561,000 Highways maintenance 3,427,089 3,427,089 Maintenance of public works and services 5,184,885 5,184,885 10,952,000 8,911,974 19,863,974