Co-operation Between Builders And State Departments Encouraged

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 12, Issue 12, 13 January 1948, Page 4

Co-operation Between Builders And State Departments Encouraged

A notable example of fruitful cooperation between builders anxious to build houses for ex-servicemen and State Departments anxious to assist them achieve that purpose is to be found in the town of Levin, says a statement from the Rehabilitation Board. Reports from Levin received by the Rehabilitation Department show that builders there are keen to obtain rehabilitation-financed contracts, and the stage is said to have been reached where there are now few ex-servicemen in Levin with immediate building plans. Most of the others .have either had their houses built, are building them now or have their plans at an advanced stage. Builders in the Levin district have been very co-operative, it is reported. At a conference held between builders and sub-contractors on the one hand and representatives of the interested State Departments on the other, difficulties and objections were ironed out. Since then, it is stated, there was a considerable improvement in the position.

The Board states that it is anxious to ensure that there are the best possible working arrangements everywhere between builders and the rehabilitation organisation. It knows of other cases,, apart from Levin, where such full understanding has achieved the result that builders prefer working on rehabi-litation-financed contracts. It adds that the Department’s branches are encouraged to meet builders everywhere, as has been done in Levin, and it hopes that builders will in all cases be likewise interested.

Illustrating what has taken place in Levin, last year a builder there offered to build seven houses a year for ex-servicemen. Progress has been extremely satisfactory and his third house will be completed this month. Cost of building in Levin is being held at a satisfactory figure, the average cost to ex-servicemen being under-35/- a square foot. Materials and workmanship are stated to be of excellent quality.