PROVISION OF HOUSING

Press, Volume XC, Issue 27395, 7 July 1954, Page 13

PROVISION OF HOUSING

MINISTER REVIEWS CAMPAIGN

GREATER EFFORTS URGED ON LOCAL BODIES (New Zealand Press Association) WELLINGTON, July 6. The Minister of Housing (Mr W. Sullivan) today said he believed that the housing problem could be mastered within the next few years. The Minister told the National Party’s annual conference of the Government’s efforts, but called on local authorities to take their share of the responsibility by encouraging building in well-serviced areas. Mr Sullivan said he was receiving the greatest possible support from his colleagues and the Prime Minister (Mr Holland) in trying to correct a situation that. had been created over a period of years. Ever-increasing supplies were being made available so that the building industry would be short of nothing, and steps were being taken to try to correct the labour situation. New methods of planning and new techniques of construction were needed inside the building industry throughout the country, he said. “I believe, too, that we want more drive and initiative from inside the building industry, and with all respect to those in the industry. I feel that a habit has developed in New Zealand where builders have become dependent on thg State to find the work for them,” said Mr Sullivan. Whatever criticism the Opposition might make to the Government, it was building 1000 more homes a year than the Labour Government, he said. In the coming year, he expected that the housing figures would eclipse the record figures for last year. At present, <3 houses were being completed every working day, five days a week, but he believed this rate of progress could be stepped up. The Government was making available £11,000,000 for housing this year; the State Advances Corporation would probably advance about £12,000,000 c D 9 d nnn nSj, her departments about and insurance offices and building societies would advance another *10.000,000, making £35,000,000 available for housing in 1954-55, said Mr Sullivan. This was more than had •ever been spent before. Group Building The Minister said he thought that, under the group housing schemes, builders could increase their output hy a third. Already, within seven or eight months, 3500 houses had been built under this scheme. All the houses erected by the builders had been sold by the builders, and the Government so far had not needed to take over any. The Minister mentioned the Government’s plans to build flats in the main centres for sale on a share basis. Then there was the scheme for the sale of' partly-finished houses, and he was pleased that tenders of less than £2OOO a house had been received for such work, he said. “It is the Government’s duty to cater for the man on the lower-income bracket, the person who wants a house for £2BOO, including the land,” said the Minister. If anybody wants some- ;™? g _2y er at ’ *? en it>s U P to him to

iook alter nimseii. More was being done to help people bridge the gap” when trying to finance a home, the Minister said. A total of 13,000 purchasers had benefited from the suspensory loan scheme last year, and the State Advances Corporation had advanced about £2,500,000. For new homes, the State Advances Corporation had advanced last year £8,000,000. In all, the department had satisfied 8000 borrowers last year. The labour force of the building trade had increased in two years by 8390 to the latest figure of 50,660, and apprenticeship figures had increased spectacularly from 1394 in 1952 to 6483 at March this year, said the Min-

The amount spent on building of all types during 1953 was £61,000,000, compared with £27,000,000 in 1947. This was some indication of the amount of building throughout the country at present, said Mr Sullivan.