Shortage Of Materials Is Still The Hurdle

Chronicle (Levin), 23 September 1949, Page 5

Shortage Of Materials Is Still The Hurdle

(N.Z.P.A.—

-Reuter.

Copjjriont) • . 1

Received Thursday, 7 p.m. , |. SYDNEY", Sept. 22. j;, The abandonment of land saies eoii- f.'i trqLthrphglWhf Austraila p frqnx -yes; • I terday apid thg • easing of vestrictions |* on home building in New Sputh'Wales |, are not expected to have an ixumediate I effect on the rate of buildingi 0 v iQ | pyerpqme the slxortagfi of yesi4ep.cee, . I Mgster bixilders sgy thgt the .deterigmr S ing factor in hou^ixrg constrq.ation' is I, still the availability pf materials. . " 1 8 The fact that essential materials |' are unobtaingble es.cept after a long . j wait is eyidan.ced by thev .B»IPberi of pax'tially epijxpleted homes»- Rprupyal . y of 'jand paleq controjt has ha4 fte jffecf ; of stoppxng a flourishing black- inayket "fW in land. " Some land 'agejxts freely 1 admxt that under controls- land owxxers t would not .consider a sale . Uftlesa a , | ' ' settlement ' ' topk place betxy;ee4' tjxo | buyer and seller befoie.tlie oflicxaL price 1 was paid. J ' •; - • ' " . • "v ^ 4' : I

The Federal Gov.ernment- regu.latipns.v- 1 controlling land saies ended . yestefd.iyj'y 1 bijt both . Vie'toriaj.'and,- Nexp -Spd.tH * I Wales ' tPolt ' independent , action 8 then. In New Sputli .- Wales-. alU.coji-G | trols 'were lifted' as fi'oxxt Septpmb.ef i'.j ; I The.'Vict'prian; Gabinet deM,ded^;:li|rl^ 4 1 •gS June. 27 fh ;renxoye all >ixnilar cpijtrols expept tlxose on countfy Jafid., In - bpth these : Stat.es,, saies ' after thi..; abauidonment" pf tfre * confrols .shpwed ; sonip hesjt'atioxx,. followed" by -a 'Steady j rise iix' values, jxxxtil -. the - prj.pes bf iavejf ' age building land settjed dP'.xyjf midw^^ ' betw.een'the control and blaeh . nxarkef y levels. ' ■"■. . j * New South Wales, , Tyhieh.' ; allows thp- buildiug- Pf houses up tq 1600 square feet without n p'ermit.'.in : city areas,' apd'^'hieh has abolislxed' .all' f ! restrictions in coi/ntry "diPtr|cts>.-thgre: •, J is still txght control on. the' issue xrf j building materials. In ■; other ,. Statph j pernjits. must b.e obtained for all ho.uses 7 j oyer 1250 square feet? -The e%*ct .of i 1 the easiug in New South Wales has 'wt become apparent yet, because ..shQrtages of matorial haye eut down the number : j of large dwellingS conteiixplaea. V , • " | Buildprs, contrnctors, ajxd housing j experts unanimously attack a state- 1 ] ment issucd by New Soutlx AYales Mitt- | isters tlxafc the easing of the bixilding j controls was made possible by out' j standing px'ogress in the supply . cf ■ : building materials. ■ ■ I

According to one housing authority ; | who made a survey this week, builders in the Sydixey area must wai! for mina tp sixte'en. monfhs for bricks, seven to, eleven xuonths -for tiles, * gnd thfee-to , . four months for galvanised iroxx- pro-. ( dpcts. He and others produced figirres . tp show that the position brqught about by the '-ppal strike , is . no^' inhnifely worse than , it was 12 hi.Qn.ths' .. ugo. 1 . Wlxile admitting tlxat fhe use of rnimigr.ants in the building material indusr, . tries Has helped, builders claim that , otHer factors nullify this gaim • .-Tw increased cost Pf land, rising Jnbour ; cpsts due to long waits for materi.alsy and necessity for importing spme i'tems ■ from pvprseas'cppibine to place ' •.th® ownership of a new house out' of reach, ' of the worjdng man- ' ' Rut it fhi's way,'' sgid pne authority? "The Qpyernment says "you can build ndw^4-hnt. e you can't get materials hud y.bU h.aven't mpney enough to pay for tHose , tjiat are available. YTou still dpn't get your hpuse. "