NEW PROGRAMME

Wairarapa Times-Age, 26 May 1943, Page 3

NEW PROGRAMME

CONSTRUCTION OF STATE HOUSES 3,600 TO BE BUILT WITHIN TWELVE MONTHS. EX-SERVICE MEN TO GET PREFERENCE. (By Telegraph—Press Association.) WELLINGTON, This Day. A housing construction programme under which the Government aims at building 3600 State houses within the next 12 months was announced yesterday by the Prime Minister, Mr Fraser. This programme, ■which is to be put in hand immediately, is designed particularly to relievo the pressing needs of Wellington and Auckland. It was also the subject of a statement by the Minister of Works, Air Semple.

The Prime Minister said he was informed by Mr Semple that an immediate start would be made with construction of the houses to complete them as rapidly as possible within a maximum period of 12 months. As housing conditions were particularly acute in Wellington and Auckland, where the demand was very great, it had been decided to build 1200 units in each of those centres and to distribute the balance throughout the North and South Islands according to locality needs.

The plans recently approved by the Government provided for the completion of the first 100 houses both in Auckland and Wellington by July 1, and thereafter an increasing rate of output would be maintained. “Returned service men will definitely have 50 per cent preference in the allocation of all houses to be built,” said the Prime Minister. “If their needs are not met by this proportion the preference will be increased. The needs of returned service men are constantly in the minds of the Government and the necessity for properly housing these men and their families as soon as homes can be erected is fully appreciated.

“In fixing the number of houses to be built at 3600 it was considered that this would provide progressively for returned men and also for more urgent cases of civilians requiring homes. It was not suggested that the production of 300 homes a month, which was the number possible at the moment with the men and materials available, would fully meet the demand .but it was a good start.”

FACTOR OF DEFENCE WORKS. Mr Fraser said that due to the improved situation in the South Pacific and the fact that -the construction of certain defence works was not so urgent as previously, the Government had found it possible to inaugurate this new housing programme in spite of the colossal nature of the works in hand both for the United States forces and our own needs. If the situation in the Pacific became more threatening to New Zealand it might be necessary again to concentrate all our efforts on defence works, and in that case housing would be slowed up. Mr Semple said last evening that the proposals that had been indicated by the Prime Minister, though of large dimensions, could not even now occupy the major place in the country’s building activity. Many important military installations for both the United States and certain of our own forces were still under construction and contemplation, while a vast hospital scheme had to be undertaken. In addition essential buildings relating to the war effort would still have to be built. At the present time also a large part of the building industry was engaged upon the prefabrication of certain types of buildings for shipment overseas to New Zealand and Allied troops. These factors had been taken fully into consideration in the co-ordination of labour and materials.

The period of interruption in the construction of houses had by no means been wasted in respect to future housing schemes. Within the past twelve months the Government, the Housing Department, and the Rehabilitation Board had devoted considerable thought to the problem of housing the people, specially returned service men. As a result of data secured the Government was now in a position to build types of houses of a standard as high as any previously produced, but at the same time capable of speedier construction. LOCAL MANUFACTURES. A point of the greatest interest, added Mr Semple, was that since the outbreak of the war many new industries related to building construction had been started in the Dominion. It was now possible for .95 per cent of the materials used in New Zealand houses to be manufactured in the Dominion. The effect of this factor upon the economy of the country was of the greatest importance. As a result of constant experimenting over the years during which the Government had been engaged upon housing construction, it had now been found practicable to reduce the number of actual plans of a house, while at the same time securing a multiplicity of exterior designs. By virtue of this standard planning, it would now be possible to factory-cut many of the materials, thereby eliminating waste that was prevalent in all housing construction throughout the country. MANY SITES SECURED.

Mentioning that over 2,000 areas suitable for housing had been secured, the Minister said that after the delivery for occupation by the beginning of July of at least 100 houses both in Auckland and Wellington, < the rate thereafter- would continue to be 100 per month in these two centres, while a total of another 100 per month would also be completed in smaller centres and localities throughout New Zealand. In addition, provision had also been made for a proportion of private homes, for which labour would be made available.