WELLINGTON, Nov 24 (NNN-XINHUA) – A New Zealand official, in charge of the construction industry, today warned of more materials shortages and “headwinds” in the future, due to a period of global turmoil.
The New Zealand government has set up a new taskforce, to help the building and construction industry deal with supply chain risks, which have caused delivery delays nationwide over the past few years, said Minister of Building and Construction, Megan Woods.
The Critical Materials Taskforce will bring together industry experts, to watch for supply chain risks in the industry. This includes sector leaders from the government’s Plasterboard Taskforce, set up in June, 2022, and has been reshaped to incorporate experts covering smaller operations, design, consenting, products and procurement, Woods said.
The new entity “can identify emerging risks and respond as quickly as possible,” she said.
Between Jan and Oct, 2022, there was a 444 percent increase in the amount of plasterboard imported into New Zealand, and a total of 4.6 million square metres of plasterboard and plaster-related products were imported into the country during this period, enough to build more than 9,000 homes, the minister said.– NNN-XINHUA
