A new critical materials taskforce is being formed, partly in response to the Gib crisis. Photo / File
A new critical materials taskforce is being formed, partly in response to the Gib crisis. Photo / File
Building and Construction Minister Megan Woods has announced that a new critical materials taskforce is being formed, partly in response to the Gib crisis.
The taskforce will include sector leaders from the Government’s plasterboard investigation group, established in June.
But it will also incorporate experts covering smaller operations, design, consenting,products and procurement matters.
Woods said the focus would be on trying to maximise productivity and cushioning businesses from supply chain risks, giving guidance, data and information to help builders, designers and business owners.
“The taskforce will build on the successes of the plasterboard taskforce and use the valuable lessons learnt to be proactive and forward-looking, so we can identify emerging risks and respond as quickly as possible,” she said today.
Stewart Vaughan, Hamish McBeath and Marise Hurley at the new $400m Winstones Wallboard factory last month. Photo / Greg Bowker
Since January, there had been a 444 per cent rise in imported plasterboard, amounting to 4.6 million square metres of plasterboard and plaster-related products coming here up to October, enough to build more than 9000 homes, she said.
“Bringing together construction, building consent, and supply chain experts into a taskforce earlier this year showed how Government and the sector successfully worked together to troubleshoot plasterboard shortages quickly and pragmatically. We didn’t overcomplicate. Industry talked. We listened. It worked.
“While we can be optimistic about the opportunities for our economy, we also need to remain cautious. We know we are facing a period of global turmoil,” she said.
The Ministry of Building, Innovation and Employment will lead the critical materials and products work programme.
Woods will be kept updated about the programme, the taskforce’s meetings and actions via weekly MBIE reports.
Members of the new taskforce are Registered Master Builders chief executive David Kelly, Naylor Love chief executive Rick Herd, 2degrees founder Tex Edwards, Building Industry Federation chief executive Julien Leys, EBOSS managing director Matthew Duder, Certified Builders chief executive Malcolm Flemming, Auckland Council’s building control inspections manager Jeff Fahrensohn, Architectural Designers chief executive Keryn Davis, Te Kāhui Whaihanga New Zealand Institute of Architects chief executive Teena Hale and Kāinga Ora’s director of procurement and supplier management Andrea Morton.
When the Gib crisis reached crisis point during the winter, Woods formed a group to investigate and report on plasterboard issues which left many builders unable to secure supplies.
Fletcher Building’s 94 per cent share of New Zealand’s wallboard market via subsidiary Winstone Wallboards was cited in criticism about the situation.
But Fletcher chief executive Ross Taylor cited stockpiling as a partial cause of the shortage a few months ago.
Meanwhile, Fletcher’s Winstones Wallboards is advanced with its new $400m Tauranga Gib plant to replace its Felix St, Penrose factory.
The Herald reported this month that the new plasterboard manufacturing and distribution facility in the Bay of Plenty was planned to be fully operational next year but some key milestones are due to be reached soon.
A tour of the new factory and storage plant was led by building products chief executive for Fletcher Building Hamish McBeath, Winstone Wallboards’ programme lead Stewart Vaughan and Winstone’s general manager, David Thomas.
From the first week of this month, Winstone Wallboards would start turning on motors, moving equipment and bringing trucks down from Auckland loaded with gypsum, they said.
All that is in preparation for the plant’s operation from 2023 and well before ships loaded with gypsum from Australia start arriving at the Port of Tauranga.
McBeath said the factory was “three-quarters of the way” finished.
