Hawke's Bay tradespeople: Supply issues could 'get worse and worse'

Paul Smith says he has learned to adapt with building material shortages. Photo / Warren Buckland

Tradespeople across the Hawke's Bay have raised serious concerns about supplies drying up during lockdown.

It comes as one major construction company predicts things "will get worse and worse" for supply shortages.

As the region entered alert level 3 on Wednesday, tradespeople were able to return to work.

Gemco Construction is a big employer in the Hawke's Bay, with 130 staff, and is in charge of major projects such as the Municipal Building redevelopment in Hastings.

Gemco managing director Darren Diack said they were back at work and were doing okay for now with materials.

"We are surviving at the moment because we had all the materials we had before we locked down.

"The big bang is going to be in a week or two weeks," he said.

"It will get worse and worse."

He said suppliers were having trouble sourcing goods from Auckland, as the city remains in alert level 4 with tougher restrictions, and that meant supplies may dry up in the coming weeks.

"Remember materials were already becoming a problem before lockdown. But this is making things worse," he said.

Gemco Construction is working on the redevelopment of the Municipal Building in Hastings.

"It was already bad, but now it is heading into a worse situation."

He said he hoped, like all trade industries, the Government would consider supporting better movement of supplies from Auckland during lockdown.

"I think the key is to keep your staff fully informed and keep your customers fully informed," he said. "We have very good communication channels."

Meanwhile, Master Plumbers Hawke's Bay Association president Kay Fennessy said local suppliers were able to offer click and collect during alert level 3, so picking up and ordering goods was not an issue for plumbing businesses.

However, Fennessy said the issue would crop up in a couple of weeks if suppliers could not provide goods stuck in warehouses in Auckland.

Fennessy, who is also the office manager for a local business Plumbers Hawke's Bay, said their company was okay for now and had enough stock to get them through next week.

She said after that things could become "diabolical".

Fennessey explained prior to this lockdown, much of the supply issues faced by businesses was coming from problems with international shipping supply.

A Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment spokeswoman said restrictions in place in Auckland were "about reducing the risk of further transmission in the community".

"We are aware of potential supply chain issues that arise from alert level 4 restrictions on building product manufacture. This is currently being worked through," she said.

"Having too many businesses operating during alert level 4 increases the odds of transmission with workers moving in an out of their home bubbles, connecting bubbles, and increasing the potential chain of infection.

"An alert level 4 business cannot produce non-essential products for delivery to alert level 3 regions."

Paul Smith, owner of Smith and Son Construction, a building company in Hawke's Bay, said he had learned to be flexible and deal with supply issues.

He said the industry had faced supply issues since the last lockdown.

"Lockdown came along [last year] and it gave us all a chance to adjust, and I think we were all a bit panicky last time because it was a new thing in the world.

"But we are all prepared for it this time and it's been a year of juggling stuff anyway [with supply issues] before this lockdown came."