Timber industry ready to contribute to home building catch-up
The timber industry believes the government’s announced boost to home construction, through a Housing Infrastructure
Fund, needs to have a timber focus.
Woodco chair, Brian Stanley, says the volume of housing resulting from Prime Minister John Key’s announcement during the
weekend can only be achieved through giving priority to timber construction.
“If we want that many houses to be built quickly, properly, and with sustainable materials, timber is the way to go.
This is even more the case with the medium rise and high density dwelling construction which will be important in
Auckland,” Brian Stanley says.
“Timber generally is available, builders like it and are used to using it. It’s affordable and it’s light. Modern timber
technology gives great thermal retention and earthquake resistant qualities.”
“A not insignificant factor is that using timber for construction is environmentally beneficial, since wooden buildings
continue to lock up the carbon the trees have absorbed from the atmosphere in the first place.”
Brian Stanley says the scale and speed of house construction likely to result from the government initiative means
builders in the targeted centres will want to work with materials and methods which have been well tested and are known
to be reliable.
“Timber ticks all the boxes and our industry is keen to talk with anyone in the construction business, architects,
central and local government about how we might get on with the job.”
ENDS