Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk said quality overseas products, including plasterboard, cladding systems, external doors and windows, have been given the green light for use in New Zealand construction projects.
“Our Government is laser focused on economic growth, which drives more jobs and increasing wages. We want to see a construction boom, and this is an important step,” Penk said.
He said it is currently 50 percent more expensive to build a standalone home in New Zealand than in Australia, calling that “frankly outrageous.”
“These changes have the potential to reduce total building costs by thousands of dollars when building a home.”
Penk pointed to the cost of plasterboard as a clear example of market failure. “Kiwis pay around 38 percent more than Australia, 47 percent more than the UK, and 67 percent more than the US for the same products.”
He said 97 percent of the plasterboard currently used in New Zealand is made by one company.
“In 2022, when that company ran into difficulty, prices soared. Some builders paid up to six times the normal price just to finish the job. That changes tomorrow.”
Penk said many high-quality products from overseas have been tested against international standards, but could not be used in New Zealand due to local regulatory hurdles.
“From tomorrow it will be much easier to use plasterboard manufactured in New Zealand, Australia, the UK, Europe and the United States,” he said.
“This Government is serious about lowering the cost of building and helping Kiwis into homes faster.”
The first version of the Building Product Specifications document will be released tomorrow. It will list accepted international standards for plasterboard, cladding, windows and external doors.
Penk said additional approval pathways will be introduced later this year, including the Australian Watermark scheme, which will enable access to over 200,000 plumbing products.
“This is just the beginning of our work to open the door to more building products, lower the cost of homes, and turbocharge the construction sector. There will be more to come.”
Broadcaster Chris Lynch is an award winning journalist who also produces Christchurch news and video content for domestic and international companies. This article was originally published by Chris Lynch Media and is published here with kind permission.
He said it is currently 50 percent more expensive to build a standalone home in New Zealand than in Australia, calling that “frankly outrageous.”
“These changes have the potential to reduce total building costs by thousands of dollars when building a home.”
Penk pointed to the cost of plasterboard as a clear example of market failure. “Kiwis pay around 38 percent more than Australia, 47 percent more than the UK, and 67 percent more than the US for the same products.”
He said 97 percent of the plasterboard currently used in New Zealand is made by one company.
“In 2022, when that company ran into difficulty, prices soared. Some builders paid up to six times the normal price just to finish the job. That changes tomorrow.”
Penk said many high-quality products from overseas have been tested against international standards, but could not be used in New Zealand due to local regulatory hurdles.
“From tomorrow it will be much easier to use plasterboard manufactured in New Zealand, Australia, the UK, Europe and the United States,” he said.
“This Government is serious about lowering the cost of building and helping Kiwis into homes faster.”
The first version of the Building Product Specifications document will be released tomorrow. It will list accepted international standards for plasterboard, cladding, windows and external doors.
Penk said additional approval pathways will be introduced later this year, including the Australian Watermark scheme, which will enable access to over 200,000 plumbing products.
“This is just the beginning of our work to open the door to more building products, lower the cost of homes, and turbocharge the construction sector. There will be more to come.”
Broadcaster Chris Lynch is an award winning journalist who also produces Christchurch news and video content for domestic and international companies. This article was originally published by Chris Lynch Media and is published here with kind permission.
2 comments:
Do the government really think this will be passed on to the end user?
Great, bring it on. Fed up with paying over the odds for products you can get in other countries for far cheaper, pvc double glazed windows and doors in this country are eye watering expensive.Competition in the building products industry is sorely needed.
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