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hard news
Did you know?
Did you know that Bahco invented the adjustable spanner, which formed the basis for the adjustable wrench?
Featured on our front cover, the 90 P series is no ordinary wrench.
It has a combination reversible jaw, which means you can remove the jam and reverse to use it as a pipe wrench.
The thermoplastic handle allows you to pick this up with your bare hands on a hot summer day (and vice-versa if it’s left out in the cold).
You can tell just by its look and feel this wrench means business.
Its one-piece, forged steel handle and other elements have been produced to exceed ISO standards.
It’s as tough as it is comfortable and easy to use.
Great angles, balance and movable jaw have all equally evolved to make this one of the best adjustable wrenches.
The smoothness and precision of the knurl is a standout, which comes back to the latest technology being used in the factory in Spain.
Hopefully, now you know all that, you’ll try one out yourself!
www.snaeurope.com
Home building products, costs and competition under scrutiny
THE GOVERNMENT HAS finally made good on its election promise and taken aim at residential building products, intending to get to the bottom of rising costs and “long-standing concerns about potential competition issues.”
As well we all know, the costs and therefore prices of many core building products have indeed been increasing, and their availability continues sub- optimal for a variety of reasons.
If proof were needed, CoreLogic’s Cordell Construction Cost Index (CCCI) has it that NZ construction cost growth rose from +4.5% in the 12 months to Q2 2021 to +5.5% in the 12 months to Q3, the fastest annual rate since Q1 2018.
Says CoreLogic: “Timber prices, particularly structural timber and cladding, have been a key contributor to overall cost increases. Metal costs and products have also been a factor in the increases.”
And there may be more inflation on the way, it says: “Cost pressures as shown by the CCCI may get worse before they get better. Indeed, anecdotal evidence suggests that the latest lockdowns will simply sustain the disruptions on supply chains and construction material costs.”
So the Government has charged the Commerce Commission to review the residential building supply market to ensure Kiwis “have access to fairly priced building materials.”
“We’re looking at how we can lay the foundations for a more competitive building sector,” says Minister of Commerce & Consumer Affairs David Clark, adding: “It’s clear a significant
portion of the costs associated with building residential housing is tied to building supplies...”
The industry’s definition of “significant” may differ from Minister Clark’s but,
be that as it may, the Commerce Commission is going to look into “any factors that may affect competition
for the supply or acquisition of key building supplies used to build the major components of residential buildings.”
By “major components,” the Commission means foundations, flooring, roof, walls, and insulation.
Other areas to be considered will include “the industry’s approach to key building supplies and how effectively competition is working within the industry, and where it may be able to be improved,” says the Commission.
“The broad terms of reference invite
us to look up and down the supply chain and across product lines, at the industry structure and nature of competition for key building supplies, at pricing practices or acquisition requirements that may impact on competition.”
The study will also seek out “anything that may be impeding new or innovative building supplies, such as ‘green’ building supplies or novel prefabricated products.”
The Commission will release a preliminary issues paper in December and consult on that, after which it will gather further information and engage with stakeholders early next year.
The Commission expects to release a draft report for consultation around July 2022 and its final report in December 2022.
https://comcom.govt.nz/
4 NZHJ | DECEMBER 2021/JANUARY 2022
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