Affected by factors such as logistics delays and surge in demand, the supply of building materials in New Zealand was already in a hurry before the city was closed.
Nowadays, Delta strikes. Although the level of blockade in other areas has dropped, Auckland, as the country’s main logistics hub and a major supply center for many materials, still maintains Level 4 alert. Because of this, some projects in other areas are still late. Can't start construction too late.
Wellington architect Bruce Welsh believes that there is an unprecedented shortage of construction materials.
If you just chat with people in the industry, you will hear that wooden frames, plywood, engineered wooden beams, etc. have been out of stock. Cement will have to wait several weeks to arrive, and window joinery products may even have to wait several months.
Affected by shipping, container supply and transportation delays, imported materials will experience longer delays.
Well-known manufacturers’ exterior wall panels have to wait about 18 weeks. If you are lucky, you may be able to receive them on time.
Because they are not sure whether they can get the goods and the price of the goods, some major contractors have stopped quoting for work involving structural steel. Circuit components and white goods have to wait several months even if they are in stock.
Welsh said he was told that the price of some materials could fluctuate by 20% within a day.
Every day, people in the construction industry are experiencing material shortages, labor shortages, logistics delays, and various cost increases.
Some commentators called for increasing production in New Zealand to solve the dilemma of material shortages.