Building boom must be managed
Building sites can be a mess. Anyone who has worked on one or observed the manoeuvres of man and machine will have marvelled at how, more often than not, it all comes together. Tradespeople tripping over each other, contractors coming and going in a tidal shift of sometimes frenetic energy.
And in middle of it all, a project manager pulling the strings and riding the roster, massaging the egos of nervous owners and maintaining a clear focus on the end result.
Phil Twyford, Jenny Salesa and other associated ministers have all been spied at one time or another donning the hard hat and hi-vis vest, sometimes even with clipboard in hand, scurrying over and around various building sites. But no-one has owned the title of project manager or taken up the true challenge of pulling together disparate, conflicting parts of an industry seemingly at odds with itself and certainly the ambitions of a Government keen to build smaller, cheaper homes, and a sustainable construction sector.
This week the doors were thrown open to the first 18 Kiwibuild houses. That was a small step. A larger one was the announcement of an action plan to build a workforce, to find and train the 55,000 to 60,000 extra construction workers, tradies and contractors needed over the next five years.
It appears the Government has finally recognised the need to take ownership of a sector in which it is a major player, and of the many parts that make up the sum. It has recognised that each and all issues are joists supporting a large, complicated structure.
Without appropriate, targeted investment, industry will not change, but that investment is pointless if there are insufficient workers to turn word into deed, and training those workers relies on infrastructure, patience and short-term immigration.
Economic Development Minister David Parker will be a key component of that strategy. He’ll be in charge of the powerful lever of government procurement. Used well, it will give industry confidence to invest and change, whether that means through traditional hammer and nail or more prefabricated components put together in a factory. Probably both.
Ministers Willie Jackson, Chris Hipkins and Carmel Sepuloni will work within their ministries to promote, support and build industry-specific training hubs around the country. Given the issues facing our vocational training sector, this could also prove a shot in the arm for financially strapped polytechs struggling to build their own sustainable future.
Like those Kiwibuild homes, this will all take time, so short-term immigration changes will support those longer-term ambitions with a bit of foreign muscle.
Much of this has been applauded by unions and industry observers. Rightly so. But its success will hinge on who wields the clipboard, who coordinates the work of so many ministers and ministries, and who, potentially, carries the can if it fails. That person appears to be Salesa. It’s a big role. We wish her luck. She has competent and charismatic ministers around her, but if they are to get the job done, on budget and on time, they need a project manager with a clear vision, a sharp pen and a big, loud voice.