A mind shift will be needed in the construction industry to avoid a shortage of subcontractors and labourers in Queenstown, New Zealand Industry of Quantity Surveyors Conference committee chairman Mick Moffatt says.
The conference, which has attracted about 140 delegates from across New Zealand, began in Queenstown yesterday, with a major focus on Christchurch.
Included in the line-up of speakers yesterday were Dan Ashby, of Hawkins Construction, providing a contractor's view on challenges, opportunities, issues and trends in the New Zealand construction industry as Christchurch entered the rebuild phase, and BM Consulting director Warren Batchelar, outlining how the earthquakes had affected the industry and how it would affect future design trends.
Mr Moffatt told the Otago Daily Times the situation in Canterbury was of ''growing importance'' within the construction industry.
''It's [going to be] more dynamic in terms of how we look at the construction industry - it's probably going to go from a 'dog-eat-dog' environment to a more structured one; building relationships and finding different ways of resourcing staff.''
Over the last couple of months there had been signs of a shortage of builders in other centres because of the focus on Christchurch, but that effect had not yet been felt in Queenstown. However, it was likely within the next 12 months there would be ''some shortage in terms of subcontracting and a shortage of labourers'' in the resort.
''It's how we manage that.
''We don't want to rush into it either; we've got to get all the t's crossed and i's dotted - we don't want to end up like we did in the last bubble, where a lot of those builders ended up coming up with leaking issues.''
The conference continues today, with an update and open debate on the recent developments in case law and pending changes to the Construction Contracts Act 2002.
The key changes, to apply from November 1, were to broaden the definition of ''construction work'' to include design, engineering and quantity surveying; largely remove the distinction between residential and commercial contracts; and expand the adjudication and enforcement process to apply to non-monetary disputes.
Building and Construction Minister Maurice Williamson will close the conference this afternoon with his views on construction-related issues from the Beehive, before a gala dinner at Stoneridge Estate attended by former New Zealand cricketer Sir Richard Hadlee.
