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A crane removes debris from the Cathedral in Christchurch. - Source: Getty -
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Labour Leader Phil Goff is calling on the government to take immediate action to form an army of workers to rebuild the devastated Canterbury region
Goff says the government needs to ensure there are enough people with building, plumbing, plastering and drain-laying skills for the effort.
"This is a critical issue. It cannot be ignored. The government must act now to build an army of workers with the right mix of skills to rebuild the devastated Canterbury region, including the tens of thousands of homes, schools and businesses that have been destroyed or damaged," Goff said in a media release.
"If action is not taken, we will face a skills shortage in 12-18 months' time that will cripple the rebuild effort, cause significant delays and push up the cost of construction."
Prime Minister John Key said yesterday rebuilding Christchurch would be a key priority for the government this year.
"We will provide the necessary resources to make this happen over the coming weeks, months and years. It will be a long and complex task, which we will need to work through step by step. But one thing is certain. Christchurch, we will rebuild you," Key said.
Goff says the government needs to provide the industry with clear projections about the scale of construction work that will be needed and the skills required.
"It's important that rebuilding starts as quickly as possible to keep them and the local economy afloat."
He said boosting the number of skilled workers will also be necessary to meet the growing housing shortage in Auckland and the expected increased demand to repair leaky buildings.
He said lifting the cap on building trades students at institutions and promoting accelerated, intensive courses in building and construction trade training is crucial to void delays in meeting housing needs.
