Builders get plasterboard boost

Plasterboard suppliers received a boost in August when more than half-a-million square metres of plasterboard hit Kiwi shores

In the month ending August 2022, more than 670,000m² of plasterboard and related product worth $3.2m was imported into the country, according to data provided to Under Construction from the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE).

This followed a significant boost in July, when materials worth $2.5m were brought into New Zealand – which works out as more than 530,000m² of plasterboard and related products.

What’s more, New Zealand is continuing to import plasterboard at pace. Figures obtained by Under Construction from MBIE show that in the week ending 11 September 2022, 400,000 m² passed through customs. 

The influx came after MBIE released updated guidance on plasterboard substitutions in June, the same month the Government also formed a taskforce to help resolve the plasterboard shortage.

More plasterboard in NZ

Dr Megan Woods, Building and Construction Minister, said that good progress is being made.

“Bringing together construction, building consent, and supply chain experts in a taskforce to look at how to get more plasterboard into the hands of builders has been an excellent way for ramping up progress on actions that were underway and to test new initiatives.”

As part of a measure to combat the shortage, four alternative plasterboard brands were listed as alternatives to GIB for use as structural bracing: Elephant Board and USG Boral were announced in June, followed by ProRoc and SaveBOARD in July.

Woods added that there are four new importers of plasterboard in the game and that, between them, brought in enough product for hundreds of homes.

“There are now 12 importers of plasterboard – four of them new – and about 100 containers holding approximately 220,000m² of plasterboard – enough for about 440 houses – have been shipped to New Zealand.”

Have imports arrived too late?

Woods cautioned that it would take some time before more product is available to tradies via merchants, but those on the ground have suggested it’s already on site.

Auckland Council’s inspection manager Jeff Farensohn told Interest that wait times for plasterboard are down, along with interest in substitutions.

Sentinel Homes general manager Guy Richardson agreed, telling Under Construction that shortages were easing. However, he says the approval of substitute products came too late.

“When we needed an alternative to GIB, it wasn’t readily available. Now that alternatives are, we don’t really need them as wait times for GIB are down. Anecdotally, I have also heard of GIB being available off the shelf in merchant stores currently.”

Richardson added that getting installers to use a new product is “challenging”.

“Installers want to use what they are familiar with. In fact, a multi-national competitor to GIB (who pulled out of NZ during Covid) went so far as to send ‘trainers’ around the country trying to educate installers on using the new product.”

The need for imported product will subside in the medium term, added Richardson, who also sounded a warning for those who think importing plasterboard is a cure-all: “I’m pretty confident the real cost of storing, distributing and using imported product will be more expensive than GIB manufactured in NZ in the long run.”