China helps fill plasterboard shortage

Kiwi builders have been forced to look overseas to source desperately needed plasterboard as local retailers have run out of stock amid the national construction materials shortage.

A sales spokesperson for Trusus, a Beijing-based firm, said it had seen a significant increase in interest from buyers in New Zealand after builders were unable to source Gib board locally.

The Chinese company is able to export standard 1200mm x 2400mm plasterboard for about $21 per sheet, including manufacturing, shipping and taxes.

Because New Zealand has a free trade agreement with China, there are no duty costs imposed on plasterboard imports.

The Trusus spokesperson said its plasterboard had been verified to meet New Zealand building code standards and provided a test certificate from Swiss verification firm SGS.

However, the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment and Auckland Council were unable to verify the authenticity of the certificate, when asked by Stuff.

An Auckland Council spokesperson said the best way for a builder to ensure imported plasterboard could be approved for use was to get an appraisal from a New Zealand testing body which could provide a ‘‘product technical statement’’.

They said that due to shortages, it had seen an increase in ‘‘product substitutions’’, including replacements for Gib board.

‘‘A lot of substitution requests are assessed as ‘minor variations’ by building inspectors, however we have had instances where substituted products were noncompliant with Building Code requirements which resulted in costly deconstruction and time delays,’’ the spokesperson said.

Meanwhile, some builders have been paying about six times the retail price for Gib plasterboard on Trade Me.

Gib plasterboard, which is manufactured by Fletcher subsidiary Winstone Wallboards, was retailing for about $30 before trade discounts, prior to the shortage.

However, Fletcher Building subsidiary Placemakers appears to have removed its online listings for Gib board altogether.

A Fletcher spokesperson said it welcomed new competition in the form of imports.

This reporter’s role is Public Interest Journalism funded by NZ On Air