Building and construction teams across the country have just a few days' worth of some Auckland-based products left, according to suppliers, and some key materials are already unavailable.
Last week the Ministry of Business Innovation and Employment (MBIE) gave seven-day exemptions to eight Auckland businesses that provide 'critical' products for residential housing construction, though a collective 99 workers only were allowed back to those businesses sites. Those Auckland suppliers with exemptions provide a range of steel roofing, cavity insulation, plasterboard, and gypsum paste. Nine applications were declined.
Leading up to the current COVID-19 lockdown, building sites were already waiting months for materials due to shipping and trucking pinch-points, combining with massive demand. This has led to regular price prices for building materials occurring, which the arrival of COVID-19 Delta has exacerbated.
