Convenient Immorality: 21 December 2022

For anyone who likes to build their knowledge base, another study into the issues within NZ construction (link) plus the title of some really good reading if you want to google it (Mark Hinton’s PhD). It is good to see research going into the industry and its failures. I think the issues are multifaceted. For instance, as mentioned by someone else in the past few days, there is so much over charging going on. Whether it is due to shortages, material pricing, ‘rebates’, labour rates, loyalty programmes, labour rates being exorbitant as a risk mitigation (don’t really blame anyone as there have been huge blocks put in their way)…as I have full numbers for three builds, I can easily see the proportions/allocations…it isn’t just one ‘thing’. We all need to get better at doing residential construction. Developers to finance to trades to managers to suppliers to councils to processing. Everyone.

For a good summer read, the following can be found via a google search. Mark Hinton: CONVENIENT IMMORALITY: A SUBSTANTIVE THEORY OF COMPETITIVE PROCUREMENT IN THE NEW ZEALAND CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY(best to read from Chapter 5 as the front end is the methodology etc and is extremely ‘dry’).