SPEECH BY THE PRIME MINISTER
MR, EG. WHITLAM, M. P.,
TO OPEN THE AUSTRALIAN HOUSING STANDARDS CONFERENCE,
LAKESIDE INTERNATIONAL HOTELL, CANBERRA,
MONDAY 19 NOVEMBER, 10973
THOSE ACQUAINTED WITH MY PERSONAL FOIBLES WILL
KNOW HOW CLOSE TO MY HEART THE SUBJECT OF YOUR CONFERENCE
HAS ALWAYS BEEN. IN THE MORE MUNDANE MATTERS OF
STATESMANSHIP THERE WERE TWO PARTICULAR HOBBY-HORSES
THAT I RODE WITH GREAT ENERGY DURING MY YEARS IN
OPPOSITION. ONE WAS SEWERAGE; THE OTHER WAS UNIFORM
HOUSING STANDARDS. I REGRET TO SAY THAT MANY PEOPLE MADE
LIGHT OF THESE MATTERS. YET BOTH OF THEM WERE CRUCIAL,
IN THEIR DIF17[ 1RFNT WAYS, TO THE BASIC LIVING STANDARDS
OF THE AUSTRALIAN PEOPLE. THE BUILDING INDUSTRY IS STILL
HAMPERED BY A BEWILDERING VARIETY OF LEGAL CODES AND
STANDARDS. IAM THEREFORE DELIGHTED THAT YOU HAVE ASKED
ME TO OPEN THIS IMPORTANT CONFERENCE.$ TRUST THAT, IN
A SINGULAR AND PERHAPS UNSPECTACULAR WAY, IT WILL PROVE
TO BE ONE OF THE MOST FRUITFUL AND REWARDING INITIATIVES
my GOVERNMENT HAS TAKEN$ i / 2
2
THE AUSTRALIAN GOVERNMENT IS NOT ALONE IN ITS
PERCEPTION OF THE FOLLIES AND DANGERS OF CONFLICTING
STANDARDS AND OUTMODED PRACTICES IN ALL PARTS OF THE
COUNTRY AND ALL AREAS OF THE BUILDING INDUSTRY.
THE STATES HAVE COME GRADUALLY TO RECOGNISE THIS STATE
OF AFFAIRS. THE STERLING WORK THAT HAS RESULTED IN THE
AUSTRALIAN MODEL UNIFORM BUILDING CODE IS PROOF OF THIS,
AND I HOPE THAT CODE WILL SOON BE ADOPTED BY ALL STATES.
A FURTHER PROOF IS THE PRESENCE HERE TODAY OF THE MOST
REPRESENTATIVE GROUP OF PEOPLE IN THE HOUSING INDUSTRY
EVER GATHERED IN AUSTRALIA BUILDERS, ARCHITECTS,
PLANNERS, MATERIALS SUPPLIERS, UNIONISTS, ADMINISTRATORS,
ENGINEERS, SURVEYORS, CONTRACTORS, INSTITUTIONAL LENDERS
AND BUILDING CONTROLLERS. YOUR COLLECTIVE KNOWLEDGE AND
EXPERIENCE OF THE HOME BUILDING INDUSTRY IS UNRIVALLED.
THERE HAVE BEEN HOUSING SEMINARS AND FORUMS BEFORE,
BUT THIS CONFERENCE IS UNIQUE. YOU ARE NOT HERE SIMPLY TO
EXCHANGE VIEWS AND INFORMATION. YOU HAVE A VERY PRACTICAL
TASK BEFORE YOU. I HOPE THIS CONFERENCE WILL SUPERVISE
THE DEVELOPMENT OF NEW STANDARDS FOR HOUSING BASED ON
ORIGINAL RESEARCH; THAT . IT WILL DEVELOP MODERN, READILY
UNDERSTOOD NATIONAL HOME BUILDING REGULATIONS WHICH CAN BE
APPLIED AND ADMINISTERED BY LOCAL GOVERNMENT AUTHORITIES.
THAT IS YOUR CHALLENGE.
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I AM HEARTENED BY THE PRESENCE HERE OF REPRESENTATIVES
OF THE THREE TIERS OF GOVERNMENT, BECAUSE IT IS THE HOUSING
DEPARTMENTS IN THE STATES AND THE LOCAL GOVERNMENT
AUTHORITIES WHOSE FULL CO-OPERATION IS NEEDED. WE MUST
ENSURE THAT ANY NEW HOME BUILDING CODE IS A NATIONAL ONE,
A UNIVERSAL ONE, SO THAT INDUSTRY CAN OPERATE WITH THE
GREATEST EFFICIENCY AND ECONOMY, AND ORDINARY HOME BUYERS
CAN BENEFIT FROM REDUCTIONS' IN COST.
I HAVE REFERRED MANY TIMES TO THE NEED TO REDUCE
HOME BUILDING COSTS, BUT THE UNPALATABLE FACT IS THAT LATELY
WE HAVE SEEN INORDINATE INCREASES RATHER THAN REDUCTIONS.
PERHAPS THAT IS DUE TO OUR HIGH STANDARD OF LIVING AND
ADVANCING EXPECTATIONS. 14E ARE NEVER LIKELY TO SEE CHEAP
LABOUR AND CUT-THROAT COMPETITION AGAIN. WITH THE ADVENT
OF RELATIVELY FULL, AND I HOPE STABLE, EMPLOYMENT, AND THE
ADVANCE OF EDUCATION, THERE WILL BE A PROGRESSIVELY
DECLINING SUPPLY OF ON-SITE LABOUR, OF SEMI-SKILLED MEN
FOR BRICKYARDS AND TIMBER MILLS, ! IE MUST EXPECT A MORE
MECHANIZED ERA IN BUILDING LESS ON-SITE WORK AND MORE
FACTORY WORK IN WHICH GREATER UNIFORMITY AND
RATIONALISATION OF PROCEDURES AND PROCESSES WILL HELP
REDUCE COSTS. I AM TOLD THAT EVERY ONE PER CENT SAVING ( F
COSTS IN THE BUILDING INDUSTRY IS WORTH AT LEAST
MILLION A YEAR. / 4
I DO NOT HAVE TO TELL BUILDERS AND SUPPLIERS
HOW DIFFERING REGULATIONS AND STANDARDS ADD SIGNIFICANTLY
TO THEIR COSTS. THEY KNOW THIS. IT IS A SUBJECT THAT
YOUR CONFERENCE WILL EXPLORE. IT IS SUFFICIENT FOR ME TO
EMPHASISE THAT SUBSTANTIAL ECONOMIES IN HOME BUILDING CAN
BE ACHIEVED WITH THE KNOWLEDGE AT OUR COMMAND. THE
BENEFITS WILL BE FELT IN THE IMPROVEMENT OF THE QUALITY OF
LIFE FOR THE AUSTRALIAN COMMUNITY AS A WHOLE, AND NOT LEAST
FOR THOSE WITH PARTICULAR NEEDS THE ELDERLY, THE DISABLED,
ABORIGINESAND PEOPLE LIVING IN AREAS OF CLIMATIC EXTREMES.
THE AUSTRALIAN GOVERNMENT WHOLEHEARTEDLY SUPPORTS
THE OBJECTIVES OF THIS CONFERENCE. WE HAVE TAKEN THE
INITIATIVE BY ESTABLISHING AN EXPERT TECHNICAL TASK FORCE.
THIS TASK FORCE WILL INCLUDE ARCHITECTS, ENGINEERS,
QUANTITY SURVEYORS AND SOCIOLOGISTS, SUPPORTED BY TECHNICAL
AND ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICERS OF THE NEW COMBINED DEPARTMENT
OF HOUSING AND CONSTRUCTION.
THE MAIN OBJECTIVE OF THE TASK FORCE WILL BE TO
PREPARE A NUMBER OF GENERALLY ACCEPTABLE-MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS
FOR HOME BUILDING IN AUSTRALIA, EXPRESSED AS CLEARLY AND
SIMPLY AS POSSIBLE. LET ME EMPHASISE THAT UNIFORM HOUSING
STANDARDS NEED NOT MEAN UNIFORMITY IN STYLES. EACH AUSTRALIAN
CITY HAS A DISTINCTIVE ARCHITECTURE, AND IT IS CENTRAL TO OUR
PLANS FOR NEW AUSTRALIAN CITIES THAT AUSTRALIANS SHOULD HAVE
AN AUTHENTIC CHOICE OF LOCATIONS AND STYLES.
THE FORMULATION OF SUCH NATIONAL STANDARDS WILL INVOLVE
CLOSE CONSULTATION WITH THE STATES AND OTHER ORGANISATIONS
DIRECTLY CONCERNED. WE ARE LOOKING FOR CONSENSUS: WE
ARE NOT SEEKING TO ACCEPT A LOWEST AGREED DENOMINATOR.
WHERE NECESSARY, THE EXPERTS WILL UNDERTAKE FRESH RESEARCH
SO THAT DECISIONS CAN BE BASED ON SCIENTIFIC FINDINGS.
THE GOVERNMENT INTENDS THAT THE TASK FORCE WILL
PREPARE A SERIES OF SUPPLEMENTARY PUBLICATIONS AFTER
STUDYING CLIMATIC DIFFERENCES, DESIGN AND SITING,
SPATIAL RELATIONSHIPS AND FITMENTS WITHIN DWELLINGS.
THIS CONFERENMF AND ITS EXPERT COMMITTEESWILL PROVIDE
THE GUIDELINES THAT THE TASK FORCE WILL FOLLOW.
AT THE SAME TIME THE HOUSING INDUSTRY WILL BE ABLE TO
REVISE ITS THINKING IN OTHER DIRECTIONS, ESPECIALLY
IN ADOPTING NEW METRIC SIZES. AND REMEMBER ALWAYS THAT
HOUSING STANDARDS ARE NOT NEEDED MERELY TO ENSURE THAT
ONE COMPONENT FITS ANOTHER, BUT THAT MINIMUM STANDARDS
AND QUALITIES PREVAIL.
THE AIJSRALIAN GOVERNMENT HAS AN IMPORTANT
RESPONSIBILITY IN BOTH PUBLIC AND PRIVATE HOUSING, WE HAVE
DIRECT RESPONSIBILITY FOR GOVERNMENT HOUSING IN THE AUSTRALIAN
CAPITAL TERRITORY A~ D THC NOSYHERN TERRITORY. IF, HOWEVER,
WE CAN REDUCE THE COST OF HOUsING IN THE STATES BY RESEARCH,
BY DEVELOPMENT AND BY UNIFYING HOME BUILDING REGULATIONS, THE
TAXPAYER'S HOUSING DOLLAR CAN BE MADE TO GO FURTHER IN EACH
STATE'S WELFARE HOUSING PROGRAMS, / 6
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TO TAKE ONE PRACTICAL EXAMPLE, THERE IS CLEARLY
A NEED FOR UNIFORM HOUSING STANDARDS IN THE DEVELOPMENT
OF ALBIJRY-WODONGA. IMAGINE THE DIFFICULTIES CREATED
AND HIGH COSTS INCURRED IF THE DIFFERENCES IN REGULATORY
REQUIREMENTS WHICH NOW EXIST ON OPPOSITE SIDES OF THE
MURRAY ARE ALLOWED TO CONTINUE. THIS IS TRUE FOR OTHER
POPULATION CENTRES NEAR STATE BORDERS. WE WANT TO ENSURE
THAT A COMPANY PRODUCING COMPONENTS OR FITTINGS IN ToowooMBA
CAN HAVE A NATION-WIDE MARKET AND SELL ITS PRODUCTS IN
PERTH AND LAUNCESTON.
A NATIONAL CONFERENCE SUCH AS THIS CAN TAKE
INITIATIVES TO SECURE TI* IS. WITH CO-OPERATIVE EFFORT
AMONG PEOPLE OF MANY DISCIPLINES, GREAT ABILITIES AND
MUCH EXPERIENCE, I AM SURE THIS CONFERENCE CAN MAKE REAL
PROGRESS IN OVERCOMING THE URGENT PROBLEMS FACING THE HOME
BUIL. DING INDUSTRY. I WISH YOU SUCCESS. IT GIVES ME
GREAT PLEASURE TO DECLARE THIS INAUGURAL MEETING OF THE
AUSTRALIAN HOUSING STANDARDS CONFERENCE OPEN.