A social housing developer's leading a revolt against Fletcher Building's effective monopoly on plaster board supplies that's brought some construction companies to their knees.
Simplicity Living has essentially fired Fletchers, cancelling all its GIB board orders. Instead it's importing approved plasterboard from Thailand to be used in 550 new homes in Auckland.
It's estimated Fletcher's controls 94 percent of the plasterboard market and at the moment demands outstripping supply - forcing prices up and delaying completion of some homes.
Simplicity says there's a cost of building crisis and Fletcher's is making it worse. Its the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment's job to help the construction sector lift its performance and basically cut red tape.
Its General Manager Building System Performance John Sneyd talks to Lisa Owen.
