It’s common for tradies and builders to splash out on decent tools, because they know they’ll last longer, they’ll do the job more reliably, and they can get on and do the job.
Sure, they could go for the cheapest option and fork out for a replacement every time something breaks, but it’s a widely known fact; buying once, buying well, often provides far better value.
So, it was astonishing to hear our Finance Minister Nicola Willis wants to roll back progress to instill value in government spending in an effort to save a few bucks in the short term.
While the building industry drives for quality, the minister wants to buy her tools from Temu, and we’ll be paying for it for decades to come.
The school lunches debacle shows how lower costs can result in lower value. Now, the government plans to apply this approach to classrooms, hospitals, and other buildings, abandoning the Green Star certification requirement for government procurement. This certification helps ensure quality and sustainability, covering aspects like efficiency, indoor air quality and resilience to extreme weather.
Two decades ago, the Ministry for the Environment found that the marginal cost increase of sustainable building is repaid five to six times over 20 years through operating cost savings alone. That excludes higher property value, productivity, health benefits, and wider environmental, economic, and social benefits. If the government had adopted these standards earlier, it would have saved millions, enough to cover living wages for parliament staff with money to spare.
Government leadership is vital to transforming our industry, and we believe they need to prepare businesses to meet global demand for better buildings. Thanks to all those who have been in touch with messages of support since the announcement. We are putting together a strong submission which we’ll be sharing in the coming days. If you have thoughts or would like to add your organisation’s voice to the submission – please get in touch.
While the political climate swims against the current of change, there remains growing support and effort from the private sector. Thanks to all those doing the mahi and driving better buildings. To support further efforts, this month we’re thrilled to have launched alongside EECA and DLA Piper our second Performance Leasing Guide – a hands-on guide to collaborating with tenants and landlords to embed sustainability and performance into leasing agreements. It includes ready-made clauses, and a fantastic starting point for those conversations.
I’m also getting more and more excited for our upcoming Housing Summit which is really taking shape with some outstanding speakers and sessions filling the programme. There’s always tremendous value in sharing, collaborating, and learning from one another, and the summit provides that in spades. Make sure you get in before early bird ticket prices end on 31 March.
One of the (many) great things about our sector is the opportunity we have to shape communities, to improve lives, and create a better future. There’s immense value in what we do, and it’s vital we seize that.