AGY-3042 | Department of Building Materials (1947 - 1950) / Department of Secondary Industries and Building Materials (1950 - 1952)

Full description

Department of Building Materials was established on 6 June 1947. The Department was staffed the Director and the transfer of the entire staff from the former Building Materials Branch of the Department of Labour and Industry and Social Welfare and the timber distribution staff of the Forestry Commission . The new Department was created to exercise regulatory and inspection functions allocated to the State of New South Wales by the Building Operations and Building Materials Control Act 1946 (1) and related activities.

Building controls had been exercised under National Security (Building Operations) Regulations by the Commonwealth Government during World War II. These controls continued to be necessary in the post-war environment to ensure that State planning priorities (including the demands of population growth) were achieved and scarce resources were allocated equitably. The controls introduced by the Act included requiring consent for building operations except those exempted under the Act; (2) preventing architects, builders, contractors and engineers from commencing buildings which were unauthorised, and requiring them to conform to any conditions placed on the building authorisation. (3) Local Government powers to approve building applications were subject to the Act. (4) Consent was required to use bricks except for purposes defined by the Act. (5) Restrictions were placed on the supply of a range of other building materials (listed in Schedule two of the Act or subsequently proclaimed in the NSW Government Gazette) (6) Inspectors could visit building sites and places where building materials were manufactured, stored, sold or distributed and require the production of relevant records. (7)

A technical branch was established to stimulate and develop the various activities allied to the building industry, and to ensure the training of skilled tradesmen to enable the State’s housing program to be achieved. The branch also controlled all building materials such as bricks, cement products, and timber. The various branches which had combined to create the Department were operationally restricted to coastal districts while the new department's responsibilities covered the entire State. (8)

The activities of the Department from its inception showed substantial industrial development, particularly in the direction of rendering assistance to industry to increase production of urgently-required building materials. To provide this service and technical advice and assistance to manufactures a special section of the Department was created.

The Secondary Industries Division from the Department of Labour and Industry and Social Welfare was transferred to the Department on 4 November 1947 to co-ordinate activities necessary for the development of secondary industries. (9)

During 1949 local production of bricks, cement and fibrous plaster increased and the Department authorised the importation of some building materials in short supply. In the same year the Department publicised its role in assisting home builders to acquire scarce building materials which was met by a strong response from prospective builders. There was also effort to ensure equitable distribution of building materials in city and country areas. Administrative changes in 1948/49 included the establishment of a special section within the Building Control Branch to deal with housing permits and the amalgamation of the Special Industries and production branches. (10)

The activities of the Department were reviewed in September 1949 when controls on home and flat building operations were entirely lifted in all country areas of the State. (That is for all areas in the State apart from an area bounded by the Blue Mountains, Newcastle and Wollongong) This was followed in April 1950 by lifting all building controls in the country and allowing unrestricted home, school, hospital and church construction in the restricted area. Staff reductions followed the easing of building restrictions. Staff was rationalised in all branches but largest were in the Field Enquires and the Building Control Branch. In total, the staff was decreased from 201 in June 1949 to 116 employees on 30 June 1950. (11)

In 1950 the Department was re-named the Department of Secondary Industries and Building Materials. (12) This possibly reflected a change of emphasis in its role. Building and building material controls had decreased and the decentralisation task came to the fore. The Research and Development branch was formed to replace the former Statistical Section, and the Materials Section replaced the former Contractors Services Branch . (13)

On 24 June, 1952 Cabinet decided to remove controls on all building operations except the demolition of houses. It also lifted restrictions on building materials except steel, galvanised iron, roofing tiles, cement, wire and wire products, water gas and cast iron pipes. (14)

The Department was abolished on or about 20 August 1952 when the administration of the Building Operation and Building Materials Control Act was transferred to the Minister for Labour and Industry. (15) The Building Materials Branch was transferred to the Department of Labour and Industry and Social Welfare until the expiry of the Act on 30 September, 1952 (16) and the Secondary Industries Branch became the new Development Division of the Premier’s Department. (17)

FOOTNOTE

(1) Report of the Public Service Board for 1946/47, A.R. 1947/48, v.1, p.1064
(2) Building Operations and Building Materials Control Act, 1946 s. 5
(3) Ibis. s. 10-11
(4) Ibid. s. 15
(5) Ibid. s. 16-
(6) Ibid. s. 17 and Schedule Two
(7) Ibid. s. 15, 18
(8) Reports of the Public Service Board 1946/47 p. 46 and 1947/48 Op. Cit..
(9) Report of the Public Service Board for 1947/48, A.R. p. 28,
(10) Report of the Public Service Board for 1948/49, p. 30,
(11) Report of the Public Service Board for 1949/50, p.42
(12) Report of the Public Service Board for 1950/51 p. 41
(13) Loc. Cit.
(14) Report of the Public Service Board for 1951/52, p.46
(15) NSW Government Gazette 29 August, 1952 p. 3122.
(16) Report of the Public Service Board for 1952/53, p.40
(17) Ibid.