PNG seen as dumping ground

A construction firm has described Papua New Guinea as a “dumping ground” for all products ranging from electronic goods, clothing, food and housing.
Rhodes PNG Ltd’s co-founder and director Andrew Avenell believes that his industry can help mitigate building and selling of sub-standard homes.
He said one way to prevent more of these types of houses coming on the market was to reduce the demand for them through educating the house-buying public.
In a statement, Avenell said: “PNG currently has a relatively unsophisticated house-buying market, with many buyers being the first generation in their family to take out a bank loan to purchase a modern, or Western-style, house.
“People need to be aware that sub-standard homes are on the market and they also need to know how to avoid them. “
“The advice Rhodes is giving people is to do their homework, shop around, and ask lots of questions.
“People have the right to insist on quality and most importantly, ask for evidence of quality.
“For example, customers can ask builders and building product suppliers to show them mill certificates to prove that the steel they’re using is high quality galvanised steel as opposed to low carbon and therefore low-quality steel.
“Likewise, they can demand evidence of Australian Standard (or equivalent) building products and fit-out materials.
“If the builder can’t or won’t produce the evidence then it’s a reasonable indicator that something is amiss and that the quality of the building is potentially suspect.”
The company is advising house buyers that their home will last longer if they framed it with steel rather than wood.
Avenell said most people don’t stop to think of the difference between “termite-resistant” and “termite-proof”.
Steel is termite proof but timber is not.
“A significant consideration when it comes to buying a house is obviously affordability,” Avenell said.
“Advances in technology have resulted in more-affordable building materials and building techniques such as prefabricated builds, and therefore, lower-priced homes.
“However, there are factors to consider other than just what’s on the price tag.
“It’s not only the initial deposit plus regular mortgage payments that people need to be able to afford but also insurance, maintenance, electricity, and water. “