Bamboo is a resource the construction industry could do more of, Gordon Jenkins has said. It is a topic that will be addressed at the upcoming Construction Industry Council conference at Warwick Fiji in early September.

Under the title Bamboo in Construction, the Fiji Bamboo Association Construction is expected to make a presentation at the council conference on September 9.

Bamboo has a market and is used in flooring.

Climate Change

“The construction sector stands to gain through initiatives implemented in the name of climate change,” Mr Jenkins said.

“It is a source of funding for future work,” he said.

“It’s not there now, but it is coming. Acceptance of climate change by others means work to us in the construction sector.”

Licensing Of Builders

Also on the list of topics that will be addressed at the conference is the concern over licensing of builders.

The council believes there is an apparent shortage of licenced builders.

“A lot of these guys are just hammer and chisel,” he said.

“It’s about being competent; it’s for the consumer. Here, there is no such thing as licensed builders; and that’s what we’re trying to do.”

“Half the workforce would not have a clue about how to set out a building.”

And an even bigger problem that has tainted the industry’s reputation is the fly by the night operators.

“They collect the money and run, after finishing 80 per cent of the work,” Mr Jenkins said.

That is not to say that the entire construction industry is riddled with the likes of such operators, he said. “At least 80 per cent to 90 per cent are all okay,” Mr Jenkins said.

“There might be 20 or 30 guys who are good at doing these things, but there will be that one guy that gives the whole lot a bad name.”

“We get a lot of calls about this. A development is no use unless it is 100 per cent done.”

“If investors are keen on furthering their interests in the construction sector, it is imperative that they do so with documentation at every stage,” he said.

“In the construction field, you don’t pay for construction until the work is done. “No, you wait until I can kick the tyres, before I can pay the car.

“In the same way, licensing will get rid of the fly-by-night operators.”

Human Resource

Fiji boasts a strong human resource, Mr Jenkins said.

“It’s the best resource we have,” he said. “You should always be willing to learn something new; it’s called progress.”

As Fiji loses more of its skilled workers to Australia and New Zealand, the local market is filled by labourers from Indonesia and Vietnam “because they are cheaper”, Mr Jenkins said.

“It all comes down to money at that point,” he said.

“A good carpenter is worth his weight in gold. Being a carpenter is more than just being able to pick up a hammer to bang a nail.”

Re-education is important at the Construction Industry Council.

“We want our people to get in there and learn; it’s the best thing you can do for yourself,” Mr Jenkins said.

The council’s three-day conference at Warwick Fiji will be held from September 8-10.

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