Master Builders Victoria (MBV) will be hosting the Treasurer of Victoria, Tim Pallas, in a forum on Tuesday 28 September to update the industry on the current situation with key supply shortages impacting the building and construction sector.

The Treasurer will be joined in the online discussion by the Commissioner for Better Regulation and Red Tape Commissioner, Anna Cronin, along with industry representatives including builders, retailers, and suppliers.

MBV CEO Rebecca Casson said the forum was a timely opportunity for the industry to come together for a supply chain update and to discuss and share potential solutions.

“Our industry’s supply chain challenges have been present for many months and have had significant impacts on Victorian builders of all sizes,” she said.

“As we continue to work collaboratively towards a solution to our current shutdowns, lockdowns and reopening, these supply chain issues will not resolve themselves, so we are hopeful that this forum can produce some tangible suggestions for both short, and longer, term solutions.”

Tuesday’s forum will be held against the backdrop of the Federal Government’s announcement this week that more than $15 million in Federal Government funding will be provided to help salvage bushfire damaged logs off Kangaroo Island to address severe timber shortages in the building industry.

Federal Agriculture Minister David Littleproud said the program would target around 300,000 tonnes of timber from Kangaroo Island and was an expansion of its previous Forestry Salvage Transport Measure, that was made available to bushfire-affected timber in New South Wales and Victoria last year.

MBV President Mark Little said the announcement was welcome news given the significant timber shortages that have been driving contract prices up and blowing out building timelines.

“And while it won’t all be coming to Victoria, as an owner of a building company, I can tell you that anything that adds supply to Victoria’s major shortage is welcome news,” he said.