PVC Price Surge Halts Australian Construction

0:00It's April 6th. You're listening to Sydney News today, AI-powered local news. I'm Corey with the story. The price of PVC that essential plastic for pipes and building materials has jumped more than 30 percent thanks to the war in the Middle East. Messing with global supply chains. It's hitting hard in Australia, where shortages are slowing down construction projects and irrigation setups, especially in places like South. Australia's, Riverland. Suppliers are canceling orders left and right, forcing businesses like the Lockston Irrigation Center to scale back operations. Irrigators are delaying upgrades because budgets are blowing out by thousands, and builders can't even start laying slabs without those pipes. Industry leaders are sounding the alarm. Master Builder's essay's Chief says it's creating productivity headaches and backlogs on top of years of rising costs they'll have to pass on to. Farmers fill it too, struggling to switch crops amid these unfair hits. Now polyethylene for water tanks is up over 30 percent as well, along with concrete

1:04and steel. Experts are pushing for rise and fall clauses in contracts, like during the pandemic, to adjust for these swings and keep projects moving without. Bankrupting builders. While the state government monitors the chaos and ways those pandemic style fixes, housing targets remain sky high. Operations are holding steady for now, but everyone's bracing for longer delays if the conflict drags on.