ABSTRACT
Despite the recent recession and low level of economic activity in Australia, import penetration has risen steadily and this has raised the current account deficit, causing concern and renewed interest in the determinants of imports in various sectors of the economy. This paper aims at determining the reasons for the use of imported materials and equipment in the building industry, and in particular in high rise construction. Ten high rise projects were selected for the study and data on the use of and attitudes to imported materials collected through questionnaires. The results showed generally positive attitudes of respondents towards locally manufactured products and that the reason for using imports was primarily the unavailability of identical local alternatives rather than a preference for imported goods. There is potential for a reduction in imports, but this would restrict the variety and choice open to the industry, designers and clients.
