A re-elected Labor Government announced over the weekend that it will invest $50 million to support WA’s housing industry to innovate and speed up the delivery of homes.
WA Labor’s Housing Innovation Program will provide competitive grants of up to $3 million to local businesses that manufacture modular or prefabricated housing or housing inputs, to support use of alternative construction methods and deliver homes more efficiently.
The announcement was made in Maddington at MRN Construction, which makes prefabricated homes using locally sourced products and employees, and attended by Premier Roger Cook, Housing Minister John Carey and Thornlie Labor Candidate Colleen Egan.
Ms Egan said it was great to have the spotlight on a Maddington success story. “It was terrific for Premier Roger Cook to meet local tradies, particularly the apprentices who study carpentry at Thornlie TAFE,” she said. “WA Labor has made 130 priority TAFE courses fee-free, which is helping local people into good jobs while providing vital services for the State’s economy.”
The Housing Innovation Program grants are targeted at investing in new technology, construction methods or capital equipment that will increase productivity and output and must be matched dollar for dollar by the recipient.
On top of this, $20 million in low-interest loans will be made available to help WA businesses take up new technologies and expand.
Examples of opportunities for innovation identified by the building sector include steel frame manufacturing automation; concrete slab manufacturing; wall and ceiling construction automation; window and door construction automation; cabinetry automation; and expanded land and hard-stand areas for manufacturing.
Premier Cook said the Housing Innovation Program would support WA’s housing industry to increase productivity and speed of construction by providing new opportunities to manufacture modular and prefabricated housing materials here in WA.
“This brings WA Labor’s total new commitment to boosting housing to more than $830 million,” he said.
MRN General Manager Roger Piggott said he was proud to employ local apprentices who were well trained at the TAFE campus a short drive from the business site in Maddington.
“We operate through Thornlie TAFE so a lot of our apprentices come through there. Carpentry is the king of the yard so I’d strongly encourage kids to get involved in carpentry.”
Mr Piggott showed the Premier through a prefabricated four-bedroom home which was scheduled to be placed on three trucks the following day, headed for Exmouth. He said the house was made in Maddington within months and would be ready to live in soon after its arrival in the State’s north.
