Thursday, 20 February 2025

Ministers statements: housing

Harriet SHING (Eastern Victoria – Minister for the Suburban Rail Loop, Minister for Housing and Building, Minister for Development Victoria and Precincts) (12:08): We are investing in more homes, and we are also investing in making sure that the local businesses, the workers, the experts and the technologies that are needed to deliver these homes are in train, are supported and are able to be deployed in building and manufacturing. One of the things I do want to talk about here today does not get the run that it deserves – prefab. This is part of making sure that we can deliver homes to where they are needed in a way that not only creates jobs but also minimises onsite construction time, and we know that construction time is cut by between 10 per cent and 50 per cent where we use modern methods of construction. This is really transforming our capacity to deliver homes, particularly in the regions.

Homes Victoria has engaged with modern methods of construction suppliers all around the state. This is about making sure we can build the first tranche of projects, right from the Central Highlands through to outer Gippsland, and these are locations that are supported by the manufacturing facilities, all over the state, of appointed suppliers. It means investment goes directly to those areas where manufacturing is taking place, but it also means that on the ground we are able to use local trades in the installation and fit-out of homes which are transported to site before people move in. This is a really dramatic change to the way in which we address the challenges of housing affordability and availability. We are also investing, through Homes Victoria, in other innovative construction methods. This includes 3D printing and robot-laid masonry as a pilot on sites under the Regional Housing Fund. It works – we know it works – and it cuts the time and expense associated with construction, and I am looking forward to seeing these innovative efforts continue as we are deploying our best tech to manage these solutions. We have also partnered in practical terms with organisations like Kids Under Cover. This is about people, technologies, businesses and ultimately places for people to call home.