Tuesday, 4 March 2025

Ministers statements: construction industry

Colin BROOKS (Bundoora – Minister for Industry and Advanced Manufacturing, Minister for Creative Industries) (14:18): Yesterday I met with Damien Crough, the CEO of PrefabAUS, the national peak body for modern methods of construction, or MMC as it is known in the industry. As the name suggests, modern methods of construction incorporate new construction technologies, including modular, prefabrication and 3D printing. Supporting modern methods of construction means we can build more homes faster and we can take a proportion of construction indoors and expand employment opportunities for more Victorians. Damien pointed out that Victoria is already the national leader in MMC, with more than 40 per cent of companies based here in Victoria, including industry stand-outs Modscape, Timber Building Systems, Fleetwood Australia and many more. That is no coincidence. These companies have set up here because Victoria is Australia’s manufacturing powerhouse, with a workforce, freight network and industrial base that are the envy of the nation.

New construction technologies are also critical to delivering on our housing targets. The Allan Labor government is doubling down on our competitive advantage and backing MMC manufacturers through a range of initiatives that will see more Victorians in homes faster. A growing sector needs a skilled workforce, and that is why we have funded the Melbourne Polytechnic future of housing construction centre of excellence, the first dedicated training facility in Australia focused exclusively on advanced construction technology courses. You also need a pipeline of work. That is why we have funded 250 dwellings as part of the Regional Housing Fund’s modular building program and made matched contributions to MMC developments in Castlemaine, Karingal, Eildon and Omeo. Most importantly, for industry to thrive you need a plan, and that is what the Allan Labor government has delivered through the housing statement. In the meantime we will get on with assisting Victoria’s innovative manufacturers to improve Victoria’s housing supply. It is part of our plan to build more homes where people want to live.