Wednesday, 10 September 2025

Ministers statements: housing

Danny PEARSON (Essendon – Minister for Economic Growth and Jobs, Minister for Finance) (14:17): I rise to update the house on the Allan Labor government’s plan to support businesses, upskill workers and build more homes. On this side of the house we know that more homes mean more opportunities. In order to build more homes and increase the diversity of options available, we need to be innovative in the way in which we build and support workers with the digital skills necessary to do so. That is why we are upskilling the construction and advanced manufacturing workers through the government’s digital jobs program. Since 2021 the program has already helped equip more than 6000 Victorians with up-to-date digital skills, including six at iBuild in West Heidelberg, which I was recently pleased to visit alongside my good friend the Minister for Police. iBuild are an innovative prefabrication building supplier with design and manufacturing capabilities, and they provide affordable housing solutions. When I was out at iBuild I saw firsthand how quickly these home kits can be built on site. Jackson, the owner, told me that the record for constructing one of these homes was just 8 hours.

When it comes to building more homes, finding efficiencies to bring more homes more quickly to market is a massive advantage, either through planning reforms or indeed construction technologies. We are using digital skills and digital technologies, coupled with the excellent work of the Minister for Planning, to get more homes to market more quickly. We watched a wonderful home come to life there at the site at iBuild, with the steel beams being turned into kitset walls. The member and I both had the opportunity to press the button to get things going, which was great, and it will eventually be built in Werribee by the owners. Won’t the Leader of the Opposition be so jealous of the owners being only 30 minutes away from Geelong. Maybe the Leader of the Opposition could stop by while he is –

Members interjecting.

Danny PEARSON: Well, maybe you could stop there while you are on the way to jump on a cruise ship in December.