Tuesday, 3 March 2026

 Wendy LOVELL (Northern Victoria) (13:43): Last week I had the pleasure of visiting a small business that hopes to make big waves in the home building industry. I spent a full morning at JMB Modular Buildings, a local Shepparton business owned by Jamie and Rachel Briggs, where I was able to observe them manufacturing modular homes to be used as social housing in Beechworth. JMB build modular homes that can bring down the price and time of building a new home and are creating long-term skilled jobs in advanced manufacturing in northern Victoria. Through their impressive advanced manufacturing methods JMB are able to deliver a completed home, ready for transport in just 40 days. Following transportation, all that is required is for the home to be connected to utilities and services, and it is ready to be lived in.

The factory and equipment as they stand have required an investment of $9 million, but there are still further stages to be added to allow JMB to manufacture homes at full capacity. JMB have applied for regional development funding and also written to the Premier, the Treasurer and the Minister for Housing and Building to help them complete their facility but have not yet had a response.

Victoria is desperate for housing, and JMB can deliver quality homes in a fraction of the time others take to build them. If the government are serious about relieving the pressure on housing supply and affordability, they should be looking to innovative builders like JMB. JMB can supply high-quality, ready-to-occupy modular homes for first home buyers, key workers and social and general housing. The modules can also be joined together to deliver larger homes.