The Schofields development has been completed in around eight months, compared with 12 to 14 months for a comparable traditional build, while the Government is progressing its process to attract new and expanded advanced manufacturing facilities to NSW.
Property Council Hunter and Central Coast Regional Director Stephen Crowe said the results demonstrated the potential to combine faster housing delivery with a new generation of advanced manufacturing.
“The Government has put MMC to the test at Schofields and shown its potential – the opportunity now is to take that approach to scale, and the Hunter should be part of that next chapter.”
“Our region has the industrial know-how, skilled workforce, supply chains, land and transport infrastructure to play a significant role in manufacturing the homes NSW needs.”
Mr Crowe said the case for growing MMC capability in the Hunter was strengthened by the substantial pipeline of housing and economic growth across the region.
“The really exciting opportunity is to connect two challenges: how we deliver more homes faster and how we build the next generation of advanced manufacturing jobs in the Hunter.”
“That means manufacturing more of the components and homes here, developing the skills and supply chains here, and ultimately using that capability to deliver housing across NSW.”
The Property Council called for Hunter businesses to take part in the Government’s MMC industry expansion process when expressions of interest opened earlier this year, identifying the region’s manufacturing capability, industrial land, logistics infrastructure and skilled workforce as important competitive advantages.
“The Government has moved forward with the establishment of the Future Jobs and Investment Authority (FJIA) and is backing the Hunter’s future as an advanced manufacturing region. MMC presents another opportunity to build on that capability, creating jobs in the Hunter while helping deliver more homes across NSW,” Mr Crowe said.
“We want to work with the Government, industry, councils and training providers to make sure the Hunter puts its best foot forward as this new industry grows. If MMC is going to become a mainstream part of housing delivery in NSW, the Hunter has all the ingredients to make it happen.”
