This article is from the Australian Property Journal archive
MODULAR construction could play a significant role in addressing NSW’s housing crisis, as the state government is targeting the delivery of 377,000 new houses.
ASX-listed Fleetwood Australia affirmed NSW Planning and Public Spaces Minister Paul Scully’s statements that modular construction could be part of the solution.
With Fleetwood Australia’s CEO and managing director, Bruce Nicholson, noting that at a minimum modular construction can be 50% faster in the build process than traditional construction.
Adding that Fleetwood currently has the capacity to deliver up to 1,500 new homes annually, with seven factories across the country.
“With community and social housing in critically short supply, Fleetwood’s modular designs can be delivered up to 50 per cent faster than traditional construction,” said Nicholson.
“Our build times are measured in weeks and months rather than years, which is of vital importance for people who are doing it tough. The factory-controlled builds also mean on-time delivery is more guaranteed as we are not subject to on-site and environmental factors that often cause lengthy delays and can’t always be predicted.”
Fleetwood’s 2023 housing designs also meet new Liveable Housing Design Guidelines and the National Construction Code.
“The factory manufacturing environment provides allows greater quality control and safer construction and because we’re building entire modules off-site and then delivering virtually completed homes for installation,” added Nicholson.
“Fleetwood’s factories also reduce construction waste, providing the opportunity to recycle materials easily and seamlessly.”
Modular construction can also be re-used and repurposed, with modules easily delivered, installed, reconfigured and relocated, as community needs change.
“We are focused on vastly increasing the amount of community and social housing stock in New South Wales. This continues to delivery of social housing for Department of Communities in WA and QBuild in Queensland,” added Nicholson.
Back in July, the Palaszczuk government engaged Gold Coast-based builders Volo Modular to deliver 18 factory-built social homes, as it seeks to partner with a number of pre-fabricated builders to speed up the rollout of social housing.
“Fleetwood Australia and modular construction can’t address all of the issues associated with the housing crisis but I am certain we can be an important part of the solution,” concluded Nicholson.
