Exploring modular housing to deliver more social homes sooner

Joint Media Release from the NSW Premier, and NSW Minister for Housing

MEDIA RELEASE| 27 November 2023

A new cross government taskforce will meet for the first time today to provide expert industry advice to the NSW Government to explore the use of modular housing to deliver much needed social homes for people in NSW.

Modular housing has been successfully used in NSW, other states and around the world to provide quick and easy housing solutions.

Additionally, the cost of building modular housing is expected to decrease as we scale up and achieve efficiencies of scale in manufacturing.

The NSW Government is committed to looking at how we can use these innovative new ways to build more social housing and help strengthen the safety net for those experiencing housing insecurity.

At the recent state budget, an initial investment of $10 million was set aside at part of a $224 million Essential Housing Package to address the historic neglect of new social housing supply and trial innovative solutions to get people off the social housing waitlist.

That process begins today with the cross-industry taskforce of representatives from peak bodies including PreFab Aus, Shelter NSW, Community Housing Industry Association Local Government NSW, Property Council of Australia, Government Architects, Industry suppliers and union representatives. alongside people with lived experience of social housing.

The taskforce will among other things:

  • investigate innovative modern methods of construction (MMC), including modular housing

  • advise on the role MMC could play in delivering new housing sooner

  • examine the highest standard designs in line with the NSW Land and Housing Corporation’s (LAHC) best-practice guidelines

  • investigate a wide range of innovative, high-quality, high-durability and eco-friendly modern construction products.

Modular housing is especially suitable to regional areas as planning regulations are already in place and the offsite construction of modular housing can reduce costs and increase speed of construction.

The taskforce will also actively work with local councils to determine sites for the modular housing.

Exact locations are yet to be settled but there are several local councils who have expressed interest to be a part of this exciting project.

There is also the potential to use surplus public land identified as part of a statewide audit, identifying land that be rezoned for housing and associated uses.

The advisory task force will operate for up to 2 years and be managed by Homes NSW, and forms part of its ongoing work to deliver more homes and better homes for people in need.

Sara Johnston