Offsite News and Updates

Australia’s construction sector is facing a perfect storm. Rising demand, shrinking labour, and mounting pressure to decarbonise. A recent article from prefabAUS laid out a compelling roadmap for transformation. At OFFSITE, we believe this isn’t just a vision, it’s a call to action.

Smart Building, powered by offsite prefabrication and Industry 4.0 manufacturing, offers a scalable, high-performance solution to the challenges we face. The potential? A conservative $9 billion in annual economic benefits for Australia by 2033.

But the real value lies in what this shift will unlock: housing affordability, industrial innovation and a pathway to net zero.

We’re not talking about replacing traditional construction, but complementing it – adding speed, precision, and sustainability where it matters most.

The Government’s National Housing Accord target of building 1.2 million homes by 2030 is the catalyst we need. Smart Building can deliver at scale, with quality and cost-efficiency that conventional building methods can’t match.

Strategic procurement is the key

International leaders like Singapore and the UK are already mandating prefabrication in public projects. Australia must follow suit. Traditional procurement frameworks don’t support the scale, efficiency, and sustainability of Modern Methods of Construction (MMC).

Smart Building is also central to Australia’s reindustrialisation

As global demand for low-carbon materials surges, Australia’s renewable energy advantage positions us to lead in responsible steel, aluminium, mass timber, and low-carbon concrete. Smart Building creates the demand driver for these materials while building these industries locally. Without a strategic shift, we risk defaulting to imported solutions. Missing the opportunity to build a resilient, high-tech, Australian Smart Building industry.

At OFFSITE, we’re ready to be part of the Smart Building industry revolution. The question is: will Australia seize this moment?

Last week, we had the pleasure of hosting Sandra Brewer MLA GAICD, Shadow Treasurer; Shadow Minister for Women’s Interests and David Bolt MLA, Shadow Minister for Housing & Homelessness; Environment & Climate; Science & Innovation, for a tour of our facility.

Both Mr Bolt and Ms Brewer truly understood the potential of what OFFSITE can do and the critical role that early design collaboration and scalability play in delivering efficient, high-quality prefabricated housing solutions.

We also had an open conversation about some of the challenges facing the construction industry, including:

• The disconnect between prefab/modular solutions and traditional masonry contracts
• The ongoing inefficiencies of relying on trade-heavy, site-based construction models

They were particularly excited about the opportunities prefabricated systems offer for higher-density and multi-storey developments. It provides an innovative way to deliver more homes, faster, without the need for more trades.

Thanks again to Mr Bolt and Ms Brewer for their time and enthusiasm.

We’re thrilled to share that OFFSITE is now a licensed MiTek fabricator. This is an important milestone as we continue to expand our prefabrication capabilities.

“We want to provide more housing for more West Australians,” said Clarinda Ho, Group Chief Strategy & Operating Officer at OFFSITE. “Our long-term goal is to redefine how homes and commercial buildings are built – faster, more efficiently and more sustainably.”

“MiTek shares OFFSITE’s commitment to innovation, quality and scalability,” said Ho. “By bringing MiTek’s software and systems in-house, we are able to ensure engineering compliance as a default and speed up delivery. The MiTek team understands our goals and has been an excellent partner to work with.”

The partnership with MiTek enables us to partially in-source the production of roof trusses and floor cassettes, enhancing our ability to deliver on larger projects and offer comprehensive, bundled product solutions.

“Western Australia has long relied on traditional building methods,” said Brad Ridolfi, MiTek’s State Sales Manager for WA and SA. “Whilst MiTek continues to educate and influence the market on the benefits of off-site pre-fabrication, true change requires a broader shift—one that involves designers, specifiers, builders and fabricators working together. We are very pleased to welcome OFFSITE to the MiTek fold. They are well-positioned to deliver efficient, sophisticated manufacturing and a high-quality customer experience that meets compliance and accelerates building outcomes in WA.”

At OFFSITE, we continue to value our existing partners and suppliers and look forward to working alongside them, together with MiTek, to support the future of smarter construction methods in WA.

Last Thursday, we welcomed Cassie Rowe MLA, Member for Belmont, to OFFSITE’s new facility in Welshpool. Cassie saw firsthand the scale and precision of our production and how quickly we can manufacture and assemble a high-quality, energy-efficient dwelling.

Cassie was particularly excited about our capacity to deliver affordable housing. We also spoke about long-term value through adopting Life Cycle Asset Management (LCAM) for dwellings. It’s not just about housing people – it’s about ensuring they can afford their electricity bills.

“There are some amazing innovators in the Belmont electorate,” Cassie said.

“Last week I visited OFFSITE in Welshpool to see their energy-efficient prefabricated housing solutions – they can manufacture a standard two-storey house in a day, which can then be installed in a day. Their automated processes are really fascinating!”

It’s fantastic to see our local MLA take the time to understand businesses in her electorate, and their contribution to the WA economy. OFFSITE is growing its workforce! For every job at OFFSITE, there are four more roles created externally in our supply chain.

Our DfMA Process

A standard two-storey house is manufactured in 1 day and installed in 1 day using our Designed for Manufacture and Assembly (DfMA) system. OFFSITE’s DfMA process refines the design for efficient Modern Methods of Construction (MMC) in the factory and on-site. We also factor in material efficiencies, site-specific conditions, access and logistics to create a custom streamlined solution. This design process is capable of achieving a 7-star or higher Nationwide House Energy Rating Scheme NatHERS energy efficiency rating.

It was great to host the James Hardie team from the East Coast and WA this week. Their visit was well timed for a walk-through of OFFSITE’s new 11,000sqm manufacturing facility in Perth.

The OFFSITE team also welcomed the opportunity to have high-level discussions on strategic supply chain matters. We met with James Hardie’s team members to discuss supply management, forecasting & scheduling, customer excellence and business development.

Matthew Sgro, State Manager (WA/SA/NT) at James Hardie provided insight on partnering with OFFSITE:

“James Hardie are proud to partner with innovative companies like OFFSITE to assist the West Australian market continue to push modern construction methods. Exciting times ahead for all involved in the WA market.”

James Hardie is a valued supply chain partner for OFFSITE, and we’re proud to collaborate with them to advance the use of prefabricated timber frame buildings and components in Western Australia.

We are thrilled to announce that OFFSITE has officially moved into our new home at 325 Treasure Road N, Welshpool. In just 5 weeks, we have transformed our new 11,000sqm “blank canvas” into a fully operational facility.

This move has given OFFSITE a 10-fold increase in production capacity, enabling us to design, manufacture & assemble over 2,500 dwellings per annum in 2025/2026. This is a leap forward in our vision to transform the way buildings are manufactured and constructed in Western Australia.

Two additional HOMAG Weinmann Lines from Geelong have also been commissioned. Lines 2 and 3 are now operational to support our increased production capacity.

We also have a brand-new Hundegger Speed Cut 480 Saw making its way from Germany to our new facility. The team has been eagerly tracking its arrival in Perth and for good reason. The Speed Cut Saw is like having a team of carpenters working full throttle.

A heartfelt and massive thank you to our incredible team, whose dedication, expertise and hard work made this move not just possible, but seamless.

Did you catch our interview on Perth radio ABC 720?

Last Friday morning, OFFSITE Executive Chairman, Norm Roberts, spoke with ABC Perth Mornings presenter Nadia Mitsopoulos about how Modern Methods of Construction can be used as a solution to the housing shortage across Australia.

Here are some key takeaways:

• Government Support for Innovation: Exciting to see the Labor Government’s $50 million housing innovation program and additional pledges for modern construction methods. It’s a step in the right direction for faster, more affordable housing solutions.
• OFFSITE’s Advanced Manufacturing: At OFFSITE, we’re leading with panelised timber-framed houses that cut build times drastically. Our new factory setup aims to produce 2,500 houses annually, setting a new standard for efficiency.
• Design for Manufacturing and Assembly (DfMA): Crucial to our success is DfMA. It’s about designing homes that optimise manufacturing and assembly processes from the start. This approach ensures speed, cost-effectiveness, and high-quality builds.
• Energy Efficiency and Affordability: OFFSITE homes are not only quick to build but also achieve top energy ratings and significant cost savings compared to traditional methods.

Missed the conversation? You can listen to the full interview on the ABC website at the 1:36:00 mark. We look forward to more opportunities to share what OFFSITE is doing and how we can transform the WA housing sector with smarter, more sustainable solutions.

Thank you to prefabAUS for inviting OFFSITE to speak at the Meet the Manufacturer event in Perth last Friday.

It was an incredibly well-supported event which saw industry professionals come together to have robust discussions about the future of prefab and modular construction in WA and nationally. The panel discussion included insights on everything from design and market challenges to consumer perceptions, government policy, standards and regulations and everything in between.

A key takeaway from the Q&A was that the speed to delivery of energy-efficient NCC-compliant built form was driving the increasing uptake of prefabricated and modular products in Western Australia. Tied into the macro forces around funding and movement to low embodied carbon construction, the industry is well-positioned to meet the demand from the housing supply shortage.

Scale to production is a key success factor, and OFFSITE welcomes prefabAUS’ continuing advocacy and championing of the sector.

OFFSITE is excited about the future of prefab and the opportunity to help drive the industry forward in Western Australia.