A new manufacturing facility for precast concrete will be built in Western Australia by joint venture owners Wesfarmers and Built Group to deliver affordable apartments at industrial scale.
The JV, to be known as Built Living, is a 50:50 enterprise between the parent company of Bunnings and Kmart and construction contractor and developer, Built Group. Dale Connor is CEO of the new standalone business, and former Chief Operating Officer of Lendlease for 37 years.
“Mr Connor will lead the establishment and scaling of the manufacturing platform, drawing on extensive experience delivering large-scale residential and social infrastructure projects,” Built Living stated.
The plan for the new business is to build new homes 50% faster and 20% cheaper than traditional methods, based on the Design for Manufacture and Assembly (DfMA) technique used in Netherlands, Germany and Finland, for modular and precast apartment components.
With an initial $100 million commitment, Australia’s first advanced manufacturing facility for precast concrete construction specifically for medium- and high-rise apartments will be developed in northern Perth.
“The Neerabup facility will have capacity to produce more than 2,000 apartments per year, providing immediate industrial scale capability to support Built Living’s residential pipeline and third-party developments,” a joint statement said. “A portion of annual capacity will be reserved for government-backed housing projects and the State’s significant social infrastructure project pipeline.”
This includes hospitals, health facilities, prisons, and defence projects. The plan has the backing of the WA Government which is providing a long-term lease at the Neerabup Automation and Robotics Precinct, in addition to support for development.
Construction and procurement of specialised manufacturing equipment is forecast to start later this year, and the first manufacturing output is targeted for early 2028, subject to approvals.
Property developer Adrian Fini will take a direct equity interest in the Neerabup facility, supporting long-term pipeline certainty and the delivery of Fini Group and Human Urban developments.
Image: Dale Connor and the proposed facility. Source: The Urban Developer.
About the author
Desi Corbett
Desi is the Editor of Concrete in Australia, at the helm since December 2013, and our weekly news writer since 2016. Focused on concrete and construction for more than 11 years, her expertise in this field forms part of a journalism career spanning three decades. To get in touch please email desi@corbettcomms.com