The May 19, 2018 edition of Listener magazine features The Housing Crisis, Home Stretch and lists ‘seven big threats to KiwiBuild’, the ambitious government scheme which aims is to deliver 100,000 homes in ten years. Let’s re-address these so-called threats as opportunities: Leadership, Skills Shortage, Land and Infrastructure, Building Costs, Boosting Productivity, Finance and Consent. This is the list of what KiwiBuild needs to cover. The ‘KiwiBuild plan’ is due to be announced on 1 July and it is eagerly awaited. 

Let’s also consider what else is required for success, because there are real people who desperately need quality homes that are affordable, healthy and available soon. This is an amazing opportunity for New Zealand, the pivotal factor is HOW, as an industry, we choose to respond to this ‘challenge’.

I and PrefabNZ believe the KiwiBuild target is achievable. After all, Sweden built 1,000,000 homes in ten years in the 1960s and hasn’t technology come a long way since then? Here are my six key points that KiwiBuild must incorporate for history-making success:

1. A design-led quality focus – above NZ Building Code minimum standards for warm, healthy, sustainable homes
2. A multi-year procurement programme at scale and at pace – enabling businesses to invest in their offsite manufacturing methods
3. A streamlined building consent regulatory process – clarified by using the Reliance Model
4. A consistent bank finance approach that enables direct lending to clients of offsite projects – coupled with 10-year work guarantees
5. An integrated industry network that enables our SME-dominant construction industry to transform for the long-term
6. A prototyping approach where quality, affordable homes are tested, tweaked and re-tested – so only the best are recreated at scale and these are showcased through a permanent show village

To support the industry transformation required and nurture you on your journey along the innovation curve, PrefabNZ is launching Innovation Bites – a hub for enterprise growth. They are going to be fun, engaging webinars with expert presenters and useful sharing of know-hows, in easy-to-digest 45 minute lunchtime sessions.

EBOSS subscribers are invited to join us on Wednesday May 22 for the first one - An Innovation Overview! Register as PrefabNZ INVITE and use code BITES1FREE: Register Here