Second brick plant no quick fix for WA housing shortage
Taxpayers are funding the reopening of the Austral factory, which the government hopes will help address the shortage of bricks plaguing the construction industry.
Western Australia's state government plans to provide up to $4 million to help Austral Bricks reopen its brick manufacturing facility in the state. The Sydney-based company shut down its WA factory in mid-2023, leaving only one brickmaker in the region. Treasurer Rita Saffioti stated that the funding is an example of the government's support for critical industries.
With the construction industry facing labour and raw material shortages, the number of homes starting construction has increased by over 50% since Austral closed its Cardup brickworks. Midland Brick, the remaining manufacturer, has struggled to meet demand. The government will give $3 million to Austral to increase production by up to 15%, but Housing Industry Association WA CEO Michael McGowan cautioned that this is not a quick solution to the housing shortage.
The government is also offering Austral an additional $500,000 if it resumes operations by March and produces at least 17 million bricks in the first year. However, industry executives and experts remain concerned that more needs to be done to ensure a steady supply of bricks for the construction industry.
Written by urgent.news from ABC News AU's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
