State Premier Roger Cook has pledged $50 million to support alternative building methods if the Labor Party is re-elected. 

Mr Cook and Housing Minister John Carey on Monday announced a program to support innovation in homebuilding, which he said would increase productivity and speed of construction. 

He said a re-elected Cook Labor Government would provide grants of up to $3 million to local businesses that manufacture modular or prefabricated housing or housing components. 

The grants, as part of a $50 million construction innovation fund, must be matched dollar for dollar by the recipient. 

Additionally, the Labor Party has promised to provide $20 million in low-interest loans for local businesses to take up new technologies and expand.

The election commitment is designed to speed up the delivery of homes as the state faces severe housing shortages. 

The use of alternative build methods have gained momentum in recent years, as the dominance of double brick construction in WA subsides. 

A recent feature by Business News showed the increased prevalence of steel frames, modular, prefabricated and timber framed housing in WA. 

A Housing Industry Association of WA survey showed that last year 30 per cent of its members were using non-brick construction methods.

Responding to Monday’s announcement, Housing Industry Association of WA executive director Michael McGowan noted the increase in alternative build methods in the past five years. 

“The WA Government has facilitated some of this development through its social housing program and HIA supports WA Labor’s commitment to provide funding for further innovation in the sector,” he said. 

Mr McGowan said the recent Productivity Commission report into housing, which showed that the nation was completing half as many homes per hour worked as it did in 1995, highlighted the need for more funding into solutions to the issue. 

“A stable and certain regulatory environment is also critical for innovative success and HIA would encourage the next WA Government to strongly support this approach,” he added, 

“Innovation combined with more skilled workers and a stable regulatory environment are three key factors to support a capacity increase in WAs residential building industry. 

Mr Cook said the government was always looking for opportunities to speed up delivery of homes for Western Australians.

“These types of technologies and innovations increase the speed and accuracy of production, reduce waste and free up tradies to focus on other jobs such as installation,” he said. 

“We will roll this program out quickly to facilitate rapid uptake of new technology and have an early impact on the housing market.

“This commitment brings WA Labor’s total new funding pledge to build and get more Western Australians into homes to more than $830 million.”

The Liberal Party was contacted for comment.