The New South Wales government is backing new ways of building faster to deliver more homes, with nine architecturally designed terrace homes built using modern methods of construction (MMC) already completed at Landcom’s Schofields development in Sydney’s northwest, cutting construction times by nearly half.
The two-storey, three-bedroom homes were constructed off-site in factory-controlled environments before being transported and craned into position.
Built in roughly eight months, compared to 12 to 14 months for traditional builds, the project demonstrates how modular construction can accelerate housing supply while maintaining high quality and safety standards and reducing waste.
The terraces are part of Landcom’s broader Burdekin Road project, which will deliver around 140 homes, including terraces and manor homes close to transport and services, with at least 30 per cent set aside for affordable housing.
The completion marks a significant step in the state government’s plan to embed MMC into mainstream residential construction across New South Wales.
Recent legislative reforms under the nation-leading Building (Approvals and Practitioners) Act 2026 have formally recognised prefabricated buildings in law, creating Australia’s clearest regulatory framework for off-site manufacturing.
Minister for Planning and Public Spaces Paul Scully said MMC offers a practical pathway to reverse declining construction productivity and place families in homes sooner.
“Productivity Commission analysis reports that productivity in the Australian construction industry has fallen in recent decades and the innovation of modern methods of construction may allow this to be turned around so that new homes can be built more quickly meaning people can move in sooner,” Scully said.
Meanwhile, Minister for Building Anoulack Chanthivong said streamlined regulations will boost completions without compromising quality or safety.
To support industry growth, the NSW government has allocated AU$32.3 million over four years to modernise building approvals, AU$10 million for a Modular Housing Taskforce, and nearly AU$4 million in local manufacturing grants.
An MMC certification system is currently being established, alongside plans to select business partners to build or expand advanced manufacturing facilities statewide.
Landcom is already planning to expand its modular initiative with a second pilot of 33 dwellings lodged for development in Edmondson Park.