‘Desperately-needed’ factory-built homes bound for beach town

A slew of modular homes will be delivered for low-income earners at a Sunshine Coast beach community.

The state government and Sunshine Coast Council have partnered for the initiative, with construction to start later this year for 22 homes at 11 sites within the same neighbourhood at Marcoola.

The project will include self-contained one-, two- and three-bedroom modular homes to cater for low-income singles, couples and small family households, with a focus on key workers.

The modular homes will be factory-built and will include private decks and outdoor areas.

Housing Minister Meaghan Scanlon said they would be put in place relatively quickly.

“They (modular homes) take less time to build than conventional construction, and because they’re built inside a factory aren’t hampered by weather delays during construction,” she said.

Sunshine Coast mayor Rosanna Natoli said council’s collaboration with the state government was “a great example of how working together can make our community even stronger”.

“Sunshine Coast Council is so pleased to see this project come to fruition after more than two years of work, from identifying the land, working on the concept and applying for funding,” she said.

“This project demonstrates our ongoing commitment to facilitating affordable and diverse housing options for our community.

“Access to affordable housing creates the foundations for our community members to build stable and productive lives.

“It is also critical to attract the skills we need on the Sunshine Coast to continue to prosper.”

Coast2Bay Housing Group CEO Andrew Elvin said the business was ready to get to work.

“We’re excited by the prospect of managing 22 new homes on the Sunshine Coast in partnership with Sunshine Coast Council and the state government,” he said.

“Affordable housing options on the Sunshine Coast are desperately needed, particularly for our key workers, as the area continues to experience unprecedented growth.

“Coast2Bay Housing Group is the largest community housing provider in this region, and we look forward to supporting the new tenants to thrive in the community.”

The group has been involved in several projects in recent times, including at Beerwah and Yandina.

“By utilising vacant land and a modular prefabrication approach, the homes can be delivered in a shorter time frame compared to traditional construction methods.

“Ultimately, this provides more rapid outcomes for those in need of affordable homes.”

Sunshine Coast councillor Taylor Bunnag said the homes would help.

“Council recognises the housing crisis is a situation that is difficult to quickly rectify and the provision of 22 households in beautiful Marcoola, although small in number, is a significant commitment by council in moving towards addressing this issue,” he said.

“Without this investment, key workers who are critical to our economy and work in a range of health, social assistance, retail and hospitality sectors, will increasingly find it difficult to secure housing.

“With significant growth in these industries forecasted, the need for more affordable housing for this workforce is necessary to keep locals on the Sunshine Coast.”

The state government on Friday announced it had locked in another 600 modular homes as part of its budget earlier this year, partnering with Queensland businesses and the state’s public builder QBuild.

That includes Sunshine Coast-based Saltair Modulars, which is building 34 modular homes for Bundaberg.