Regional Town Embraces 3D Printing to Solve Worker Shortage
A town in regional Western Australia is pioneering an innovative approach to combat a critical housing shortage, turning to 3D printing technology to house its growing workforce and fuel economic expansion.
Gnowangerup’s Growth Stalled by Housing Gap
Gnowangerup, situated 350 kilometers southeast of Perth, is experiencing a boom in its industrial sector, with businesses actively seeking skilled workers. However, the lack of available housing presents a significant impediment to this growth. For many companies, the primary obstacle to hiring new employees is the question of where they will live.
Industry Leaders Voice Concerns
Garry Richardson, owner of road transport equipment company Duraquip, highlights the severity of the situation. “Eighty percent of employees at Duraquip are sponsored skilled migrants,” Richardson stated. “As the business has grown, and these workers have come in and need housing, that’s created an issue. Every time we look to expand or take on another employee, our first question is, ‘Where are they going to live?'”
Sponsored migrant employee Joefre Macaspac echoed the sentiment, expressing his enjoyment of living in Australia but acknowledging the difficulty in securing accommodation.
A Technological Solution Emerges
In response to these challenges, the local not-for-profit organization Harvest has partnered with House 3D, another non-profit specializing in 3D-printed construction. The initiative aims to address the worker accommodation issue by building new homes using cutting-edge technology.
Cutting Costs and Time
Graeme Paterson, manager of House 3D, explained the advantages of their approach. “Using the emerging technology would cut costs and construction time down to about 10 weeks,” Paterson said. “I’d say we’re probably in the region of being 20 to 30 percent cheaper.”
Promise for the Region
Cassandra Beeck, the driving force behind Harvest, believes this project offers significant hope for the community. “It would be amazing for us to be able to support the people who are making the economy happen by locally providing home solutions for them, so they can afford to rent,” Beeck commented.
Boosting Local Economy and Quality
Caleb Richardson, whose Auspan factory faces a backlog of orders due to staff shortages, emphasized the positive economic impact of innovative housing solutions. “If the housing was available, we would be able to get the skilled workers here and then we could keep a handle on our quality, and there would be growth for our town,” he stated. “You drive around regional Western Australia, and you see a dime a dozen small towns dwindling down, getting smaller. Here in Gnowangerup, we are bucking the trend.””
