PrefabAUS presents Smart Building in Western Australia
Building the pipeline and manufacturing capability to deliver housing at scale
19 November | 1:00pm–6:00pm | Novotel Perth Murray Street
Join prefabAUS for a half-day event exploring national and local developments in prefabricated building. Hear from industry leaders on housing investment, supply chain capability, advanced manufacturing opportunities.
Meet the Speakers
The Hon John Carey BA MLA - Minister for Planning and Lands; Housing and Works; Health Infrastructure; Minister Assisting the Minister for Transport and Major Infrastructure
John Carey is a community leader and experienced public servant with a strong track record in urban renewal, environmental conservation, housing and planning. A long-time inner-city resident, he co-founded the Beaufort Street Festival and helped establish Western Australia's first town team, the Beaufort Street Network. He later led successful conservation campaigns in the Kimberley before serving as Mayor of the City of Vincent, where he championed transparency, town centre revitalisation and sustainable infrastructure. Since being elected as the State Member for Perth in 2017, John has held several ministerial portfolios, including Housing, Local Government, Lands, Homelessness, and Planning, and is currently overseeing major reforms and investment in housing and homelessness initiatives across Western Australia.
Cath Hart, Managing Director, Rubicon IndoPacific
Cath Hart is Managing Director of Rubicon IndoPacific, a strategic advisory firm specialising in government relations and public affairs. As former CEO of REIWA and HIA WA, Cath brings more than 20 years' experience across advocacy, public policy and leadership. She is a board member of the WA Planning Commission and ChemCentre WA, and was an assessor for the WA Government’s 2026 Housing Innovation Fund grants.
Damien Crough, Executive Chairman, prefabAUS
Damien is a founding Director and the Executive Chair of prefabAUS – the peak industry body for prefabricated and offsite construction in Australia. PrefabAUS has been operating for more than a decade and has represents members nationwide.
Damien works with universities and research bodies to explore advanced manufacturing technologies and collaborates with government and industry bodies to advance the prefabricated building (smart building) industry in Australia. Damien sees strong opportunities for the prefabrication industry to set itself apart by providing low waste, high quality, sustainable and design led alternatives.
Bernhard Leitner, General Manager, Advanced Manufacturing Facility, Built Living
Bernhard has more than two decades’ experience in the automated precast concrete industry, spanning international business, technology and leadership roles across Asia, the Middle East and Europe. He has been Innovation Development Director at the Progress Group and Managing Director of Green Code, a sustainable precast building system, as well as a senior advisor to the Shanghai Building Commission and member of the International Federation for Structural Concrete (fib). As General Manager, Bernhard will lead the establishment of Built Living’s first automated manufacturing facility in Perth, helping set a new benchmark for precast production in Australia.
Stuart Harrison, Principal Associate Government Architect, Government Architect Western Australia
Stuart Harrison is an architect and good design advocate. He was director of Harrison and White architects in Melbourne between 2006 and 2024. He is currently Principal Associate Government Architect in Western Australia, and based in Perth.
He was recently Senior Lecturer in Architectural Design at the University of Melbourne and is former president of Open House Melbourne. He sits on design review panels in Victoria, SA and WA.
He has worked extensively in TV, public radio, architectural history and authored three books on housing. He writes for Architecture Australia and HOUSES magazines and is a former host of the ABC TV show Restoration Australia.
Kelvin Ryan, Director, ATLAS
Kelvin has over 25 years’ experience in the construction industry at senior executive levels. He began his career in building materials with Boral Ltd, and from 2003 onwards served as CEO of two of Australia’s largest residential building companies – BGC Residential and Simonds Group Limited. He has also held senior executive positions in the mining and manufacturing sectors.
Kelvin brings a wealth of experience in delivering affordable housing solutions and associated financing options, having overseen the financing and construction of tens of thousands of new homes and numerous residential construction projects. He holds a Master of Science degree from Griffith University and is a board member of Housing Australia.
Dale Connor, Chief Executive Officer, Built Living
Dale is an experienced executive leader with deep capability across construction, project delivery, development and investments, and a track record leading large, complex programs across Australia, China and the United States. Prior to joining Built Living, Dale held senior leadership roles at Lendlease including Group Chief Operating Officer and Chief Executive Officer, Construction, and Chief Executive Officer, Lendlease Australia. He is recognised for building high-performing teams and a culture focused on safety, respect and customer outcomes.
Brad Denison, Chief Executive Officer Buildtek, Director, prefabAUS
Brad Denison is a highly experienced and driven senior business leader with a strong financial background. Extensive track record in commercial construction with clients in the government, mining and commercial sectors. Substantial experience in successful multi-party projects, developing innovative capital structuring solutions and implementing significant merger and acquisition transactions
Brad is a founding director of Development Solutions Australia. DSA solves problems for people or companies looking to develop land or construction projects. Key capabilities are in project finance, offsite construction and marketing.
Prof. Tuan Ngo, Research Director, prefabAUS
Tuan is the Research Director of the ARC Training Centre for Advanced Manufacturing of Prefabricated Housing (CAMPH) at the University of Melbourne. He is also the Director of the Asia Pacific Research Network for Resilient and Affordable Housing. Over the last 20 years, he has carried out significant research collaborations with industry to develop new building materials and systems and perform R&D experiments of prefabricated modular building structures. Prof Ngo has won a number of prestigious scientific awards, including the prestigious Eureka Science Prize for Outstanding Science in Safeguarding Australia in 2013. He has been working as an expert on many projects to protect critical buildings against extreme events (blasts, impacts, fires and earthquakes).
Jessica Berry, Managing Director and co-owner of PIQUE and Fox Modular, Director prefabAUS
Jessica Berry is the Managing Director and co-owner of PIQUE and Fox Modular, a multi-award-winning modular builder in Western Australia that delivers hundreds of homes across the state each year.
With 17 years of experience in construction post university, and a strong management background from one of Australia’s largest builders, Jessica established PIQUE at a time that traditional builders to demonstrate that pre-fabricated construction can surpass traditional methods in quality, design, sustainability and efficiency.
An active advocate for industry advancement, Jessica drives planning reform, modular finance solutions and regulatory change. She is passionate about pushing the boundaries of prefabricated housing and reshaping how modular is perceived and adopted across Australia.
Ryan Brown, Strategic Director, Modular by SHAPE
Ryan has over 22 years in the construction and property industry. He has spent more than a decade specialising in modular construction across healthcare, defence, commercial, education, residential, and tourism projects. As Strategic Director of Modular by SHAPE, he leads the group strategy Nationally with a focus on new market growth. Prior to his role with SHAPE, he co-founded a modular project management consultancy business, and launched ESCA, a luxury modular accommodation brand focused on low-impact, sustainable tourism.
Key Topics
Opening address - The Hon John Carey BA MLA, Minister for Planning and Lands; Housing and Works; Health Infrastructure; MinisterAssisting the Minister for Transport and Major Infrastructure
Smart Building 2026: National Industry Update - Damien Crough, Executive Chairman, prefabAUS
Mapping Australia’s Smart Building Supply Chain - Tuan Ngo, Research Director, prefabAUS
WA Pattern Book - Stuart Harrison, Principal Associate Government Architect Western Australia, Government Architect Western Australia (GAWA)
Opportunities on the Horizon - Development WA
Advanced Manufacturing Grant Recipient Built Living - Bernhard Leitner, General Manager – Advanced Manufacturing Facility, Built Living
Advanced Manufacturing Grant Recipient ATLAS - Kelvin Ryan, Director of the ATLAS Group of Companies
Why West? Scaling Smart Building in Western Australia - prefabAUS WA Directors Jess Berry, PIQUE Modular and Brad Denison, Buildtek with Ryan Brown from Modular by SHAPE.
Panel Discussion and Q&A - Cath Hart, Managing Director, Rubicon Consulting, will lead the discussion.