WA commits up to $12.8 million to boost brick supply for builders

The government says the subsidy makes it more commercially viable to bring bricks in from interstate and overseas, where they are more expensive than locally produced bricks. It will focus on two-course utility bricks, which the statement says face the highest demand.

For the average double brick home, the statement expects freight savings of approximately $2,500 to $5,000 per home. It says those costs would otherwise fall on builders working under fixed price contracts.

The numbers

A second element is a state guarantee of up to $5 million over revolving credit lines from commercial lenders, with interest support the government puts at $300,000. The statement says this eases builders’ cash flow on upfront import costs.

The subsidy applies to an approved list of importers, who must show the savings are passed to builders in full and that the bricks meet Australian standards.

Per the statement, home commencements reached 25,505 in 2025-26, a 90 per cent rise on the 13,433 low recorded in calendar 2023. It adds that around 70 per cent of homes built in Western Australia are double brick, against 2 to 11 per cent in other states and territories.

The package follows an earlier commitment of up to $4 million to restart Austral’s Cardup brickworks. The statement says the recommissioned facility is expected to come online by March 2027 and lift state brick production by about 10 to 15 per cent, delivering around 17 million bricks a year, including an allocation for small to medium sized builders.

Other projects in the sector are tracked in our Perth build-to-rent pipeline report. The new measures are designed to cover the short term while that capacity returns. The statement expects them to deliver 20 million bricks over the next six months.

What’s next

The government says the package was designed with Master Builders Western Australia and the Housing Industry Association. The Small Business Development Corporation will run the scheme, with backing from Treasury’s Housing Supply Unit.

Treasurer Rita Saffioti is quoted as saying millions of bricks will arrive within six months, bridging the gap until Cardup production builds next year. Premier Roger Cook is credited with saying the aim is to firm the supply of bricks so more homes can be built sooner.

The statement does not name the importers on the approved list, and it gives no application dates.

Source: Government of Western Australia media statement, 10 November 2026.