Speakers

A Shanghai-born, Melbourne-based entrepreneur and prefab industry pioneer, Waco Tao bridges global innovation with Australian pragmatism. With multidisciplinary expertise spanning architecture, construction, advanced manufacturing, and supply chain—bolstered by master’s degrees in Marketing and Supply Chain Management (Monash University) and a Graduate Diploma in Hospitality Management—Waco is redefining how Australia builds.

In 2009, he founded PowerHouse Homes, Australia’s first vertically integrated prefabricated construction company. By applying automotive-grade supply chain principles to building, Waco’s model delivers high-design, low-carbon homes at 40% lower cost and 6x faster than traditional methods. Under his leadership, PowerHouse Homes has become a global case study, with projects ranging from cyclone-resistant regional housing to 7.2-star energy rated urban developments—proving that sustainability and scalability can coexist.

A relentless advocate for systemic change, Waco now serves as Executive Chair of Prefab Council Australia, the nation’s first true peak body accelerating industrialised construction. Through policy reform, skills training, and cross-sector collaboration, he leads the Council’s charge to mainstream prefabrication—tackling Australia’s 650,000-home deficit while slashing construction’s 19% share of national emissions.

A passionate proponent of Australia-China symbiosis, Waco fosters bilateral partnerships in green construction and advanced manufacturing, leveraging complementary strengths to drive decarbonisation and housing innovation across both markets.

Waco’s mission is clear: to make high-quality, affordable, and sustainable housing the norm, not the exception. He actively seeks partnerships with forward-thinking developers, policymakers, and engineers who share his triple-bottom-line ethos—planet, people, and profit—and his belief that the future of construction is precision-engineered, factory-built, and human-centered.

“We’re not just building homes—we’re building a movement. The question isn’t whether prefab will reshape Australian housing, but how fast we can scale it.” - Waco Tao