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Abolition of the ABCC will promote building industry chaos
17 February 2012
The passage of a Bill through the House of Representatives today that will see the Australian Building & Construction Commission (ABCC) abolished is a blow to the building and construction industry says the Housing Industry Association (HIA), the voice of the residential building industry. “The government states that it supports a strong cop on the beat, but these laws promote anything but that,” said HIA industrial relations spokesman David Humphrey. more
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Building product assessment supporters promise to overcome setbacks
17 February 2012
The use of life cycle assessment in the building products industry has suffered a setback with the winding back of the Building Products Innovation Council from the end of this month. more
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Banks’ decision threatens home lending recovery?
17 February 2012
Housing finance figures for December 2011 reveal that the November and December official interest rate cuts had a positive impact on home buyer confidence and new home lending, said the Housing Industry Association, the voice of Australia’s residential building industry. “The 2.1 per cent increase in new home lending in the month of December 2011 suggests the potential of a modest revival in the lending market. Let’s hope, however, that Friday’s decision by two of our big banks to independently lift their variable lending rates does not undo the work of the Reserve Bank,” said HIA… more
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Mining, floods drive equipment sales up 23% in 2011; further growth expected for 2012
17 February 2012
Driven by demand from the mining sector, plus natural disasters in the early part of 2011, the Australian construction and mining equipment market grew strongly in last year, according to a leading industry group. It is expected to show further solid gains during 2012. more
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BASIX upgrade – a chance for NSW to star …again
17 February 2012
The design and construction industry was given a preview of proposed upgrades to the BASIX sustainability regulations last week. The changes look good on the whole, and are long overdue, bringing something like a 6 star equivalent to bear on new houses. more
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HIA says risk to economy too high to abolish ABCC
11 February 2012
The risk to the Australian economy of a return to the industrial lawlessness of decades past, is too great to abolish the Australian Building and Construction Commission (ABCC), said the Housing Industry Association (HIA), the voice of Australia’s residential building industry. “If the Building and Construction Industry Improvement Amendment (Transition to Fair Work) 2011 Bill passes through the House of Representatives next week, it will be a blow to the nation’s productivity,” said HIA Managing Director, Shane Goodwin. more
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Stockland claims reveal a stunning turnaround in energy costs for housing
9 February 2012
Stockland has claimed the energy costs of its new homes can shave more than $2000 a year off the energy bill for an average four bedroom suburban home in Sydney’s outer western suburb of Penrith. A new three bedroom home can cost $1787 a year less to run, it says. But are these figures right? more
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Third of NSW aged care homes without sprinklers: audit
9 February 2012
Only a third of NSW's aged care facilities have sprinkler systems, a government audit has reportedly found. The data was collected following a fire last November that killed 11 people at the Quakers Hill nursing home in Sydney. It is one of the 300 nursing homes - out of state's 900 - that have been found to not have sprinkler systems, the ABC has reported. more
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NGERS carbon emissions data will be reliable: Combet
9 February 2012
Climate Change Minister Greg Combet says the federal government will fix the scheme that collects data on corporate carbon emissions before Labor's carbon tax comes into effect. The National Greenhouse and Energy Reporting Scheme (NGERS), established in 2007 by the former Howard government, currently reports emissions and energy use data for some 775 corporations. more
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The iron giant: Rio commits $3.16bn to WA expansion
9 February 2012
Rio Tinto has again demonstrated its faith in Asia's growing demand for iron ore by committing $US3.4 billion ($A3.16 billion) to expand its operations in Western Australia's Pilbara region. The mining giant is investing more than $US18 billion ($A16.72 billion) over the next five years expanding its iron ore mining operations and export facilities in the Pilbara by around 50 per cent to 353 million tonnes per annum (Mtpa) by 2015 from 225Mtpa currently. more
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Victoria’s FirstRate rating tool up for sale
9 February 2012
Sustainability Victoria will call tenders for the sale of its FirstRate5 residential thermal rating tool, but only private industry need apply, it seems. Newly appointed chief executive officer of SV Stan Krpan on Wednesday said: “We believe owning and maintaining software is not in line with our future direction and FirstRate5 would be better maintained by private industry. more
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Questus lifts the bar on WA’s sustainable affordable housing
9 February 2012
Investment group Questus Limited will make use of its $20 million funding under the National Rental Affordability Scheme to push housing sustainability standards in remote areas of Western Australia, Questus director and former WA planning minister, Alannah MacTiernan told The Fifth Estate this week. more
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An urban development agency for Sydney: Are we ready then?
9 February 2012
Could John Brogden be the man to save Sydney? The Urban Taskforce thinks so. The developers’ lobby group leapt on this week’s appointment of the former Liberal Leader as chairman of Landcom to say this could be the time to reshape the state’s land development agency as a fully functioning urban developer, similar to Victoria’s. more
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Skilled labour market is weakening: Clarius Group index
9 February 2012
Employment services firm Clarius Group has dug into labour market data to find more evidence that the labour market is weakening. The report issued late on Monday focused on the balance between supply and demand in the market for skilled labour. And it found a big imbalance. more
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GBCA is 10 years old and successful – what’s next?
9 February 2012
This year will mark the Green Building Council of Australia’s 10th anniversary and chief executive Romilly Madew has no plans to waste the opportunity this presents. Yes, the GBCA has been massively successful in changing the game for commercial buildings. Yes, it’s now a solid operation with a strong team and a seat at most of the important national political tables convened on the built environment. more
