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Modern Homes Residential Energy Efficiency Standards Have Commenced

posted 03-05-2024
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New houses and units built in Queensland now need to meet the National Construction Code (NCC) 2022 Modern Homes standards for residential energy efficiency. This is the first time in more than a decade that the NCC’s residential energy efficiency standards have been changed, and these updates will help to enhance the comfort of new homes for Queenslanders. New homes and units will need a: 7-star rating (out of 10) for the building shell (roof, walls, windows and floors). Energy efficiency features that will help achieve a higher star rating may include optimal house orientation, better insulation and window design, ceiling fans and a lighter-coloured ...

It’s time to Get the Site Right

posted 03-05-2024
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Builders and developers are being urged to safeguard their construction materials from high wind and weather events to prevent pollution of local waterways as part of this year’ s Get the Site Right campaign which kicked off this week. Now in its eighth year, Get the Site Right is a joint taskforce between the Cooks River Alliance, Georges Riverkeeper, NSW Department of Planning, Housing and Infrastructure ( DPHI), NSW Environment Protection Authority ( EPA), Parramatta River Catchment Group, Sydney Coastal Councils Group, WaterNSW, and councils across the state. During ...

ASBEC Newsletter – March 2024

posted 06-03-2024
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Executive Director’s Update Equity – essential for our sustainability journey As we look to #InspireInclusion this Friday for International Women’s Day, I cannot help but be immensely proud of the 24 women who recently graduated from ASBEC’s Women in Construction Future Leaders Pilot. These women came from many of our member organisations, spread across the breadth of roles found in Australia’s construction sector. Judging by the atmosphere in the room at the final MasterMind session and graduation ceremony, it seems that this initiative has created a great space for the women in our sector to grow into their confidence and leadership capabilities. ...

Social and Affordable Housing Reforms

posted 14-12-2023
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The NSW Government is tackling the housing crisis by facilitating the increased supply of social and affordable housing for low-income households and essential workers. Social and affordable housing reforms The NSW Government is tackling the housing crisis by facilitating the increased supply of social and affordable housing for low-income households and essential workers. These reforms were announced in June 2023 and have since been refined after extensive consultation with councils, ...

Construct NSW eNews

posted 15-05-2023
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Message from the Executive Director, Compliance and Dispute Resolution Construct NSW continues to enhance the regulator’s capabilities and focus on the customer in everything that we do. We recently completed the first of the ‘as-built’ design and building practitioner audits. Inspectors reviewed the declared designs and followed up with a physical site visit. These complete the design and building practitioner compliance program, complementing the existing audits of declared designs and pre-Occupation Certificate (OC) inspections. Through March and April we rolled out compliance initiatives including: more unannounced visits to active building projects ...

Notification of Draft Planning Scheme Amendments to The Glenorchy Local Provisions Schedule – Glenorchy City Council

posted 03-04-2023
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We are writing to let you know that the Glenorchy Planning Authority resolved to prepare two Planning Scheme Amendments PLAM-22/04 and PLAM-22/10 on 20 March 2023. The draft amendments seek to introduce new specific area plans called the Principal Activity Centre Specific Area Plan (PAC SAP) and the Northern Apartments Corridor Specific Area Plan (NAC SAP) for inclusion in the Glenorchy Local Provisions Schedule. We invite you (and your members) to review the draft amendments and provide feedback. The draft amendments are on public exhibition from 30 March 2023 to 01 May 2023. PLAM-22/04, the PAC SAP, will apply to the Glenorchy CBD (our principal activity ...

National Construction Code 2019 – Adoption of Energy Efficiency Provisions for Non-Residential Construction Update

posted 03-04-2023
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From 1 October 2023, Energy Efficiency Provisions from the National Construction Code (NCC) 2019 Volume One (known as Section J), will apply for all new non-residential buildings in the Northern Territory. To assist industry to prepare for this change, the Department of Infrastructure, Planning and Logistics has identified and linked publicly available training materials on Section J requirements on our website: Building energy efficiency provisions | Department of Infrastructure, Planning and Logistics . The decision for the NT to introduce energy efficiency requirements under NCC 2019 Volume One was made after a comprehensive costs benefit analysis identified ...

Welcome to the NatHERS Year in Review!

posted 21-12-2022
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News from the NatHERS Administrator Welcome to the NatHERS year in review! The last year has been filled with significant milestones and major announcements for NatHERS. Some of which, are the culmination of a number of years of work. In August, Building Ministers agreed to increase the minimum thermal performance rating from the equivalent of 6 to 7 stars (out of 10) under NatHERS. A new annual energy use budget to account for homes’ major fixed appliances and energy generated onsite has also been introduced ...

ASBEC Newsletter - Friday 7 October

posted 07-10-2022
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In This Issue Issue 124 | 7 October 2022 View this email in your browser Updates ASBEC Council – 1 December 2022 in Canberra Australian Government kicks off work to develop a National Energy Performance Strategy Australia passes Climate Change Bill NCC 2022 is now available on NCC Online Joint Statement: We Support Lifting Energy Performance Standards for New Homes in 2022 Better Buildings Reports and Leadership Green Building Council of Australia: A practical guide to electrification for existing buildings Australian Government: ...

Beyond BAL: Submissions are Open to Find Australia’s most Fire-Resilient Homes

posted 04-08-2022
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As part of ongoing work to support communities rebuilding after bushfire, Renew is currently searching for homes that showcase resilient design elements and building practices that extend the understanding of best practice beyond the complicated (BAL) Bushfire Attack Level rating system. — The Black Summer bushfires destroyed 5,900 buildings and homes. 2.9 million people had their homes damaged, threatened, or were temporarily displaced. The Green Rebuild Toolkit is a set of resources developed by Renew to help people rebuild their homes and increase resistance to future climate disasters. Now in its second phase, the Green Rebuild Toolkit is expanding ...

Construction Sector Seeks Price Flexibility to Curb Losses

posted 29-07-2022
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The industry is facing a ‘hyper-escalation’ of critical input costs, sparking calls for the federal government to implement a price-adjustment mechanism on projects. Read the full article here

World’s Tallest Timber Hotel to Open in Adelaide in 2024

posted 29-07-2022
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Veteran developer Barrie Harrop’s Thrive Construct will build the world’s tallest timber hotel in the Adelaide city centre, and a second timber hotel in regional Whyalla, as part of a $300 million investment in tourism infrastructure in South Australia. Read the full article here

Why Building Cost Inflation is Set to Ease from Next Year: Report

posted 29-07-2022
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Surging construction cost inflation that is making projects unviable and causing developers to shelve them will ease next year as a global weakening in demand softens prices, helping calm inflation in the wider economy, according to fresh forecasts from consultancy RLB. Construction cost growth should slow from 11.5 per cent this year to 5.5 per cent in calendar year 2023 in Gold Coast alone, while in Melbourne it will halve from 8 per cent to 4 per cent and drop from 6.9 per cent to 3.9 per cent in Sydney, the quantity surveying firm’s International Report Q2 2022 forecasts show. Read the full article here

Petrol, Construction Costs Push Inflation up to a ‘Confronting’ 6.1 Per Cent

posted 29-07-2022
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Inflation across Australia has increased to 6.1 per cent through the past 12 months as high construction and petrol prices continue to squeeze the nation’s consumers. The Australian Bureau of Statistics on Wednesday reported that in the June quarter, the consumer price index increased by 1.8 per cent. That followed a 2.1 per cent lift through the first three months. Read the full article here

Amendment to Victorian Building Planning Scheme Lodged to Further Sustainability

posted 27-07-2022
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Twenty-four Victorian local governments have lodged a planning scheme amendment with the State Government, to further sustainability requirements for new building development with a simultaneous goal of encouraging net zero carbon emissions. Along with the amendment, the councils have written to the new Federal Minister for Planning, Lizzie Blandthorn, asking her to support the amendment and to acknowledge that the current planning requirements do not reflect the urgency needed to tackle climate change. Read the full article here

David Chandler Resigns – But Big Questions Remain

posted 27-07-2022
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NSW building commissioner David Chandler OAM has shocked the building and construction industry by tendering his resignation on Monday, leading many in the industry to scratch their heads over what just happened. Mr Chandler, a highly respected figure within the industry, will remain in the role until November. In just the past few weeks, he had briefed a number of NSW MPs about his upcoming work on a major cladding removal program called the Project Remediate. Attendees say he seemed enthusiastic about his role. Read the full article here

First Look: New Social Housing Announced on Brisbane’s Southside

posted 27-07-2022
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Housing Minister Leeanne Enoch has announced a new purpose-built Brisbane accommodation precinct for a group of vulnerable Queenslanders experiencing or at risk of homelessness. Read the full article here

Plan to Quadruple Size of Tassie Residential Estate Revealed

posted 27-07-2022
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More than 10ha of land formerly used to stable harness racing horses would become a vastly expanded residential estate, with two smaller stages already gobbled up by the market. Read the full article here

Building Inspectors Pressured to Avoid Finding Faults

posted 27-07-2022
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Building inspectors working for the state construction watchdog say they are being pressured not to complete thorough inspections and to avoid finding faults on projects so they can meet high performance targets. A leaked WorkSafe report handed to the Victorian Building Authority (VBA) last week found that the authority was placing its 40 building and plumbing inspectors at risk by demanding they finish at least three inspections a day and, in the case of plumbing inspectors, five a day. Read the full article here

Allowing Denser City Builds Could Ease Housing Cost Problem, Research Shows

posted 27-07-2022
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The broad scale relaxation of planning rules leads to a significant increase in housing supply, new research into New Zealand planning changes has found. A similar approach could help property prices and rents in Australia fall by as much as 12.5 per cent, making housing more affordable, economists said. Auckland “up-zoned” about three quarters of the city in 2016 in response to a housing affordability crisis, which meant the planning laws allowed for the construction of townhouses, terraces and units within 20 kilometres of the CBD. Read the full article here