Australia’s push toward lower carbon construction has taken an unexpected turn. Researchers at RMIT University have shown that spent coffee grounds, one of the country’s largest organic waste streams, can be turned into a functional ingredient for concrete that is...
Australian home buyers are showing renewed interest in energy efficiency, but the shift happening across Queensland, Western Australia, New South Wales and Victoria is far more selective than many expected. Customers are asking more questions about comfort,...
Western Australia’s digital infrastructure has just taken another major step forward, with global contractor Multiplex topping out Stage Two of NEXTDC’s P1 Perth data centre, a key milestone in the tech giant’s $110 million expansion in Malaga. The project is one of...
The political ground shifted again this week when the Liberal Party formally abandoned its commitment to reach net zero emissions by 2050. The move, confirmed yesterday, removes one of the nation’s key long-term climate targets and leaves a noticeable gap in the...
In a major breakthrough for sustainable construction, researchers at RMIT University have teamed up with Bristile Roofing to transform two of Australia’s toughest waste challenges coal ash and recycled glass into durable, low-carbon roof tiles. The large-scale...
When “Passivhaus” Is Just a Marketing Word A growing number of Australian developers are coming under fire for advertising buildings as “Passivhaus” or “Passivhaus-aligned” despite lacking the documentation, design modelling, or certification to back it up. The term,...
Australia is getting hotter. With 2024 ranked the nation’s second warmest year on record and 2025 expected to follow with above-average temperatures, the conversation around energy-efficient home design has never been more urgent. For home builders and designers, the...
A global alliance aims to simplify how the industry measures and selects building materials. In a world where construction consumes over half of all raw materials extracted, six global green building heavyweights have joined forces to tackle a long-standing problem:...
A carbon border adjustment mechanism could reshape Australia’s construction sector — and force builders to rethink material choices. Australia’s building industry may soon face one of its biggest policy shifts in decades, as the Albanese government explores a carbon...
Australia’s building sector is barely circular — here’s who’s getting it right. A Wake-Up Call from Europe Australia’s construction industry is struggling to adapt to one of the most important shifts of the decade: the transition to a circular economy. According to...
Material waste is eroding profitability in home building, and the numbers are bigger than anyone expected. Australia’s construction sector is heading toward a material waste crisis of unprecedented scale. A new industry report estimates that over the next five years,...
A Pour That Represents Progress This month, something quietly powerful is happening on site at Elridge Estate in Jimboomba: the 100th Biax slab will be poured. It’s not a ribbon-cutting or a marketing stunt. It’s a working example of what happens when builders lean...
The future of Australian building needs a stronger foundation, and a new industry-led initiative has just stepped up to the challenge. A new not-for-profit organisation, the Sustainable Foundations Group (SFG), has officially launched, spearheaded by three industry...
On Wednesday, May 14, 2025, from 3:00 PM to 7:00 PM AEST, STIEBEL ELTRON Australia is hosting an insightful event titled “Building for the Future” at their Port Melbourne location. This afterwork session is designed to delve into the upcoming changes in the National...
Illegal Dumping Costs One Council $2.3 Million a Year As Australia races to meet ambitious housing targets, an ugly side effect is emerging across the urban fringe: illegal dumping. In the City of Melton on the outskirts of Melbourne—one of Australia’s fastest-growing...
The home-building landscape is shifting, and TGB caught up with leading interior designer and Open Homes Australia host James Treble, to understand three clear trends that builders need to be aware of in 2025. 1. Sustainability and Material Origins Matter More Than...
The time for pre-fab homes may have finally arrived. The Commonwealth Bank of Australia has become the first major bank to make a significant move to capture a share of the quickly growing offsite construction industry. Later this quarter, the bank will allow...
LATEST NEWS
The temporary halving of Australia's fuel excise expires on June 30, and for builders and trades running diesel-heavy operations, the timing matters. Since April 1, the excise on petrol and diesel has been reduced by 60.9%, bringing the rate down from the standard...
The Rockliff Government handed down its 2026-27 Budget on 21 May 2026, with fiscal repair, housing and major infrastructure as the central themes. The housing measures are targeted rather than transformational. But the structural changes underway in how the state...
Australia's most ambitious social housing program since World War II is now two years in. The contracts are signed, the money is moving, and Round 3 is open. But with less than 1,500 homes completed so far and a national audit in progress, builders and the industry...
A charitable trust founded in Christchurch in 2015 has quietly become one of the most effective knowledge-sharing platforms in Australasian construction. Here is what it is, how it works, and why Australian builders should be paying attention. Most movements in the...