By Lynne Blundell FAVOURITES - 2 OCTOBER 2001 - A new life cycle assessment tool being developed by a consortium of industry and government bodies is set to raise the sustainability bar for building materials and to push manufacturers to be more competitive and innovative. It should also help cut through ...Read More > >

21 February 2010 - While architects, engineers and developers are learning the “green” game, so too are Australia’s blue collar construction workers. And at the forefront of change will be plumbers who deliver the majority of energy consumed in buildings. According to the Green Building Council of Australia major re-training is ...Read More > >

15 February 2010 - Tracy Wakefield, managing director of Appalachian Log Homes responded to our article on timber, Timber: complex, sustainable and good in bushfires in a recent letter published here. Timber is highly resilient to fire, Dr Wakefield says in this article, which develops the theme in greater depth. With ...Read More > >

The forestry industry and union have been stirring up controversy on the way Green Star ratings account for timber sustainability certifications. Now Lynne Blundell looks at the underlying sustainability of timber and how it stacks up against other materials.The debate over which construction material is the most sustainable – timber, ...Read More > >

By Tina Perinotto FAVOURITES - 15 January 2010 - The Green Building Council of Australia is seeking public comment on its revised PVC credit, which paves the way for some PVC products used in flooring, pipes and conduit to contribute to a green star rating. GBCA chief executive, Romilly Madew, said ...Read More > >

By Lynne Blundell 30 November 2009 - There has been a battle going on. It is a battle between sections of the forestry industry and the Green Building Council of Australia and so far it has taken place behind closed doors. But it is gathering pace and the big guns have ...Read More > >

by Lynne Blundell Despite widespread criticism, some innovative designs are starting to emerge in the Rudd Government’s schools construction program, with the private and independent schools sector making the most of the funding opportunity to push through concepts that may otherwise have been stymied by red tape. Chris Johnson, former Government Architect ...Read More > >

by Lynne Blundell As the effects of global economic conditions continue to impact across Australian office markets, with rising vacancies and increasing incentives, two government departments in Melbourne are taking the opportunity to strike new property deals and move to more sustainable buildings. The Australian Taxation Office (ATO) and Melbourne Water are ...Read More > >

BRIEF - 2 JULY 2009 - Refurbish your existing building to green standards and you could add 10 per cent to your investment, a new report published by the Property Council of Australia and conducted by Arup and Davis Langdon, has claimed. The study, Existing Buildings Survival Strategies: Making it Happen, ...Read More > >

Grocon is developing a supportive housing project for Melbourne’s homeless at cost, in a partnership with the State Government and Yarra Community Housing. CEO Daniel Grollo said Grocon would provide a project manager and other experienced staff to deliver the project, which is due to start later this year. “It’s a great ...Read More > >

by Lynne Blundell FAVOURITES - 21 May 2009 - For a kid who had no idea what she wanted to do when she grew up, Petie Walker has done all right. Winner of the 2008 Women in Business award for the development industry, Walker is a highly respected young project manager at ...Read More > >

The Re-tooling for Climate Change program is one of the three elements of the $240 million Clean Business Australia initiative. The other elements are the Climate Ready Program and the Green Building Fund. The Re-tooling for Climate Change program ($75 million over four years) will help small and medium sized Australian ...Read More > >

by Graham Hunt If you want to reduce your ecological footprint by installing items in your home such as rainwater tanks and solar cells but not sure if you can afford it, it’s worth checking if you are eligible for the many government rebates and assistance packages. The Federal and state ...Read More > >

By Perentie - an occasional column on big issues Despite their image, even service stations can go greener OK service stations are the epitome of the oil industry - dirty, polluting and an eyesore. But even they have the potential to embrace sustainability. While the most obvious potential is to start ...Read More > >