Property Council appoints Cressida Wall as Vic head
Cressida Wall will join the Property Council as its new Victorian executive director, commencing 12 September.
Cameron Jewell
Paul Bannister steps down from Energy Action
After 26 years, energy efficiency heavyweight Dr Paul Bannister has announced he is leaving Energy Action, effective 31 August.
NSW imposes retrospective flammable cladding ban
Combustible aluminium composite cladding will be banned in NSW on the exteriors of multi-storey buildings, including residential buildings and public buildings over two storeys, from tomorrow.
Will the NEG change the net zero game?
Some of Australia’s leading property companies have set ambitious targets to reduce greenhouse gas emissions to zero or beyond. Will the NEG help or hinder?
Too many Australians have to choose between heating or eating this winter
You’d expect a dual-parent family on a median income to be able to put enough healthy food on the table.
Making small cities bigger will help better distribute Australia’s 25 million people
Australia’s population clock ticked over to 25 million last night, and it’s easy to see why most of this number are living in the bigger cities.
Evelyn Storey to head Aurecon’s South East Queensland operations
Engineering and infrastructure advisory company Aurecon has appointed structural engineer and design manager Evelyn Storey as regional director of its South East Queensland business.
More children are living in high-rise apartments, so designers should keep them in mind
Australian cities are changing. Instead of families living in low-density suburban areas, more parents are raising children in high-rise housing in inner-city areas.
Getting the temperature just right helps people with dementia stay cool
What happens when you can’t control the temperature where you live? This problem is faced by many residents of aged care facilities, and can be particularly difficult for those living with dementia.
What’s wrong with big solar in cities? Nothing, if it’s done right
Do large-scale solar installations have a place in our cities?
How can we make local councils fit for the future?
Twelve months ago the NSW Government walked back its program of council amalgamations in Sydney, leaving a lopsided local government sector.
New green fund to target hospitals, data centres, student housing and aged care
Alternative asset manager Morrison & Co and the Clean Energy Finance Corporation (CEFC) have announced a new $1 billion green fund targeting social and economic infrastructure.
Gardening improves the health of social housing residents and provides a sense of purpose
Studies indicate spending time in nature brings physical, mental and social benefits.
The property sector and the war on waste
Maybe it’s more a quiet revolution, rather than a war, moving through the industry as the property titans take up the issue of waste.
Finance leaders push for a sustainable finance roadmap
More than 300 finance sector organisations with $10 trillion in assets have released a joint statement calling for the development of sustainable finance roadmaps for Australia and New Zealand.
How the ‘yeah-but’ mentality stalls progress on bag bans and other green issues
The debacle over the removal of single-use plastic bags from supermarkets has been analysed from a range of different perspectives
Australia’s construction industry is dropping the ball on R&D investment
The Australian construction industry has among the lowest rates of investment in research and development in our economy.
How government schemes transformed the lighting industry
The happy marriage of state government support for energy efficiency and the coming of age of LED lighting technology has successfully transformed the entire lighting industry.
BlueScope Steel to source 20 per cent of energy from solar
BlueScope Steel will procure 20 per cent of its Australian electricity demand from solar, after signing one of the country’s largest power purchase agreements (PPA).
Q&A: The Indigenous design perspective
In Australia, and many other countries with colonial pasts, mainstream design – including architecture, town planning, as well as fashion, interior, product and landscape design – has largely eschewed both Indigenous design and designers.
A new study should be the final nail for open-plan offices
An innovative new study has found that employees in open-plan offices spend 73% less time in face-to-face interactions.
Will the NEG disrupt carbon accounting?
In the rush to reach agreement on the National Energy Guarantee, could all the good work done by individuals and corporations to reduce carbon emissions through energy efficiency and renewable energy investment come undone?
Energy management provider Simble cracks UK market
A recently upgraded energy management platform from Australian software as a service (SaaS) company Simble is making its mark in the both the Australian and UK markets thanks to its partnership with major lighting manufacturer Powercor.
Suncorp announced as anchor tenant for Mirvac’s green-filled 80 Ann Street
Mirvac has locked down financial services firm Suncorp as anchor tenant for its $836 million 80 Ann Street building in Brisbane.
Communities leading energy and housing transitions
Across three continents, citizens are working with their local communities to build more sustainable futures for themselves.
Why Australia’s homelessness problem is getting worse, despite a rise in housing stock
New housing supply is simply not expanding affordable housing opportunities for the poor in a way that reduces the homelessness count.
All in to tackle plastics in coffee takeouts
The move to rid cafes of plastics in takeaway coffee cups is gathering steam with innovative business jumping in with alternative solutions and competition between the major cities heating up. Landlords are taking note.
WorkSafe Victoria opens doors to uber-sustainable Geelong office
WorkSafe Victoria’s new headquarters at 1 Malop Street in Geelong – the first Australian office to gain WELL Building Standard Gold precertification for its fitout – has officially opened, on time and on budget.
UK chases “bytes and mortar” revolution – when will Australia follow?
The United Kingdom hopes to cut the time taken to construct a new building in half by pouring £420 million (AU$753m) into “bytes and mortar smart construction”, putting pressure on the Australian construction industry to invest in its own innovation efforts.