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🤗 Howdy Readers
In this newsletter, you'll find:
Our latest blog post is our C20 Periodic Safety Inspection Checklist (yes, we jumped a few number ahead). Post two + three, we ask ChatGPT to review a specification from Coral & CMA Homes.
What's the deal with the music and youtube video's?
🥳 We get it—construction topics can sometimes feel a bit dry. To shake things up and give you a breather from the daily grind, we're incorporating music and YouTube videos that resonate with the themes we're discussing. Think of it as a little intermission to keep things lively and engaging.
🛠️ Post 1: Build Smarter, Safer, and On Schedule with the C20 Checklist
Building your dream home is exciting—but without a clear safety plan, it can quickly become overwhelming. Our latest blog post introduces the C20 Periodic Safety Inspection Checklist, designed to help you stay on top of site safety, compliance, and quality control.
This practical tool guides you through key inspection points, from electrical safety to environmental controls, ensuring nothing slips through the cracks. By regularly using the C20 checklist, you can prevent costly delays, avoid fines, and maintain a safe construction environment.
👉 Don’t leave safety to chance—read about C20 by clicking on the link below, sign up/sign in then grab your checklist here and build with confidence.
Anthony Painter
I think this was the weirdest image I could find to represent "safety"
Post 2+3: ChatGPT Analyses
Ever wondered what an artificial intelligence thinks about your potential home builder? We put one of Australia's largest construction companies under the microscope - using ChatGPT's analytical capabilities.
We use the same method for each review, which we explained and posted the prompt HERE, and ask ChatGPT to assess Quality, Language, What they say vs what they do then finally rank the builder on a score from 1 to 10.
See the complete AI-generated review by clicking the link below:
Anthony Painter
Anthony Painter
A random musical interlude that we feel best represents the theme of this weeks news
(I couldn't use the post cover image and not provide the song, so here it is:)
🚧 Constructor Website Updates
Checklist Progress: The Fixing Stage Checklist
We're currently drafting the Fixing Stage Checklist, recognizing that this phase encompasses several critical tasks: internal linings (gyprock), internal fix-out, joinery, waterproofing, and ceramic tiling. Given the complexity, our approach is to create a comprehensive general checklist for the fixing stage, with a dedicated, detailed section focusing on ceramic tiling in alignment with Australian Standards.
Combining all these elements into a single checklist would result in an overwhelming document—more like a novel than a checklist. By carving out the ceramic tiling component, we can provide an in-depth, "how and why" style checklist. This not only outlines what to inspect but also looks into the specifics of design and installation, so you get a deeper understanding of the process (and how it goes together).
Understanding what to check is just one part of the equation. Knowing how each component should be assembled is where true insight lies. Our summary checklists aim to equip you with the knowledge to identify key elements in plans and specifications, as well as during on-site inspections. This structured approach ensures clarity and efficiency throughout the fixing stage.
Stay tuned for the finalised checklists, designed to make your workflow more manageable and informed.
Website Improvements:
- We added a new tab/navigation menu item "FEEDBACK" (and the bookmark below).
- Here you'll find a way to provide feedback (much better than a contact form), see our changelog, our roadmap, and upvote what you want us to do next.
- We've got big plans for this blog so be part of the change you want to see!
💾 Software of the Week: Cryptpad.fr
This is not a sponsored post - just software we use and are sharing it with you
🌟 Your Private, Collaborative Workspace
Tired of big tech peeking into your documents, rummaging through you data?
Meet CryptPad.fr, a secure, privacy-first alternative to Google Docs and Microsoft Office. It’s a free, open-source suite that lets you create and collaborate on documents, spreadsheets, slides, and more—without compromising your personal data.
What Is CryptPad?
CryptPad is a web-based office suite designed with privacy at its core. Unlike traditional platforms, everything you create is end-to-end encrypted, meaning only you and your collaborators can access the content. Even CryptPad’s servers can’t read your files .
Why Use It?
If you’re concerned about data privacy or just want to avoid handing over your files to tech giants, CryptPad is a breath of fresh air. It’s perfect for:
- Students collaborating on group projects
- Teachers sharing lesson plans
- Writers drafting content
- Activists organizing securely
- Anyone who values privacy and simplicity
You can start using it instantly—no account or email required. Just create a document and share the link. Want to keep your files organized? Sign up for a free account or explore paid plans for extra storage.
Features That Matter
- Real-Time Collaboration: Work together on documents, spreadsheets, slides, Kanban boards, and more.
- Zero-Knowledge Encryption: Your data stays private—CryptPad can’t access it.
- No Personal Info Needed: Use it anonymously or register without providing an email.
- Open Source: Transparent and community-driven development.
- European Hosting: Data stored in France, adhering to strong privacy laws.
Things to Keep in Mind
Because of its strong encryption, CryptPad can be a bit slower to load, especially with large spreadsheets. Some users have noted that the interface feels a bit clunky on smaller screens . However, these are small trade-offs for the level of privacy and control you gain.
Final Thoughts
CryptPad is a fantastic option for anyone looking to collaborate online without sacrificing privacy. It’s user-friendly, secure, and respects your data. Whether you’re working on a school project, planning an event, or just jotting down notes, CryptPad offers a safe space to do it all.
Ready to take control of your digital workspace? Give it a try at CryptPad.fr.
👉 Check out Cryptpad on the link below:
ICYMI - the most important construction news from this week
🚀 The latest residential construction news from new sources around Australia for the news week ending 11-04-2025 🔥
This Week’s Theme: "Nothing To See Here"
If only we would all stop talking about the construction industry and just help them do what they do.
This weeks news seems to highlight that everyone knows whats going on, lack of social and affordable housing, rediculous prices, supply and productvity issues, yet no real solutions being offered. Instead, they seem to want to make it easier for you to access your savings and super to pay inflated prices, becuase hey "cool and normal."
We've highlighted our favourite news articles for the week by marking with a 🌯 or five
05-04-2025
Build baby, build! But it won’t fix it all – [LINK]
🌯🌯 Housing affordability: the crisis the major parties are too scared to fix – [LINK]
Article excerpt: “All we’ve done is pour all of this money into houses, which has deprived the economy of heaps and heaps of productive capital. We’ve got all this money in our domestic houses and we’re not backing business, we’re not creating new things, we’re not driving productivity.”
🌯🌯🌯 Grim video exposes bleak Australian housing truth – [LINK]
Our comment: At what point will politicians finally step up and address social and affordable housing? Developers won't solve this issue—it requires mandated, top-down regulation. The government has the power but continues to wait for private companies to take the initiative.
06-04-2025
🌯🌯 Like IKEA but for houses: could Sweden's housing revolution come to Australia? – [LINK]
Our comment: YES! This is exactly what's needed. The government must incentivise investment to scale these operations into large companies through tax incentives, R&D grants, and land allocation. It's crucial to cut red tape and prevent private developers from blocking public projects. Establishing a housing corporation similar to existing investment corporations would be beneficial. We've previously written about this here: [LINK] & [LINK] & [LINK]
07-04-2025
STUDENT CAP PLAN WILL DAMAGE ECONOMY WITHOUT FIXING HOUSING CRISIS – [LINK]
Our comment: An all caps title too! I was wondering about this myself. International students are a significant industry in Australia, contributing substantially to migration numbers and adding pressure to housing supply. We believe the only sustainable solution for housing affordability is addressing supply-side issues—increasing the number of dwellings available. Otherwise, limiting student numbers without a clear exemption for international students directly threatens Australian universities. Additionally, Australian universities face an existential threat from prestigious global institutions (Harvard, Stanford, Brown) if education shifts entirely online, removing geographic barriers. However, online education cannot entirely replicate the rich face-to-face interactions that significantly enhance learning through class discussions and peer interactions, in my opinion.
AUDIO: Coalition's international student cuts won’t address housing – [LINK]
08-04-2025
🌯🌯🌯 BGC churns out Perth ‘shell homes’ amid class action over years-long builds – [LINK]
Our comment: BGC is one of Australia's largest builders. Shouldn't that mean they'd be the most organized and deliver the best quality? Seems size doesn't always equal standards. But as we all know, its not the size that matters, its how you use it 😄
Or, as everyone in construction will parrot "its not the size of the dog in the fight but the size of the fight in the dog." (Concretors + Bricklayers most often say this).
🌯🌯 Election 2025: Evaluating the housing policies – [LINK]
Our comment: From our perspective (take this with a grain of salt), neither party is offering substantive change—just window dressing. Addressing "red tape" is minor at best. Building infrastructure is certainly necessary, but both parties seem focused solely on stimulating current market conditions and supporting existing market players. Where is the innovation and long-term investment beyond the typical four-year term? There's no clear vision for addressing seismic shifts in global economics and geopolitical realities. Instead, the parties seem content addressing immediate concerns without meaningful future-focused planning. Personally, I feel neither party offers an inspiring vision—they fight simply for relevance and power, offering tax-funded promises rather than implementing genuine structural change.
‘How dare they’: Renter slams Liberal Party's plan for first-home buyers to access their superannuation – [LINK]
Our comment: Well played, Liberal Party—you've truly alienated an entire generation with this move.
09-04-2025
🌯🌯🌯 ‘Not a lot of political will’: The unpopular fix for our housing woes – [LINK]
National housing values soar 39% over last half-decade – [LINK]
Construction cost growth slows – [LINK]
Queensland construction industry value to surge as workforce shrinks, report finds – [LINK]
10-04-2025
🌯🌯 Tradies abandon building project for NDIS recipients as alleged debts pile up – [LINK]
Our comment: The NDIS scheme is a cluster fuck—an onion with far too many layers and stakeholders inflating costs. We explored working in this sector last year and found it painfully inefficient. Companies expect detailed design and estimates to be provided without payment, only to reconnect months later asking when the project can begin. Meanwhile, participants remain stuck, unable to access essential modifications. These issues profoundly impact quality of life—for example, being stuck in mud in a wheelchair. This scheme would operate far better under local council management, utilising building inspectors. Instead, the private sector continues to mismanage it in the name of "efficiency."
Australia’s housing shortage continues: new housing supply falls short by 62,000 homes in 2024 – [LINK]
National home values climb over 39% in the past five years but still fall short of early 2000s boom – [LINK]
Apparently, this is what the government has available to fix social and affordable housing - Brass in Pocket
11-04-2025
Shrinking household sizes driving the housing crisis: Grattan Institute – [LINK]
Why housing needs to remain a four-year priority – [LINK]
Article excerpt: "HIA has long advocated that we need to continue investing in the workforce to make these projects more viable. While we often talk about the construction trades—carpenters, bricklayers, plumbers and tilers—the engineers and civil operators will be just as important to create supply."
Our comment: Where did our bricklayer training levy go? We've seen this before: paying a levy (essentially a tax) to train workers, yet we still lack the promised bricklayer workforce. This conversation repeats itself without tangible outcomes. Wonder where affordability disappeared? It's paying for initiatives like training levies that collect millions but fail to deliver the promised workforce. Show me the money, baby!
Just so you don’t think I’m ranting without reason—2009 [LINK] and 2014 [LINK].
Excerpt: "While the levy does add about $15 to the cost of building a house, this is more than offset by the benefit to consumers of reducing delays to construction caused by bricklayer shortages."
The vast majority of NSW builders are doing the right thing – [LINK]
Article excerpt: “HIA welcomes the opportunity to discuss the current regulatory environment builders face, the great work our industry is doing, and the huge number of good news stories that exist,” concluded Mr Armitage.
Our comment: There’s nothing inherently wrong with current regulations, the National Construction Code, or Australian Standards. The real problem is the distinct lack of compliance oversight and effective quality management to ensure builders consistently follow these guidelines.
Article excerpt: “There are many positive stories of quality, award-winning building work, happy customers moving into their dream homes, and young men and women starting amazing careers in our industry.”
Our comment: Seriously? Award-winning homes? Do they mean the awards created by industry associations primarily as marketing tools to attract and retain members—awards that emphasise aesthetics over critical factors like building science, material durability, and repeatable quality management?
What planet am I on? We have extensive standards and building codes, yet the industry reduces these down to superficial awards. This mindset epitomises what's fundamentally wrong with our industry. Here’s your plastic trophy, now grab your beer, make your small talk, and off you go—after paying your membership dues of 25 years at $2,500 per year (that’s $62,500 for a plastic trophy!).
Report reveals Hunter housing crisis figures – [LINK]
🌯🌯🌯🌯 (2018 Article) Housing Crisis, What Crisis? – [LINK]
Article excerpt: “It has to begin with a National Housing Strategy.”
If you only read one article, check out the foresight from the author and contributors to the article above. There has been pleanty of time to do something, yet here we are.
🙊The Last Word
I found another music video that also represents industry groups and political parties approach to fixing housing affordability. Enjoy.
The Constructor Forum
Got a question or want to post about some quality construction work, building detail or something that really impressed you about something (product/material) or someone (in residential construction) and why - head over to the forum and let everyone know.
The purpose of this forum is to discuss quality construction details, process, products/materials, people doing great work. Let's create a positive place and give thanks and support to great people and well made products, methods and processes that impress us.
To join the forum, click the button below. Thank you.
😶🌫️ That's all of today
The best way to support us is to share this this with three (3) friends who you think our content will help in some way.
Feel free to reach out on X or Mastodon or Bluesky - @obiwonky - 👋 Anthony
PS: Quality Management Checklist Access
All our published checklists are available to download via the Checklists Link in the navigation menu or directly at https://www.constructor.net.au/checklists/.
To download, simply enter your email when prompted. This allows us to assign you a free license—nothing more. Once completed, you’ll be able to view and download the checklists.
Each checklist is formatted on A4-sized paper for easy printing. Be aware that the files are larger than typical PDFs, around 25–35 MB each, as they are saved in CMYK (print-ready) format. This ensures the best quality for printing, even if it makes the files a bit “chunkier.”
Enjoy the checklists, we hope they help you identify quality improvements in your new home or next project - or at least, get you thinking.
Anthony Painter
Please note: You’ll need to be a member and to log in to access the content.
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Head over to our FEEDBACK tab/navigation menu where you can give us feedback, see our roadmap, upvote requests.
