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In this newsletter, you'll find:
Two posts this week: A brief overview of the Future Tradie Report (download link provided) and our second post for the week is on Thermal Mass and how you can use it to improve comfort in your home.
Post 1: What’s Next for Aussie Tradies? The Future Tradie Report 2024 Has Read The Tea Leaves
Ever wondered what the future holds for Australia’s tradies—or how it could affect you as a homeowner?
The Future Tradie Report 2024 dives deep into the trends reshaping the residential trades industry, from the rise of sustainable building practices to the adoption of cutting-edge tech. Based on insights from a sample size of 1,100 tradies, this report anticipates changes what they think it means for the homes and projects of tomorrow.
Read how today’s tradies are (apparently) embracing limitless learning, prioritising trust and transparency, and adopting eco-friendly practices.
But it’s not all smooth sailing—financial pressures, regional challenges, and outdated systems aren’t going away anytime soon.
This report has plenty of insights for you to think about.
👉 Check out the full story on the link below and see what the future of Australian trades looks like!
Anthony Painter
Post 2: Keep Your Home Cool (and Warm!) Naturally: The Magic of Thermal Mass
Did you know your home can work smarter, not harder, to keep you comfy year-round?
Enter thermal mass—your secret weapon for energy-efficient living. Think of it as your home’s heat battery: absorbing warmth during the day and releasing it when it’s needed most. Whether it’s the cozy heat of winter or keeping things cool during summer nights, thermal mass makes your home feel just right—without overloading your heater or air-con.
In this post we break down the best materials (hello, concrete slabs and brick walls), key design tips, and even retrofitting tricks for older homes. Whether you’re building from scratch or updating your space, there’s something here to help you cut energy costs and boost comfort.
Click through to learn how you can save on bills, reduce your carbon footprint, and make your home a temperature-regulating powerhouse! 🌞❄️
Anthony Painter
💾 Software of the Week: Wormhole.app
This is not a sponsored post - just software we have used and are sharing with you
BTW: Yes, "wormhole" might sound a bit sketchy, but it’s absolutely not. I’ve been using this app for over two years, and it’s rock solid. The founders are trustworthy and have created a tool designed to keep your information safe and secure while it travels through the internet.
Ever needed to send a file quickly, securely, and without jumping through hoops? Enter Wormhole, the app that makes file-sharing as simple as sending a link, with the added bonus of end-to-end encryption.
What is Wormhole?
Wormhole is a secure, web-based file-sharing tool that lets you send files up to 10GB in size instantly. The twist? Everything is encrypted, meaning only you and the recipient can access the file—no prying eyes allowed. Think of it like sending a package through an impenetrable vault, but it’s lightning-fast and 100% digital.
Why Use It?
Here’s why Wormhole shines:
- Fast and Easy Sharing: Upload your file, grab the link, and share it. Your recipient can start downloading instantly, even before the upload finishes. No more waiting!
- Privacy First: With end-to-end encryption, your files are safe from hackers and unwanted snooping. Only the people with the link can access the file.
- Self-Destructing Links: Sent files automatically expire after 24 hours, so you don’t have to worry about cleanup or lingering access.
- No Downloads Required: No software installs or accounts needed—just a browser. Sharing with a non-tech-savvy friend? They’ll love the simplicity.
Who Is It For?
Wormhole is perfect for anyone who needs to share large files securely and quickly. Freelancers sending design files, teams exchanging sensitive documents, or even friends sharing personal photos—Wormhole has you covered.
What We Love
It’s simple, fast, and reliable. The encryption adds peace of mind, and the temporary links mean you’re not clogging up cloud storage or risking accidental sharing long after the file’s useful.
If you’re tired of clunky file-sharing tools or worrying about privacy, give Wormhole a try. It’s the easiest way to send files safely—and you’ll wonder how you ever managed without it!
PS: It works a treat on Linux, any OS really! Get your files to corporates too. Often they wont allow file attachments, so send them am encrypted wormhole share link.
👾 Chrome Store Extension Of the Week
SmallPDF — Annotate, Edit and Sign PDFs - Desktop and Mobile Device
Managing PDFs doesn’t have to be a headache. With the Smallpdf Chrome Extension, you can edit, convert, compress, and manage PDF files directly from your browser—no downloads, no fuss, just smooth productivity.
What does it do?
Smallpdf takes the pain out of working with PDFs. Need to compress a large file for emailing? Done. Want to convert a PDF into a Word doc? Easy. You can even merge, split, and sign PDFs—all from the convenience of your Chrome browser.
Why use it?
- Time Saver: Quickly drag and drop files into the extension to convert or edit in seconds. No need to search for online tools or install bulky software.
- Versatility: It’s not just a PDF converter; it’s a full toolkit for handling PDFs. Compress files, add e-signatures, and even protect sensitive documents with passwords.
- User-Friendly: The interface is clean and simple, so anyone—tech-savvy or not—can get the job done without confusion.
- Cloud Integration: Smallpdf connects with Google Drive, making it seamless to edit and save PDFs without leaving your browser.
Who is it for?
Smallpdf is perfect for students, professionals, and anyone who regularly works with documents. Whether you’re submitting assignments, managing contracts, or streamlining office workflows, this extension makes handling PDFs stress-free.
What we love
The one-click functionality keeps everything straightforward, and the wide range of features means you won’t need multiple tools for different tasks. Plus, its integration with Google Drive is a helpful for anyone with their head in the cloud(s) 😉.
Ready to simplify your PDF game? Check out Smallpdf on the Chrome Web Store and see how easy managing PDFs can be!
Tell us what you think?
On with the news from this week 😄
🚀 The latest residential construction news from new sources around Australia for the news week ending 23-01-2025 🔥
We've highlighted our favourite news articles for the week by marking with a 🌯 or five
The overarching theme here is Australia’s housing crisis and the systemic challenges impacting its resolution, including affordability, supply shortages, skills gaps, and policy inefficiencies.
It’s clear from the articles and comments that the housing market faces a complex web of issues, but there's also a sense of cautious hope and potential solutions.
Why this theme:
- Housing Supply and Affordability Crisis: Many articles focus on how Australia is failing to meet ambitious housing targets (e.g., 1.2 million homes) and how this is driving prices up and exacerbating the housing shortage. Such as pieces like “Housing shortage to continue driving prices in 2025” and “Australia faces severe worker shortage amid housing project goals.”
- Structural Challenges in the Industry: Topics such as skill shortages, rising construction costs, and inefficient approval processes reflect deeper systemic issues. For instance, your comments highlight the challenges builders face, including waste, regulatory barriers, and dumping, showing how these micro-issues collectively impact the housing market.
- Policy and Governance Misalignment: Many articles and our commentary touch on the disconnect between federal, state, and local governments in achieving cohesive housing outcomes. Suggestions like improving council staffing for faster approvals or aligning council and state objectives illustrate the scope of these challenges.
- Emerging Solutions and Innovations: Despite the grim tone of many articles, there are glimpses of hope, like modular housing, timber construction, and government initiatives like the Home Guarantee Scheme or renewable investments in affordable housing. These indicate that innovation and collaboration could turn the tide.
- Broader Economic and Social Impact: The housing crisis is deeply tied to societal trends—rising rents, adult children staying at home, retirees freeing up the market, and even environmental considerations like relocatable housing and sustainable building materials.
Keeping it hopeful:
There’s no denying the housing crisis is daunting, but what stands out is the growing awareness and conversation around solutions. The rise of modular construction, the potential for AI to simplify compliance and quality management, and innovative policy ideas (like community housing and land trusts) demonstrate that while the challenges are significant, so are the opportunities to address them.
Change won’t happen overnight, but eliminating inefficiencies and focusing on purposeful development could reshape the industry for the better.
It’s encouraging to see discussions shifting from just identifying problems to proposing actionable solutions, like better alignment of government agencies or embracing new building methods.
17-01-2025
Singaporean billionaire’s Ho Bee Land sparks bidding war for Australia’s AVJennings - [LINK]
Australia's critical skills shortage threatening housing goals - [LINK]
Housing shortage to continue driving prices in 2025 - [LINK]
Qld hotspot notches shock reversal of building recovery trend - [LINK]
🌯🌯🌯🌯 Vacant Residential Land Tax: Victoria’s Strategy to Combat Property Vacancy - [LINK]
(Literally) moving house: How home relocations can help address the housing crisis - [LINK]
🌯 ‘As confused as it is confusing’: The big handbrake holding back housing in Sydney - [LINK]
Our Comment:
This article reads like a lobbying piece advocating for developers. While I’m not against developers, opening the floodgates to unchecked development often results in poor-quality housing. Developers prioritise speed because time is money, which rarely aligns with building high-quality or purpose-driven developments. The misalignment of interests between developers, buyers, and governments is evident.
Here’s a thought: speeding up the development process could be achieved by staffing council development approval departments more effectively. Why not have state-appointed teams working within local councils under state legislation? The disconnect between local councils’ priorities and state objectives is a bottleneck. Addressing this alignment at the state level could improve accountability and outcomes. Cooperation between local, state, and federal levels is essential to get meaningful results instead of constant delays and inefficiencies.
🌯🌯 Five crucial events for investors to watch in a year of transition - [LINK]
🌯🌯🌯 Dumping disgrace - [LINK]
Our Comment:
This issue is personal for me. Other builders have dumped waste on my sites, including excess soil, leaving me to pay for its removal. One builder I confronted—with photographic evidence—dismissively said, "prove it." This behaviour saves them money on dumping fees but costs others significantly.
Preventing this requires expensive security cameras and fencing, but even that doesn’t always work. Councils claim this is a civil matter, which forces affected parties to hire lawyers and pay steep legal fees to take action. The system is broken, and as long as people can profit from exploitation, it will continue.
The same applies to overland water flow issues. Despite being a building approval condition, councils won’t enforce it, leaving enforcement up to costly civil litigation. This lack of accountability is frustrating and inefficient.
Building permits, housing starts data due Friday - [LINK]
🌯🌯🌯🌯🌯 Resi energy ratings need to be much more useful than they are - [LINK]
Our Comment:
This is an excellent article, and I completely agree with its premise. The complexity of regulations and standards makes compliance nearly impossible unless you dedicate significant time to reading and staying updated.
We’ve discussed this before in the articles below. With the advent of AI, now is the perfect time to use technology to simplify compliance and quality management for end users.
Paywalling standards is counterproductive. While corporates can justifiably pay for access, licensed contractors and owners should have free access to trade-specific standards. It’s baffling that this isn’t already the norm.
Anthony Painter
Anthony Painter
Anthony Painter
Perth apartment developer WeLink applies to scrap social housing from Subiaco apartment complex - [LINK]
Our Comment:
MSN embeds excessive tracking and telemetry into their URLs, effectively stealing user data for their gain. This practice is exploitative. I’ve cleaned this link to include only the core article URL, but we should be compensated for the data they extract from clicks.
Australian housing market: Record highs amid slowing growth - [LINK]
Housing shortage to continue driving prices in 2025 - [LINK]
Australia faces severe worker shortage amid housing project goals - [LINK]
Our Comment:
The narrative of worker shortages only holds if we insist on building the same way we always have. There are innovative approaches that can disrupt this market. Watch this space—we intend to lead this change.
🌯🌯🌯 Adult children still living at home? There are four possible outcomes - [LINK]
Hunter, Central Coast Lead NSW Housing Effort but More Work to Do - [LINK]
Parents housing grown-up kids in their backyard to help them get into the property market - [LINK]
CEFC invests $100m into affordable housing strategy - [LINK]
18-01-2025
Timber’s Fix: Retirement Living Helps Solve Aussie Housing Crisis - [LINK]
Article Excerpt: "For the most part, homeowners do not own the village land on which their home sits, and therefore, by law, the home must be relocatable."
Our Comment:
This article is confusing. It mentions relocatable homes but includes images of houses built on slabs with timber framing, which are clearly not relocatable. The content and visuals do not align, leaving the reader unclear about the message.
Sekisui House Australia advances Melrose Park vision with Dawn Stage 5 approval - [LINK]
Luxury triple-tower construction approaches completion - [LINK]
Rejected Sandy Bay housing development returns as short-stay apartment complex - [LINK]
Chamfer House | Stukel Architecture - [LINK]
🌯🌯🌯 Improving Social Housing: Simple and Affordable Fixes - [LINK]
19-01-2025
Chamfer House | Stukel Architecture - [LINK]
Malaysia’s Quake-Proof All-Timber Temple Built Nail-and-Bolt Free! - [LINK]
Australia’s Housing Shortage: All those people but nowhere to live - [LINK]
🌯🌯🌯 State-by-state: These are the suburbs where home prices have had the biggest falls - [LINK]
Beach bargains: Where you can still buy for $700k - [LINK]
Finland's housing policy has shrunk homelessness rates. Could Australia do the same? - [LINK]
Affordable Townhouses – New Cleveland Road, Wakerley - [LINK]
20-01-2025
Modular homes can shelter us from housing’s perfect storm - [LINK]
7 things driving the biggest change in Australian home design in 2025 - [LINK]
🌯🌯 Here’s What To Expect From The Australian Property Market in 2025 - [LINK]
🌯 Sweden is On Track to Build the World’s Largest City out of Wood! - [LINK]
Data Centres Built From Wood? Why the USA is the King of Data - [LINK]
200,000 Australians enter home ownership through the Home Guarantee Scheme - [LINK]
21-01-2025
Over 200,000 Aussies secure homes via government scheme - [LINK]
🌯🌯🌯 10 Things the Media Got Wrong About the Housing Market and Economy in 2024 - [LINK]
🌯🌯 Investment to boost renewables in affordable housing - [LINK]
Housing affordability blow as construction costs go up - [LINK]
‘Year of the first homebuyer’: 5 ways to get into the market - [LINK]
Property market set for high activity in 2025 - [LINK]
Residents oppose planned housing ‘overdevelopment’ - [LINK]
Over 50s homes: How retirees are the key to freeing up the housing market - [LINK]
Woolworths unveils long-awaited Waterloo precinct with shop-top housing - [LINK]
🌯🌯 Construction costs climb across Australia amid economic shifts - [LINK]
Construction costs surge, highest increase since 2023 - [LINK]
Our Comment:
Rising costs are straining builders and buyers alike, but it’s also an opportunity to rethink how we build. Eliminating waste in construction processes and exploring alternative methods like modular construction could help manage these costs while maintaining quality.
A 'knockdown' house on the market for $699,000 shows Brisbane's house market is still strong - [LINK]
Hundreds of apartments, park, offices and hotel slated for prime Canberra city site near Lake Burley Griffin - [LINK]
Precast concrete shapes Wee Hur Student Village - [LINK]
22-01-2025
Informed Design: How This Builder-Architect Firm Simplifies New Home Builds - [LINK]
Where to find land on the WA coast for $100k or less - [LINK]
🌯🌯🌯 "Let’s Build Australia" and get serious about skill shortages - [LINK]
Our Comment:
Fixing construction requires eliminating unnecessary waste—fees, memberships, and insurances that don’t add real value only drive up costs for consumers. These associations may provide education, but they don’t tangibly improve on-site quality. Builders and consumers need actual solutions, not just more marketing.
🌯🌯🌯🌯 Future tradie’s report looks towards the next five years in construction - [LINK] Report [LINK] Download [LINK]
Skills crisis, slowing starts hammer big housing target - [LINK]
Profitability challenges remain for builders - [LINK]
🌯🌯 Rising rents push more people to consider buying - [LINK]
Perth construction skills and innovation hub opens for 2025 school year - [LINK]
McNab kicks off construction at Elements, Budds Beach apartments - [LINK]
🌯 Debunking myths around public housing - [LINK]
🌯🌯 How higher interest rates turned housing into a ‘luxury good’ - [LINK]
Albanese Government delivering 25,000 more homes across New South Wales - [LINK]
Joint media statement - EOI to open for community housing providers to operate new supply of social and affordable homes - [LINK]
🌯🌯🌯 A city with no future’: The real cost of Sydney’s housing crisis - [LINK]
23-01-2025
Australia sees surge in building activity amid national housing push - [LINK]
Home construction rises but target remains out of reach - [LINK]
🌯🌯🌯🌯 Australia home building targets: Why the nation is not close to meeting its ambitious 1.2 million homes goal - [LINK]
Our Comment:
The industry’s historical output over the last decade should have been a clear indicator of what’s achievable. Expecting more during a period of inflation and resource shortages is overly optimistic.
Stark reality of housing shortfall growing more evident - [LINK]
New home builds rise, but housing target remains elusive - [LINK]
🌯🌯 NSW Building Completions Heading in Wrong Direction - [LINK]
Our Comment:
This outcome is no surprise. We’ve consistently failed to meet the industry's capacity limits. Inflation, material shortages, and a lack of skilled labour are further compounding the problem.
ABS Data Reveal Worst ACT Building Starts for a Generation - [LINK]
Home construction rises but target remains out of reach - [LINK]
Victoria’s anti-corruption watchdog charges 28 more people over allegations of bribes to register builders - [LINK]
🌯 Doorstop interview - Sydney - [LINK]
🌯🌯🌯🌯 Cr hits the roof over project cost - [LINK]
Our Comment:
Good on the Cr! Prioritising waste elimination in organisations should always come first—not by firing people, but by streamlining processes, cutting unnecessary meetings, and optimising workflows. If you’re interested in this, look into critical chain theory and value stream mapping for inspiration.
Anthony Painter
Anthony Painter
Anthony Painter
New home builds rise, but housing target remains elusive - [LINK]
Australia's most affordable housing markets revealed - [LINK]
🌯🌯🌯🌯 Albo’s housing target collapses into dust - [LINK]
Portables to solve the housing crisis? Latest ABS statistics reveal the crisis for renters and first-time buyers continues - [LINK]
Requests from you - If you have any requests on areas you would like me to explain, feel free to let me know and ill do my best to respond in kind.
Constructor Forum
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😶🌫️ That's all of today
For more construction insights check out our website. The best way to support us is to share this this with three 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/.
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PPS: If you haven’t tried out our new AI tools yet, here are the links to check them out!
Why use them? Got construction questions you need answers to? Our specialised AI-powered tools are built on our extensive knowledge base, including blog posts, checklists, and subject-specific content—tailored to help you navigate construction with confidence.
Anthony Painter
Anthony Painter
Anthony Painter
Anthony Painter
Anthony Painter
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