Howdy Readers 👋
In this newsletter, you'll find:
Our two latest blog posts. No checklist was posted this week but we will post a new one next week - Our Roofing Quality Inspection Checklist (Metal Roof + Flashing & Tile Roof + Flashing Checklsits)
📰 Our first blog post of this week:
Boomer Bonds: A New Path to Affordable Housing in Australia
Australia's housing market is at a tipping point, with soaring property prices making home ownership increasingly unattainable for many. In response, we have proposed an innovative solution called "Boomer Bonds" to address this crisis.
Boomer Bonds aim to leverage the substantial property equity held by the baby boomer generation to fund affordable, community-focused housing developments. This approach not only provides boomers with a stable and predictable investment vehicle secured over property but also facilitates inter-generational collaboration, offering a win-win for all generations.
By utilising built-up equity and high property valuations, Boomer Bonds create a lucrative opportunity for boomers to invest in the housing market, thereby helping preceding generations achieve home ownership. This model fosters community growth and sustainability, reminiscent of the quality and ambition of post-war social housing developments.
This proposal comes at a time when Australia's housing market is under significant strain, with a shortage of affordable housing options and increasing demand due to population growth. Innovative solutions like Boomer Bonds can play a role in addressing these challenges and ensuring that housing remains accessible to all Australians.
Read our first post by clicking the link below:
Anthony Painter
Why not encourage those who have resources to support those who don’t? By offering attractive returns and securing investments against potential losses, we can tap into existing funds to address housing affordability. The solutions are within reach—it’s time to act.
Call to Action
If you found our post on Boomer Bonds insightful or believe in the merits of the ideas shared, please spread the word. Please share it with someone you know or, better yet, tell your local MP to read it.
We’ve submitted our proposal to the Housing Opportunities Portal and plan to submit it to the Housing Investment Fund when submissions reopen in 2025.
This isn’t just a concept on paper—we have the people, the trades to install, the partners/suppliers, investors, builders, construction managers and the skills to make it happen.
While the initial setup requires significant investment, the results will be transformative, producing housing with consistent quality and output far superior to what current project builders offer.
Unlike traditional estates with cramped "lunchbox-sized" lots, this proposal envisions 800m² sites designed for community, aspect, and terrain—not just maximising yield for developers. We believe Australians shouldn’t have to live on top of each other just to serve someone else’s bottom line.
This can work, but it needs your support to become a reality!
📰 Our second blog post of this week: Innovations in Modular Construction About To Transform The Australia's Housing Market
Australia's housing market is facing significant challenges, with a national target to construct 1.2 million new homes in the next five years. Traditional construction methods may not suffice to meet this demand. Prefabricated and modular construction offer a faster, more efficient, and cost-effective way to build homes.
These methods involve manufacturing building components or entire sections in a controlled factory environment before transporting them to the construction site for assembly.
This approach minimises delays caused by weather, supply chain issues, or workforce availability, making the process more predictable and efficient. Prefabricated homes can be built up to 50% faster than traditional methods, getting you into your dream home sooner.
Read our second post by clicking the link below:
Anthony Painter
On with the news from this week 😄
🚀 The latest residential construction news from new sources around Australia for the news week ending 26-12-2024
If you're new to Constructor, a warm welcome to you! 👋 You've come to the right place to learn all about residential construction and quality management.
Let's get started, shall we?
Before we forget, if someone forward you this newsletter, don't forget to subscribe to our newsletter so you never miss out!
💾 Software of the Week - Infinity
This is not a sponsored post - just software we have used and are sharing with you
This week, we're spotlighting Infinity, a versatile work management platform that stands out in the crowded field of tools like Airtable.
What sets Infinity apart is its Public Tables feature, which allows you to share your boards with anyone, even if they don't have an Infinity account. This means clients or collaborators can view and interact with your data without the need to sign up or log in. It's a seamless way to share progress, gather feedback, or collaborate on projects without the usual barriers.
In our experience, many database tools require external users to create accounts to access or edit/collaborate on shared content. This can be a significant hurdle when working with companies that have strict firewall policies or mobile device management (MDM) systems that prevent account creation. Additionally, in B2B interactions, partners often prefer not to create new accounts just to collaborate. They'd rather engage through direct methods like email, text, or visiting a website.
Infinity's approach eliminates these obstacles. By allowing public access to edit, you can share tables, documents, and other database views effortlessly. This feature is particularly beneficial for teams that need to collaborate with external partners who are reluctant or unable to create new accounts.
Beyond this standout feature, Infinity offers a range of customisable views—such as Columns, Table, Calendar, Gantt, Form, and List—that let you organise your projects the way you want. Its flexibility and user-friendly interface make it a powerful tool for managing workflows and enhancing productivity.
If you're seeking a work management solution that simplifies collaboration and adapts to your needs, give Infinity a try. It's designed to make your work life easier and more efficient. 🛠️
🔥 News
What else is happening in the construction sector?
All the links we provide have been cleaned of news tracking codes. We use a browser extension called ClearURLS - its great for sharing links without all the tracking BS.
Kevin R.
Firefox extension and Chrome Extension - search chrome store for ClearURLs
Note: When using ClearURLs, be aware that it may cause certain web pages, such as Google Sheets, to break. It’s best to toggle it on and off as needed to avoid broken pages or unnecessary confusion.
We've highlighted our favourite news articles for the week by marking with a 👉️ and this formatting.
The theme for this weeks news articles from various sources is:
"Australia’s Housing Crisis: Big Problems, Few Real Solutions"
This week’s housing news shines a light on the same frustrating story we’ve seen before. Housing is too expensive, building more homes isn’t happening fast enough, and the solutions on the table don’t seem to be cutting it. It’s clear that fixing this crisis is going to take more than talk and a few half-hearted policies.
Here’s what’s standing out:
- Housing Costs Keep Climbing:
Australia now has five cities in the world’s top 20 most expensive, and renters are feeling the pinch more than ever. For many, home ownership feels like a pipe dream. And while property prices might drop a little in 2025, it’s not enough to make a real difference. - Builders Are Struggling:
Builders are dealing with skyrocketing costs, delays, and worker shortages, which means fewer homes are getting built. Even big government projects are hitting roadblocks, and the whole system feels stuck in quicksand. - Policies Aren’t Hitting the Mark:
Programs like Build-to-Rent and fast-tracked approvals sound great on paper, but critics say they’re not reaching the people who need them most. There’s a lot of talk about fixing the housing crisis, but not much action to back it up. - Fresh Ideas Are Needed:
Modular homes and prefab construction are getting some attention, and they could help shake things up. But the industry seems slow to change, clinging to old methods that don’t work for today’s challenges. We need smarter, faster ways to build. - Generational Tensions Are Growing:
Baby boomers who bought homes when they were cheap are now sitting on huge property investments. Meanwhile, younger generations are stuck renting or sharing houses, with no clear path to ownership. It’s creating a growing divide between those who have and those who don’t. - The Human Cost Is Huge:
Homelessness is rising, and many people are struggling to keep up with rent or mortgage payments. Media stories about housing help over Christmas highlight just how widespread the problem is—and how far we still have to go.
In short, the housing crisis is a massive, messy problem. Fixing it will take new ideas, real action, and a willingness to break away from “business as usual.” Until then, it looks like more of the same: high prices, not enough homes, and too many people left behind.
20th December 2024
New exclusive estate racks up sales ahead of construction of homes - LINK
Housing Delivery Authority established - LINK
TAFE’s Future of Housing Construction Centre to build skilled workforce for Australia - LINK
👉️ We can democratise the data on energy efficiency – why the real estate industry and prop tech are excited - LINK
Our comment: This post oversimplifies the issue by assuming that improving one component will resolve all construction challenges. The real problem lies in poor quality management, inadequate energy-efficient design principles, lack of environmental science practices, and flaws in the building envelope. Most builders construct homes that are ill-suited to Australia’s environment, relying heavily on HVAC systems to stabilise indoor conditions. This approach is fundamentally flawed. Instead, we should focus on improving the building envelope, construction methods, and materials. While this aligns with NatHERS objectives, there are many other areas that need addressing before assuming that "raising the bar" will solve everything. Builders can tick the compliance box, but compliance alone doesn't guarantee quality, sustainability, or long-term effectiveness.
👉️ “Precipitous:” Builder of Australia’s biggest battery sees big cost falls, compares grid to “pearl necklace” -LINK
Our comment: yep :-)
Rumours Confirmed – Nicola Forrest Buys The Terminus - LINK
Up to 100 housing developments to be sent on approval fast-track - LINK
Albanese government spends more than $200,000 on Housing Australia Advisory Group before agency builds single home - LINK
Our comment: fucking around doesn't build more homes for those who need them. Think tanks are wank tanks. Waste of time.
Cook Labor Government reforms Keystart loans to boost housing - LINK
21st December 2024
Residential Focus: Another pass at reforming the Strata Schemes Legislation - LINK
👉️ Build to Rent will produce more homes for tenants, but not for those most in need - LINK
Our comment: Think of it as an app subscription on your phone except the service is shelter and you have no say in any of the operational aspects of the service - this is done for you under the terms of the subscription. Like all software companies, the terms of service get frequently updated, changed, you have no say in this process. Sooner or later the software company gets acquired by a larger company, the market consolidates then the new owner raises the prices to cover the acquisition costs. Who's holding the bag? - The subscriber.
Read more here on BTR:
Anthony Painter
Anthony Painter
Council supports plan to deliver new homes - LINK
👉️ ‘You can’t always get what you want’: Court knocks back controversial Elizabeth Bay apartment block - LINK
The record amount Australians made selling their homes - LINK
👉️ Australia ‘caught-up’ on immigration. What about housing? - LINK
Our comment: just because it is said doesn't mean its true. Some people try to speak things into existence with no substance or fact behind their argument. Call bullshit when you see or hear it. People are not as smart as you might hope they are. Check our (if you haven't heard of it) the Peter Principal.. It, along with the Dunning Kruger effect, explains lot about society and government officeholders.
Qld’s 20 biggest home sales of 2024 revealed - LINK
Peninsula Projects Halted Over Illegal Deposit Scandal - LINK
👉️ Housing bubble or housing trouble? Australians wary of increasing property prices in future - LINK
Our comment: This strikes me as cognitive dissonance—holding two conflicting ideas simultaneously. On one side, we have boomers who worked hard and benefited from a time when property was relatively affordable, allowing them to pay off homes over shorter periods, even accounting for inflation.
Many now own multiple properties, with their retirement wealth tied to these investments, reinforcing the idea that property is a sound investment. On the other side, we have younger generations struggling to enter the market, facing wages and living costs vastly disproportionate to what boomers experienced.
One group is unwilling to compromise on what they’ve earned and invested in, while the other sees no realistic path to achieve the same.
The question is, how do we reconcile these competing interests? Can both sides truly get what they want?
This is why we wrote and published our post this week:
Anthony Painter
The surprise Australians turning to share housing - LINK
Gold Coast residents sell storm-damaged homes 'as is' amid housing crisis - LINK
New Housing Projects Fast-Tracked - LINK
The “Missing Middle” in Housing: Why Densifying and Gentrifying Our Middle Ring Suburbs Is the Solution - LINK
22nd December 2024
Housing Costs Top Aussies’ Worries for 2025 – new data reveals - LINK
Nine-storey student housing becomes first major development for new UWA-QEII precinct - LINK
Australia to Age Rapidly, Lacks Robust Housing, Healthcare - LINK
All residents living in unsafe government-owned Batemans Bay motel ‘assisted’ to find alternative housing - LINK
Sydney will need innovative housing solutions and healthier transport to support its growing population - LINK
'Design out crime' call as housing plans approved - LINK
Our comment: UK news but interesting all the same.
Why I supported the planning scheme amendments (Noosa) - LINK
23rd December 2024
👉️ Hopes pinned on pre-fab homes as building pipeline hits $213 billion - LINK
Our comment: We recently published three blog posts on this topic, and we completely agree. The existing industry infrastructure cannot increase output—it’s already constrained by its own design. The only way to overcome this limitation is by creating a new delivery method that breaks through these constraints.
Think of it as adopting a “wartime mentality”—when winning is the only option, all conventional approaches are set aside. If we truly want to tackle this housing shortage, we must make housing our absolute focus and act decisively. Australia’s prosperity depends on it!
Anthony Painter
Posted this week.
Anthony Painter
Posted this week.
Anthony Painter
Posted recently.
From $1.6 million to $130 million, the best renovator’s dreams of 2024 - LINK
‘Three years of sheer hell’: Owners of homes ravaged by defective plumbing fight for compensation - LINK
Snowy Hunter gas project hit by more delays and blowouts, with total cost now more than $2 billion - LINK
Entry Building Complete In Thomas Embling Hospital Up-Grade - LINK
Tiny homes help young people in state care gain independent living - LINK
How Australia’s Property Market Changed in 2024 – in 10 charts - LINK
NSW government agrees to help save Paddington boarding house if developer will sell - LINK
Australia’s Most In-Demand Suburbs: Where Buyer Interest is Soaring - LINK
Renters Face Financial Strain This Christmas - LINK
👉️ Australian home builders crippled by costs - LINK
High Court of Australia hands down landmark judgement on application of proportionate liability regime - LINK
Multi-tower precinct planned for South Brisbane riverfront - LINK
How Sydney Fish Market’s Glulam Roof Uses Sea Breezes to Self-Cool - LINK
2025 home insurance trends and predictions - LINK
24th December 2024
The one thing needed to get new homes into SA hands in 2025 - LINK
Our comment: The article image shows a half-bricked house without wall wrap. It’s unclear how this would achieve a 7-star energy rating, as it lacks a proper building envelope system. Wall wrap acts as a critical moisture barrier, especially behind masonry, which absorbs moisture that can transfer from the outer to the inner face. This is precisely why we have weep holes—to ventilate and drain moisture from the cavity. Without wall wrap, this system is incomplete and ineffective. The article image doesn not demonstrate current compliant construction.
👉️ Five Australian cities are now in world’s top 20 most expensive - LINK
Australia’s Housing Affordability Crisis: The 50-Year Surge in Property Prices - LINK
👉️ More property investors needed urgently - LINK
👉️ MEDIA STATEMENT: Housing help available for festive season - LINK
Our comment: not the kind of Christmas statement we would like in a health economy and society
Build to Rent initial affordability standards from 1 January - LINK
$400 million fund to unlock housing and land supply - LINK
Dire warning Albo's radical plan to solve the rental crisis may fail - LINK
👉️ Aussie house prices fall into 2025 - LINK
Our comment: depending on which side of the table you are, investor or renter, this could be a good start to 2025
25th December 2024
State Government Eases First Home Buyer Restrictions to Boost Affordability - LINK
CLP Increasing Safety For Public Housing Tenants - LINK
International Monetary Fund recommends against easing major Aussie home loan policy - LINK
Community Housing Assistance Agreement with Southern Cross Community Housing extended - LINK
Development opportunity in state heritage area - LINK
Bleak prediction for Aussie mortgage holders as post-Christmas rate hikes could be on the cards - LINK
Australia’s rental crisis rolls into 2025 - LINK
26th December 2024
What cost of living will look like in 2025 - LINK
WA Treasurer Rita Saffioti says state is 'envy of the nation' with $3.1B budget surplus - LINK
Our comment - hence why they are throwing cash at contractors and trades to relocate to WA to assist with housing productivity.
👉️ ‘Horrendous’: Andy Lee, Bec Harding’s renovations infuriate their neighbours - LINK
Our comment: After 10 years of inaction, it’s obvious they care more about their self-absorbed interests than their neighbours. A more fitting title for the article might be: "Two Personalities, Zero F**s to Give—Like and Subscribe to Feed Our Attention."*
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.
😶🌫️ That's all of today
Your shortcut to this weeks blog posts:
Anthony Painter
Yes, I believe no changes are required to either superannuation or negative gearing. Just provide the right incentives. Who doesn't want to invest in property or live in a house?
Anthony Painter
Access Our Checklists:
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/.
Please note: You’ll need to log in to access the content. This is necessary to protect our work from being scraped by AI bots, which are currently unregulated and contributing to one of the largest instances of intellectual property theft in history. These checklists represent nearly two years of effort to input and format, and we want to ensure they are used responsibly.
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, and thank you for supporting our work!
Member discussion