Australia’s future houses could be built of structurally lightweight concrete made with recycled tyre rubber, in a major win for the circular economy. Engineers from RMIT University have managed to replace all the conventional aggregates in concrete, such as gravel…
Did you know that by creating a bird-friendly garden you can actually help to protect your home from bushfires? A well-designed and maintained garden acts as an Asset Protection Zone, which is essentially a fuel-reduced area surrounding your home. It…
More than one-third of Australian households moved between 2015 and 2020, new data shows. What’s more, it is mostly the younger generations who are the most mobile, while people aged over 50 are more likely to stay put. The latest…
This week (August 15-21) is also Keep Australia Beautiful Week, and in 2022 we are all being challenged to focus on waste reduction by containing our waste – literally, to one container. Whilst it’s important to recycle and reuse, reducing…
Styrofoam is possibly some of the most difficult household waste to dispose of, as it is bulky and does not decompose easily. So it’s great to see that Tokyo-based design studio we+ has launched a second series of their collection,…
When planning a renovation, or even just some maintenance work on your home, it is handy to have an idea of the likely costs involved. Fortunately, advisory service Archicentre has just released its latest cost guide so that you can…
What’s your favourite Australian native tree? This week (13-21 August) is also National Science Week and to celebrate, ABC Science has been running a poll to find out which is Australia’s number one most-loved tree. After more than 100,000 votes…
Building approvals continued to fluctuate through June, according to data released by the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS). The latest seasonally adjusted figures show that the total number of dwellings approved fell 0.7% in June, following an 11.2% rise in…
High demand has resulted in a continued shortage of skilled trades across Australia, a new report shows. According to the latest HIA Trades Report*, the industry Trades Availability Index declined from -0.90% to -0.92% in the June 2022 quarter. HIA…
Australians are squeezing more savings out of their banking and utilities products as the cost of living bites, according to new research by comparison website Finder. The research shows nearly half of Australians (47%) have switched at least one financial…
