Save $10,000 by downloading a sustainable home plan

Domain, 11 September 2015. Sustainable home designs are now available for free online as the government encourages prospective home builders to go green. The initiative, Design for Place, offers three individual floor plans for a single-storey home, which vary according to the site size and target a seven-star energy rating. Parliamentary secretary for industry and science Karen Andrews said the material was a great resource for anyone planning a new home. Architect-designed home plans are available to the public at no cost. “The plans use sustainable design principles that will help people save energy and money, no matter where they live in Australia,” she said. A Department of Industry and …

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2015 Sustainable House Day opens homes to the public this weekend

The Advertiser, 11 September 2015. For people with sustainability on their minds who are looking to build a home, put 2015 Sustainable House Day this weekend on your to-do list. Sustainable House Day on Sunday will see homeowners around Australia swing open their doors and welcome the public into their sustainability-focused properties. Sustainable House Day provides a unique opportunity to look around these houses, meet and talk to the owners and designers and get some insight into the principles of sustainable design and solar architecture. Each of the houses was designed around sustainable design principles using passive solar design, solar …

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Australia named ‘world’s greenest property industry’

Real Estate Business Online Australia has again placed first in an international ranking of sustainability in real estate. For the fifth year running, the region of Australia and New Zealand topped the annual survey, which is conducted by GRESB, a Dutch-based industry group. Property companies in Australia and New Zealand achieved an average score of 69, which was well ahead of the other regions. Property Council of Australia chief executive Ken Morrison said the Australian property industry should be proud of the result. “Not only is our industry keeping the economy growing and providing jobs for more Australians than almost …

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Naomi Klein says building new nuclear power plants ‘doesn’t make sense’

News.com.au, 1 September 2015. BUILDING new nuclear power plants to create a carbon-free world “doesn’t make sense” and just serves as a distraction from the risks, Canadian author Naomi Klein says. The activist and author of This Changes Everything, was asked what she thought about the possibility of building a nuclear power plant in South Australia, which a Royal Commission in the state is currently considering. Backers of nuclear power often spruik it as an alternative to renewables because it does not produce greenhouse gases, unlike coal-fired power stations. But Klein said building new nuclear plants did not make any …

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The ‘green-tech’ future is a flawed vision of sustainability

Original article by The Conversation August 28, 2015. What does your vision of a sustainable future look like? Some people imagine a scenario whereby technology solves the world’s most pressing environmental problems. In this world we all drive electric cars and have solar panels on our roofs that power our air conditioners and flat-screen televisions. We purchase “eco” products that provide all the convenience and comfort but without degrading the planet. We continue consuming and growing our economies, yet Mother Nature wins too. But I and my colleague Josh (who co-wrote this article) would argue that this vision of sustainability …

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Joe Morrison, CEO, Northern Land Council, Keynote Presentation

Joe Morrison, CEO, Northern Land Council address to the Developing Northern Australia conference in Townsville, his presentation is now available on podcast, see the link below. Mr Morrison has an ambitious agenda for his new role as Northern Land Council CEO, connecting with the NLC’s constituency to reinvigorate the importance of maintaining control over the lands and waters that Aboriginal people have fought hard for and to work towards appropriate social, cultural and economic development that creates lasting employment opportunities in a post determination era. He has authored and co-authored many articles relating to Indigenous rights, management of country, economic development and …

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Association 5 year commitment to Developing Northern Australia Conference

The Association in business has made an initial commitment to host the Developing Northern Australia Conference for the next five years.

Our members believe that developing the Northern Regions will be one of the most significant undertakings in Australia since Federation.

Following the outstanding success of this year’s event in Townsville, which will see 6o presentations added to the podcast resource, planning has commenced on the destination and venue in 2016…

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Australian engineers need to smarten up, Bentley Systems says

Article published by Sydney Morning Herald by Jenny Wiggins, Infrastructure Reporter 7 April 2015 Australian construction companies need to start using global standards and technology on infrastructure projects to remain competitive internationally and cut costs, the chief executive of US software group Bentley Systems has warned. Gregory Bentley, one of five brothers who founded Bentley Systems in 1984, said British engineering groups had identified opportunities to win global projects by becoming “smarter” and adopting codes of practice that allowed them to work more closely with designers and builders. These include using common processes such as British Standard 1192, which helps designers prepare …

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The University of Wollongong to host PD course for Murray-Darling Basin based technicians

Sustainable Buildings Research Centre at the University of Wollongong will host a professional development course entitled Energy Efficiency Enhancement through Retrofitting of Commercial Buildings for technicians based within the Murray-Darling Basin area (Toowoomba and West) 26-27 March 2015. The course will provide companies and individuals with knowledge and capabilities to enhance energy efficiency of commercial buildings through retrofits, and the measure and evaluation of actual energy performance in commercial buildings. Who Should Attend: Building Services Engineers, Architects and Building Designers, Building Commissioning Professionals, Engineers and Environmental Specialists, Facilities Managers, Sustainability Managers, Building Owners, Asset and Portfolio Managers, Local Government Environment Managers, Asset …

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