The failure by governments to warn industry about the risks of combustible cladding, even though they knew the widely-used material was combustible would do little to make them pay for cladding rectification, the country’s peak industry body for strata managers said on Tuesday. Revelations this week that state and territory building regulators discussed concerns about aluminium composite panels raised by fire authorities and did not pass on any indication to their industries that the materials...
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Apartment owners at the Lacrosse building in Melbourne’s Docklands have been awarded millions of dollars in damages following a fire in 2014 that was fuelled by combustible cladding. The fire, ignited by a cigarette left on a balcony, led to Lacrosse’s owners seeking millions in damages during a month-long Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal case against the tower’s builder, LU Simon, which ended in October. While nobody died in the blaze, the tower fire sent...
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The Building Legislation Amendment (Consumer Protection) Act 2016(the Act) which was passed by the Victorian Government on 19 April 2016 imposes sweeping reforms in respect to a number of significant areas affecting residential construction in Victoria. By reason of a Proclamation published in the Victoria Government Gazette No. S 194 dated 21 June 2016, certain sections of the Act are to commence and ‘become live’ on 4 July this year. While the purpose of the...
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Parliamentary inquiry to examine ‘what really happened behind closed doors’, says Greens MP David Shoebridge An inquiry will investigate controversial planning decisions in the NSW Hunter region amid allegations Liberal MPs received illegal donations from developers. The newly formed parliamentary inquiry will examine contentious projects in Newcastle and the Hunter, such as the Newcastle Urban Renewal Strategy, the Whitebridge housing development and the truncation of the Newcastle rail line. [More…]
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Southbank residents either don’t take showers or many apartments are empty most of the year. A study has found more than 64,000 residential properties in Melbourne are rarely used and almost 12,700 appear unoccupied, with Southbank the top area for vacancies. The findings are based on an analysis of water use commissioned by Prosper Australia, a group seeking tax changes to improve the efficiency of land use. The Speculative Vacancies in Melbourne report, now in its sixth...
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Neighbours could lose the right of appeal against permits for multistorey apartment towers as part of the state government’s push for more affordable housing in a city hurtling towards 6.5 million people. Planning Minister Matthew Guy will on Wednesday unveil rules making it easier for high-density residential development to be approved under a 40-year metropolitan planning strategy. “Developers behind multistorey residential buildings that meet certain guidelines will not be required to notify residents or be...
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MORE and more television shows are advertising how to renovate or extend your home. I cringe when I see these types of programs that encourage home owners to undertake projects that are often too complex, dangerous and difficult for owner-builders to tackle. On the flip side, there are some home owners who have completed training and research that equips them with enough skills to complete standard projects. The programs that show how to totally gut...
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THE time has come for you to sell the rather dated home of your elderly relative or long-standing family friend. It is a home you may have known for many, many years. A house that is a time capsule full of your life’s memories, a place you played as a kid, and perhaps where even your own parents played. From the apple tree in the backyard out of which your sibling pushed you so many...
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The quick version of that post is that there’s a company in Mississippi that has patented the use of infrared cameras for home inspections. Basically, they claim that if a home inspector uses an infrared camera as part of their home inspection, the home inspector is infringing on their patent rights. Absurd, right? Let me explain why I care about this topic. My infrared camera is definitely the coolest home inspection tool that I own. I can bust my...
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When looking to buy an investment property that will bring in a good rental return, location – in particular, proximity to public transport and the local shopping strip – is key. As is buying something that offers a sensible layout and, if you’re intending to lease it immediately, won’t require large capital works to bring it up to scratch. But once you’ve taken possession, what – apart from ensuring the property has been properly cleaned...
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