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New Australian homes are being designed bigger and so require more energy for heating and cooling, wiping out potential gains in energy efficiency, according to our new research. The increasing energy demand is inconsistent with global efforts to tackle climate change and suggests Australia’s housing energy policy requires a radical rethink.
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Australia’s housing crisis is putting the Australian dream to own one’s home out of reach for many.
The federal government’s Help to Buy scheme is before the parliament. Both the Coalition and the Greens are opposed to it.
The paradox of Australian housing is the abundance of land – 7.5 million square kilometres of it – and the shortage of accommodation.
For people on the long social housing waiting list, getting into secure, affordable housing is life-changing. Our study starkly illustrates what a difference it makes.
Driven by a range of factors including regulatory changes, the sustainability drive, and concerns around bushfires, the residential window market is not what it once was. Over the last 50 years, windows were mostly made to be cheap, but now there is a push for higher performing windows and doors which enhance all the improvements made in the rest of the building envelope.
Victorians were braced for the worst on Wednesday amid soaring temperatures and gusty winds, creating the state’s worst fire conditions in years. Authorities have declared a “catastrophic” fire risk in some parts of the state.
When selecting outdoor paints, stains and coatings for residential buildings, homeowners are increasingly looking for products with a low environmental impact that can help reduce the thermal load of their homes. Lighter colours are also popular, not only for achieving the sought-after earthy, coastal look but also for the added benefit of reflecting the sun and helping to reduce the thermal load.
Building transmission lines is often controversial. Farmers who agree to host new lines on their property may be paid, while other community members protest against the visual intrusion. Pushback against new lines has slowed development and forced the government to promise more consultation.
Weather extremes driven by climate change hit low-income communities harder. The reasons include poor housing and lack of access to safe and comfortable public spaces. This makes “climate readiness” a pressing issue for governments, city planners and emergency services in fast-growing areas such as Western Sydney.
More of us have been in paid work this past year than ever before. A big part of that is because more of us have been able to work from home than ever before.
Over the last 15 million years, Australia has slowly dried out. After humans arrived more than 65,000 years ago, they learned to use fire to their advantage. Today, fire weather is getting more frequent – and fires are following as the world heats up. This month, fires have flared in Victoria, destroying 46 houses, while Western Australia endures a heatwave and braces for potential fires.
