If you are thinking of going to the HIA Sydney Home Show at Darling Harbour on 31st May – 3rd June 2012 and want a free ticket, give us a call on 1300 334 153.

The vertical garden, also known as the wall garden, is making a comeback! An ancient principle is being reinvented and used in both residential and commercial buildings. For the full article and some interesting pictures visit this vertical garden link from SMH.

Habitusliving.com.au feature an interesting article about Singapores first Green Mark Platinum house. If you’ve ever been to Singapore you’ll know that it gets really hot and air conditioning becomes your best friend. This design really helps reduce the need for excessive energy use to power these systems as well as supplementing the energy with solar panels. Check out the full article on this link – Eco House Singapore

Trade Secrets have posted a number of good youtube videos on sustainbility in the building industry. Check out this link to watch – Trade Secrets

Qantas will run Australia’s first commercial flight powered by sustainable fuel, CEO Alan Joyce has told an aviation conference in Brisbane today.

“In early 2012, Qantas plans to operate a commercial flight powered by sustainable fuel,” Mr Joyce said.

“This is by no means the first bio-fuel flight, but it will be first flight of its kind in Australia.”

For the full article check out smh

Check out this article on the winner of the World House of the Year Award 2011 in Surrey Hills!

UC Davis, a College in California USA is leading the way in student housing with this new net zero development. Check out the link for more details. Student Net Zero House.

If your thinking of heading to the Grand Designs Live Expo in Darling Harbour on the 21-23rd October 2011 and would like a free ticket. Call us on 1300 334 153. We have 5 tickets for the friday only, and 10 tickets for all days to give away.

Today, the Daily Telegraph wrote an article about the new changes to the first home buyer concessions. I personally think it is a good idea. There needs to be a shift from buyers purchasing existing homes, to more new home building. Good work Barry!

“From January 1 next year, newcomers to the property market will no longer be able to avoid having to pay transfer title charges on existing homes under $600,000.

Stamp duty exemptions will now be restricted to newly built and “off the plan” properties only.

The axing of the concessions for existing properties is likely to spark a rush of people looking to buy before the change takes effect.

The move, made after lobbying from developers, is designed to stimulate new housing, according to the state government.

But it is likely to lead to voter anger, with the vast majority of first home buyers in NSW – 42,000 out of 50,000 – being made on existing homes. NSW is now one of the few states not to have a stamp duty concession for first home buyers purchasing existing homes.”

For the full article go to Daily Telegraph.

EACH night as the switch is flicked on at Luna Park, 22,000 bulbs light up its famous smiling face.

But the heritage-listed park is undergoing a much-needed facelift and those energy-guzzling bulbs will be replaced with LED lights, which the state government says could reduce energy use by as much as 90 per cent.

The Luna Park Reserve Trust, a government-owned operation that acts as a landlord to Luna Park, will spend $780,000 to replace the lights, including the old garlands of lighting that are draped across Coney Island and Crystal Palace.

For the full article, go to SMH.