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In this newsletter, you'll find:
Post 1:
Building Homes, Not Excuses: A Real Plan for Affordable Housing
Post 2:
The C13B Waterproofing Installation Checklist
Up Next:
Update: the fixing stage checklist we were working on is now finished. Get the C12 Fixing Stage Checklist.
📬️ Post 1: Building Homes, Not Excuses: A Real Plan for Affordable Housing
Our latest post digs into Australia's housing crisis and how innovation could help turn it around. We look at Vienna and Singapore, where housing is treated as a public good rather than a commodity, and at the idea of an Australian "Housing Innovation Hub" where startups, builders and policymakers develop faster, smarter, cheaper ways to build.
Innovation alone isn't enough, so we also look at the politics, including how property ownership among policymakers may be shaping housing policy.
Anthony Painter
📬️ Post 2: C13B: Waterproofing Done Right: How to Avoid the #1 Building Defect
Waterproofing isn't glamorous, but it's crucial. Waterproofing failures are among the most common and costly defects in Australian homes, and they're almost always preventable.
The C13B Waterproofing Inspection Checklist is finally out. It helps homeowners and supervisors spot problems before they're hidden behind tiles and walls: incompatible materials, poor application and missed inspections. You don't need to be a building expert to use it.
Anthony Painter
Built something recently with a builder or trade contractor? We'd love to know how it went
It takes less than 30 seconds, and we won't email you. We're only interested in the overall results. We promise: no spam, no sales pitch.
💾 Software of the Week: Filestage
Plan markups, comments and approval workflows in one place
Not a sponsored post, just software we're using and sharing with you.
Ever drowned in email threads trying to collect feedback on a set of plans? Or juggled multiple file versions with conflicting comments? Filestage is an online platform that streamlines review and approval.
What is Filestage?
Filestage is online proofing software. Documents, images, videos and designs all go into one hub where people comment, mark up and approve.
Why Use Filestage?
It gives you:
- Centralised Feedback: All comments and annotations are stored in one place, eliminating the need to sift through countless emails.
- Version Control: Easily track changes and ensure everyone is reviewing the most up-to-date version of a file.
- Automated Workflows: Set up review stages and automate reminders, keeping projects on schedule without manual follow-ups.
Who Benefits from Filestage?
Filestage is ideal for:
- Design and building teams: get plans and documents reviewed and approved without email chaos.
- Agencies and marketing teams: collaborate with clients and internal teams.
- Media professionals: manage feedback on video and audio projects.
The interface is easy to pick up, even if you're not technical.
System Requirements
It's cloud-based, so it runs in any modern browser on Windows or macOS. Nothing to install; just log in.
👉 Explore Filestage
Ethan Lott
ICYMI - the most important construction news from this week
🚀 The latest residential construction news from around Australia for the week ending 09-05-2025 🔥
This Week’s Theme: "Shut up and get on with it now! (shut up and dance?)"
Election = Done!
Now let's get on with it: it's time to fix housing supply.
Housing demand remains high, immigration isn't slowing, and building activity is running slightly below normal seasonal levels. Money is about to get cheaper, with the big four banks expecting rate cuts as global uncertainty (largely courtesy of chaotic US policy) makes planning nearly impossible. Expect house prices to rise.
There still hasn't been any meaningful discussion of genuine supply-side solutions. The conversation is stuck on infill and making it marginally easier to buy. I hope the re-elected government pursues something more substantial than short-term policies that treat symptoms, not causes.
Our favourite articles of the week are marked with a 🌯 or five.
03-05-2025
National housing accord on track to be at least 300k homes short - [LINK]
Chilling reason Aussie home projects abandoned before completion - [LINK]
Stamp duty axed for Queensland first-home buyers – what your clients need to know - [LINK]
04-05-2025
🌯🌯🌯🌯 Everyday Australians the biggest election losers - [LINK]
05-05-2025
Labor Just Won the Election—and They’re About to Pour Petrol on Our Housing Crisis - [LINK]
Homes to become much easier to buy - [LINK]
Aftermath: The campaign dust will settle on major challenges ignored and unimproved - [LINK]
06-05-2025
Plans revealed for three major suburb rezonings in NSW - [LINK]
Labor landslide will drive house prices up – Economist - [LINK]
🌯🌯🌯 Australia’s land price bubble chokes housing supply - [LINK]
$4.4M investment fast-tracking 100,000+ NSW homes - [LINK]
🌯🌯 No time to demolish - [LINK]
07-05-2025
🌯🌯 The new housing program allowing mates to buy together - [LINK]
The housing debate might be settled, but Boomers can’t let one thing go - [LINK]
Government at risk of missing housing target by 20% - [LINK]
Reusing empty city buildings could help solve the housing and homelessness crisis - [LINK]
*Our comment: Many older office buildings have enough car parking and floor depth to convert to apartments, which is why this idea has legs.*
Dwelling approvals fall in March - [LINK]
*Our comment: Most likely due to the timing of Easter and the election.*
Apartment approvals tumble as federal government now turns to delivery phase - [LINK]
08-05-2025
‘Single biggest issue’: Bank boss says Labor needs to deliver on housing - [LINK]
*Our comment: Not that my opinion counts for much, but this time I agree with the NAB boss.*
Key factors behind the housing supply crisis - [LINK]
What’s old is new again: how this international trend could ease Australia’s housing crunch - [LINK]
09-05-2025
🌯🌯🌯 Australia’s housing crisis takes ugly turn - [LINK]
*Article excerpt: "Financial markets expect the Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) to slash interest rates four more times this year, with the cash rate expected to fall to 3.10% by the end of 2025. Lower interest rates will increase borrowing capacity and buyer demand, lifting prices. House prices will also rise significantly when Labor's 5% deposits for all first-time purchasers come into effect on January 1, 2026."* (The 5% deposit scheme start was later brought forward to 1 October 2025.)
🌯🌯 Government re-election “historic opportunity” for human rights-based housing policy - [LINK]
Now it’s up to Labor to deliver its housing, wages, and other economic policies - [LINK]
Queensland’s North Harbour PDA unlocks 3,700 homes - [LINK]
*Our comment: Congratulations, Russell and Sam!*
Understanding wind ratings and building resilient, cyclone-proof homes - [LINK]
*Our comment: We've covered wind ratings in detail in this post:*
Anthony Painter
And the different types of loads on structures here:
Anthony Painter
The Last Word
A random track for the week. No housing commentary, just a song I recently discovered. I'm usually late to the party, so you might have heard it years ago. Enjoy!
And a little Black Sabbath for the chef's kiss
The Constructor Forum
Got a question, or want to share some quality construction work, a building detail, or a product or person that impressed you? Head over to the forum.
It's a place to discuss quality construction details, processes and products, and to give thanks to people doing great work. Let's keep it positive.
Join the forum here, or click the button below.
😶🌫️ That's all for today
The best way to support us is to share this with three friends you think it will help.
Feel free to reach out on X or Mastodon or Bluesky - @obiwonky - 👋 Anthony
PS: Quality Management Checklist Access
All our checklists are listed on the Checklists page, via the Checklists link in the navigation menu or directly at https://www.constructor.net.au/checklists/.
Only C1, CINS and The Trade Tool are free to download. Our other checklists are paid, and you can preview each one before you buy.
Each checklist is formatted for A4 printing. The files are larger than typical PDFs (around 25-35 MB) because they're saved print-ready in CMYK.
We hope they help you spot quality improvements in your new home, or at least get you thinking.
Anthony Painter
Help us improve?
Head over to the Feedback tab in the navigation menu to share your thoughts, view our road map, and up vote feature requests. We want to hear from you—because no one likes the sound of one hand clapping.
