Today
Older, ‘cheaper’ houses hide costs that bite owners
More than 80 per cent of Australia’s houses have half the energy efficiency of the latest standards – and that’s going to make them less valuable.
- Michael Bleby
Yesterday
Westview plans $750m steel mill for Brisbane as Gupta woes worsen
The privately owned supplier of reinforced steel rods is concerned about being too reliant on Chinese imports, and wants the new plant to be operating by 2027.
- Simon Evans
This Month
Construction boss jailed over ‘rape and pillage’ fraud
Organised crime figure George Alex also had help in claiming millions of dollars of debts from an unnamed CFMEU official, a NSW Supreme Court judge said.
- David Marin-Guzman
- Investigation
- CFMEU
How builders got captured by the CFMEU’s $1.2b redundancy fund
Master Builders Victoria’s solvency relies on millions of dollars in grants from the John Setka-backed Incolink fund, which whistleblowers say has created a huge conflict of interest.
- David Marin-Guzman
- Opinion
- Business People of the Year
Ryan Stokes out-works, out-earns rivals to take SGH to new highs
The SGH chief, one of The Australian Financial Review Business People of the Year for 2024, is renowned as one of the hardest-working CEOs in Australian big business.
- Anthony Macdonald
- Exclusive
- Tax avoidance
The football club boss, drug-dealing director and $100m scam
A liquidator claims crane company boss Damon Hanlin may have controlled a tax fraud scheme that involved shadow directors and dishonest dealings.
- David Marin-Guzman
Big builders enjoy recovery as insolvencies hammer small players
Even as large contractors report stronger earnings, the loss of smaller subcontractors cuts capacity and creates risks for the whole sector.
- Michael Bleby
- Exclusive
- Skills shortage
Tradies to join yoga instructors on core migration skills list
Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke said the federal government was moving to address critical shortages, including in new home construction.
- Tom McIlroy and Michael Read
Labor created loophole for CFMEU to delay projects: builders
Builders have accused the union of exploiting Labor’s new laws for safety delegates to get around “fit and proper” restrictions on entering building sites, disrupting projects.
- David Marin-Guzman
Worst has passed for new home building: economists
Bad times “are starting to end” as developers now have a handle on costs and the prices they can get for apartments.
- Michael Bleby
November
- Exclusive
- Skills shortage
The big trend working against the PM’s 1.2m homes target
Painter Gavin Sas wants to hire an apprentice to expand his business, but the initial cost is too high. It’s a small part of a bigger problem.
- Euan Black
AVJennings to go private after mega private equity bid
The takeover offer from Proprium, which is backed by the company’s board, values the major home builder at $374 million, double its market capitalisation.
- Michael Bleby
Housing construction rises to a three-year high
There are some signs of a pick-up in home-building, but higher costs and a risky environment for contractors are holding back development.
- Michael Bleby
Trust is the key for this mining recruiter
Launched in the depths of the pandemic, recruitment firm Mergent has grown by 348 per cent to make the Fast Starters List.
- Sian Powell
Why this FIFO construction firm ‘never loses a client’
Fostering long-term relationships with clients such as gold miner Newmont has helped this business more than double revenue to $80m in a year.
- Larry Schlesinger
Renovations boom while new builds stall
Australia’s trade and subcontractor shortages could be eased if policies and regulations tilted resources towards new home-building.
- Michael Bleby
Plug-and-play homes can be cheap, but are not for everyone
Ingenia Communities’ John Carfi welcomes federal government plans to make it easier to finance prefabricated homes, but warns against going beyond that.
- Campbell Kwan
AFR’s Marin-Guzman wins Gold Walkley for Building Bad report
Reporter David Marin-Guzman was part of a team that uncovered construction companies’ dirty dealings with bikies and underworld identities.
- Updated
Union strikes ‘sham’ agreement to dodge Labor’s multi-employer laws
The plumbers’ union agreement voted on by just two people secretly deprived the vast majority of the workforce of a say over their conditions, a full bench ruled.
- David Marin-Guzman
Risks rise in Gold Coast apartment development
As banks focus on smaller and more secure projects, developers of bigger projects are turning to riskier and more expensive sources of credit.
- Michael Bleby
