Building & Construction

City of Coffs Harbour’s cutting-edge community building Yarrila Place has won construction industry acclaim, with the builders recognised for their part in the exceptional project at the Master Builders' Association NSW Northern Region Awards. Lipman, the commercial builders, won Best use of tiles, Best use of brick, Public Buildings over $50 million, and the esteemed title of Commercial Builder of the Year at the prestigious awards.    

The NSW Reconstruction Authority announced that 370 homes have been identified as eligible for house raising or retrofit. These 370 homes are across seven council areas. IndyNR.com has asked the Authority if any of these 370 homes are in Coraki, Broadwater, Woodburn or nearby. We are waiting on an answer.

Stage 2 of Leeton’s Roxy Community Theatre Redevelopment Project will receive an $800K boost from Council’s Section 7.12 Developer Contributions, following endorsement at the Council’s June meeting on Tuesday. The request to source additional Council funding was made by the Roxy Project Management Office after the project did not make the Federal Government’s final cut for Growing Regions funding in May 2024.

Last Wednesday’s meeting of the Southern Downs Regional Council decided unanimously to remove the old Allora Fire Station building from the site and go ahead with the future redevelopment of the Allora Community Precinct. This leaves the way open for the Sports Museum and the Allora Library to make a move.

The recent frosty mornings in our area might inspire us to cosy up inside by a fire or with a loved one, but university studies have found that Australians have colder houses than people in similar climates around the world. Experts from RMIT commented last week about the phenomenon in which Australians have lower standards for warmth in their homes, leading to health risks.

South Australian-sourced timber will form the backbone of two of the state’s new technical colleges – simultaneously reducing the carbon impact of the construction work and supporting the state’s $3 billion forestry industry ... new technical colleges at Tonsley and Mount Gambier will both be constructed with timber sourced from Timberlink Australia’s new $70 million NeXTimber manufacturing facility at Tarpeena in the state’s south east.

Ellen and Graeme Allen first spoke to Mark Collins in March and delivery of their Tiny Home was made to Geitz Road last week. Built strictly to Council regulations and for Australian Conditions the home was 95 per cent complete before delivery with Bellinghams of Warwick responsible for the move to the site.

Naomi Shine. Beautiful old homes, made from incredibly sturdy Big Scrub timbers, are being boarded up across the flood zone in Lismore and left to moulder. People needing shelter are moving in, and NSW Reconstruction Authority doesn’t know how to deal with the situation.

The winning architectural designs for the Darling Downs and West Moreton region were celebrated at the Australian Institute of Architects awards evening on Friday 14 June. The diversity of projects - a mental health facility, a museum, a home for a family of six, to a propagation shed - selected by the Awards Jury demonstrated the incredible range of talent and skill of architects throughout the region.

NT company Sitzler has been awarded the tender to construct the National Aboriginal Art Gallery. Site preparation and first stage construction works are set to rollout in the coming weeks, according to a government media release.

Central Darling Shire Council has received a project update on the Baaka Cultural Centre. The development of the $9.5 million Baaka Cultural Centre at Wilcannia is a regionally significant project. It is being funded by the Australian and NSW governments.

After successfully campaigning the Victorian State Govt. to continue funding the Overland until 2027, many of us were devastated to see the sudden appearance of the cyclone fence being erected at the Nhill Station on July 18th, 2023, preventing access to the veranda, when waiting to board the Overland or greet folks arriving ... it is pleasing to see Stage 1 of the renovations, has finally begun.

Every country town has at least one building that lies abandoned or underutilised which could be turned into a house or unit that could attract another worker or family to the community. We have old train stations and roads boards buildings, there are abandoned shops in the main street, empty pubs, unused halls, even farmhouses close to town left to deteriorate.

Don’t have a plumber, electrician, aircon mechanic, car mechanic, tyre shop, independent ag mechanic, hydraulic shop etc in your town? Then do something about it. The council or a group of farmers should get together to buy an industrial lot, build a lock up shed, offer it out for $1 a year then stand back and watch the rush.

A tavern, to cater for 800 patrons, proposed for the corner of Marmion Ave and Peony Blvd has been deferred for up to three months with a shortage of parking bays one of the issues highlighted. To be called The Carnaby the $3 million tavern is proposed to operate from 11.30am to midnight seven days a week.

Wilya Janta, an Aboriginal Housing consultancy has recently taken another step forward with their plans for sustainable housing in Tennant Creek and remote communities. They have taken a 60-year-old abandoned brick-making machine and given it a new lease on life.

No-one ever said preserving and restoring a silo complex would be easy. A passionate group of volunteers is working hard towards this goal, spending dozens of hours every month fixing floorboards, replacing rotting wooden posts, and applying for grants.

The Allan Labor Government’s Forestry Transition Fund has helped an East Gippsland timber worker to successfully transition from working in a mill to running his own small business ... Riverview Installations installs flatpack kitchens, including those from Bunnings and Ikea, in Bairnsdale and the surrounding area. The business also helps homeowners to measure and design their own kitchen.

Araluen’s Independent Member has pressed the NT government to disclose the construction costs of dwellings in the bush after media statements last year indicated there may be a flood of $1.5m mansions across remote regions ... Ms Lambley, following a request by the [Alice Springs] News, submitted what’s called “written questions” to the Minister for Infrastructure, Planning and Logistics, which happens to be Chief Minister Eva Lawler.

The NT Government has announced planning is underway for another land release to ease the housing shortage in town. With Budget 2024 being released next week, the Labor Government said it’s investing more than $200 million to prepare more land for new housing and other developments in Tennant Creek, Alice Springs, Katherine, and Darwin.

Construction of the new Toowoomba Hospital at the Baillie Henderson Hospital campus in Cranley is officially underway.The ceremonial sod turning event was held last Friday and was attended by politicians and health department figures.