Archicentre
2008 News Release Archive
Archicentre
State Managers
Click
here to receive Archicentre media releases
3
July 2008
Climate
Change Green Manuals For Australian Home Owners
New
home buyers in the future should receive a housing performance
manual which will provide them with information to maximise
the environmental management of their new home or renovation.
26
June 2008
Government
Should Legislate on Home Sales to Reduce Greenhouse Gas
The
Federal Government should legislate to make homes and
commercial premises for sale subject to climate change
requirements and part of the emissions trading program.
24
June 2008
Back
to Basics - Don't get a Huge Repair Bill with the Mortgage
With property clearance rates at an all time low, home
buyers have been urged not to drop their guard on taking
basic precautions when purchasing a home.
22
June 2008
Housing
Affordability - a Chronic Disease
Housing affordability in Australia is a major threat to
Australian's health and should be re-defined as a Chronic
Disease requiring a major coordinated response from Federal,
State and Local Government, similar to that being mounted
for Chronic Diseases in Australia
12
June 2008
Making
Money Out Of Renovating
With
home owners spending an estimated $20 billion a year on
renovations* it can be financial suicide heading off into
a renovation without having both labour and material costs
tied down. *Source: Australian Bureau of Statistics
11 June 2008
Rudd
Government Should Do A Toyota Camry On Solar Panels
The
Federal Government should undertake a war effort on the
introduction of solar panels and establish a national
manufacturing industry to mass produce solar panels in
Australia.
5
June 2008
Climate
Change Increases Ceiling Collapse Danger and
May Not Be Covered by Insurance
Stained ceilings or bowed cornices can
be vital warning signs of an impending ceiling collapse
which can be fatal for homeowners Archicentre warned today
as heavy rains continued in Sydney.
1
June 2008
Victorian
Government Launches Free Fire Safety Program for Older
Victorians
The recent fire related deaths of elderly Victorians has
prompted a fire safety awareness initiative for older
Victorians to be launched by the Minister for Housing,
Richard Wynne, in Melbourne today as part of the State
Fire Services annual Winter Fire Safety Campaign. The
Minister will be joined by Maria Doria, aged 79 of Altona,
who suffered third-degree burns to 20% of her body when
she knocked over a candle in her home and her clothes
caught fire. Mrs Doria will speak of her ordeal to help
promote fire safety in the home.
23
May 2008
Online
Auctions and Drive By Valuations On A Par
BUYER BEWARE
Online
auctions and drive buy valuations have one thing in common,
they ultimately can leave buyers at severe financial and
legal risk if they have not had the property professionally
checked for faults.
20
May 2008
Vendors
Pay for Home Certification in Hunt for Buyers
With
the property market changing from a sellers market to
a buyers market, some vendors are starting to market their
properties with structural and termite guarantees.
15
May 2008
Archicentre
Warns of Bogus Rip Off Tradesmen
Archicentre
today has issued a warning over bogus tradesman ripping
off older persons in the south eastern suburbs saying
that older citizens and pensioners can get a free inspection
of the home from Archicentre as part of the Victorian
Home Services program funded by the Victorian Government
through the Department of Human Services.
15
May 2008
Petrol
Prices Add Fire to Reform Local Government Planning Systems
Sky rocketing petrol prices will fuel action on confused
local government planning systems and processes throughout
Australia, which in some cases is adding up to $10,000
to $15,000 per dwelling for no reason, and need to be
urgently overhauled by State Governments, according to
Archicentre.
12
May 2008
Zone
Homes
Many
homes in the future will be designed to accommodate two
completely separate living areas which will allow people
to build a home and rent part of it as a way of funding
the great Australian Dream.
6
May 2008
Housing
Minister Launches Archicentre Joint Venture in Malaysia
Archicentre is set to expand its operations into Malaysia.
1
May 2008
Call
for Pool Gate Week
The rising drowning
toll of toddlers, which is forecast to increase by 20%
in a new report by the Royal Life Saving Society, has
prompted a call for a special week in Australia's calendar
to promote Backyard Swimming Pool Safety.
24
April 2008
Kurnell
Tunnelling Dispute Puts Focus on Dilapidation Reports
for
Sydney Home Owners
Archicentre
says the current dispute between home owners and builders
of the Kurnell Desalination Plant over vibrations during
construction will put a focus on the need for dilapidation
reports to protect home owners.
23
April 2008
Federal
Government 2020 Challenge to Reform Tax on Housing
The
reality is that housing affordability is being taxed out
of existence for this and the next generation by Governments
with taxes and charges increasing by 40% since the introduction
of the GST.
22
April 2008
Give
Your Mum a FREE Home Safety Check and Some Flowers
Mother's Day Sunday 11 May 2008
A
FREE home safety check aimed at protecting senior Victorians
in their own homes has been described as a life saving
Mother's Day Gift which could prevent serious injury.
21 April 2008
Climate
Change Risk in Building and Planning
The Federal Minister
for Climate Change Penny Wong should be implementing a
coordinated approach to Australia's building and planning
legislation which includes the research and risk assessment
of the Australian Insurance Industry.
13
April 2008
Home
Buyers Warned on Termites
The warning comes after finding a home, recently purchased
without an inspection for over $500,000 in Wandin Victoria,
having close to an estimated $100,000 worth of termite
damage.
10
April 2008
Free
Senior's Housing Safety Check for Dangerous Suburbs
Slip and Trip Hazards Increase 4%
With 7 out of 10 houses in the suburb of Glen Waverley
having a trip and slip fault, Archicentre has implemented
a community awareness campaign about the availability
of FREE safety Housing Checks for seniors to prevent serious
injury and death.
7
April 2008
Renovators
Rate Kitchens and Bathrooms as Top Priorities
Kitchens
and bathrooms have been rated as the top priorities by
renovators in a survey conducted by Archicentre.
3
April 2008
Planning
and Building Practices Increase Termite Risk
The
move by governments to increase housing densities and
the failure of many builders to clean up their building
site is increasing the risk of termite attacks in Australia.
2
April 2008
High
Winds puts focus on Leaky Roofs
Melbourne home owners have been urged to be aware of any
damage caused to their roofs today by high winds and storms
by Archicentre.
28
March 2008
Supermarkets
the Next Apartment Boom
The hundreds of single storey supermarkets that are dotted
throughout Australia's suburbs with large car parks could
become the next target for Australia's apartment developments.
15
March 2008
Mortgage
Crisis Boosts Housing Faults
Australia's
mortgage crisis will fuel the number of houses with faults
coming onto the market Archicentre said today.
13
March 2008
Interest
Rates Hits DIY Super Fund Commercial Property Investors
The
interest rate pain that is placing hundreds of thousands
of Australian home owners under mortgage stress is also
hitting many people investing in small commercial properties
through their superannuation funds.
11
March 2008
Archicentre
Expands Operation with Building Service
Archicentre after twenty six years of providing home
inspections and design reports, has introduced a new service
to cut the cost of time and frustration of home owners
wanting to carry out small to medium sized renovations.
3 March 2008
Pre-Purchase
Home Inspections Plunge by 28%
Archicentre,
Australia's largest provider of pre-purchase home inspections
and design services today said its 2008 February bookings
were 28% down on the same period last year and 10% down
on January 2007 figures.
3
March 2008
Deadly
Decks and Balconies Warning
Archicentre
has issued a deadly warning on the state of Australia's
balconies and decks following another collapse injuring
twelve people at Hurstbridge in the north of Melbourne
on Saturday night.
28
February 2008
Housing
Faults Can Become Mortgage Busters
Home
buyers flying blind on housing faults could find the unexpected
and unbudgeted costs could ultimately become a mortgage
buster, Archicentre said today.
24
February 2008
Ten
Star Rating Success Depends on Education and Behaviour
Change
New
home buyers in the future should receive a housing performance
manual which will provide them with information to maximise
the environmental management of their new home. Commenting
on the Federal Government's move to introduce ten star
environmental labelling on all housing appliances such
as air conditioners, washing machines and plasma screens,
Robert Caulfield Managing Director of Archicentre said,
"the success of any code will largely depend on behavioural
change by Australian home owners.
22
February 2008
Active
Gardening Boosts Home Safety for Older Victorians
Archicentre
have again combined with the Nursery & Garden Industry
Victoria to provide all home-owners having the free Home
Safety Inspection with a bonus $25.00 garden voucher.
21
February 2008
Garrett
Should Extend Ten Star Rating to National Building Code
and Government Housing Policy
The positive
move by the Federal Government to upgrade home appliance
ratings to ten star should be extended to rapidly develop
a national ten star building code to meet Australia's
Climate Change targets in the future, Archicentre said
today.
15
February 2008
Survey
Shows Deadly Slip and Trip Hazards Common in Homes of
Elderly
Archicentre today said thousands of elderly people were
living with dangerous slip and trip hazards, which could
be fatal or result in serious injury to them. The survey
looked at some 37,000 homes of older Victorians, of which
26% of all homes inspected had slip and trip hazards.
5
February 2008
Housing
Faults Add Pressure to Mortgage Payments
Archicentre
today said home buyers mortgage stress can be increased
considerably by purchasing faulty properties.
4
February 2008
Call
for National Monitoring of Land Costs by Federal Government
and ACCC
The
threat of up to 300,000 Australians set to lose their
homes through interest rate rises* has been described
as a national tragedy which could take some people a lifetime
to get over.
*Source: JP Morgan and Fujitsu Consulting.
30
January 2008
Home
Buyers and Renovators Divided Over Interest Rate Impact
Home buyers and
renovators are almost evenly divided over the impact of
interest rate rises on buying a home or proceeding with
renovations, according to Archicentre
18
January 2008
Renovation
Cost Guide Targets Outrageous Quotes
Outrageous quotes on renovations that can vary by up to
70%, have been targeted by Archicentre.
8
January 2008
Flooded
Houses to Take Months to Dry Out
... quick fixes can be costly
Flooded houses in Queensland will take months to recover
and home owners have been advised to allow their homes
to completely dry out and delay renovation and redecoration
until the building is substantially dry before replacing
carpets and fittings to avoid future problems.
7
January 2008
Snap
Survey on Smoke Alarms
One
in five homes of elderly Victorians has no operating smoke
alarm
A snap survey by Archicentre on smoke alarms in Melbourne
homes found over one in five homes of elderly Victorians
had no operating smoke alarms.
3
January 2008
Deadly
Deadlocks and No Smoke Alarms can Turn Homes into Coffins
Five tragic house
fire deaths within days of each other in Melbourne has
lead to a call for a national house fire index similar
to the road toll which could be promoted as part of an
ongoing community awareness campaign on the deaths and
injuries caused by house fires in each state.
1
January 2008
Climate
Change Industry Major Opportunity For Australia
Archicentre,
the building advisory service of the Royal Australian
Institute of Architects today said the urgency of climate
change should see the Federal Government implement policies
to encourage the building of a strong manufacturing industry
in climate change products for domestic and commercial
use.
