A green roof has a top layer of plants growing in a lightweight medium on top of an impermeable barrier.Benefits include:1. Protect the building against the elements.2. Cut energy costs for heating and cooling due to thermal insulation and mass.3. Prevent rainwater runoff hitting the stormwater drains.4. Absorb CO2.5. Reduce the "urban heat island" effect.6. Promote biodiversity by providing habitat for insects and birds. 7. Improve air quality.Maintenance is similar to the upkeep of a lawn and/or garden. Green roofs can be retrofitted, although it's more cost-effective to install them during construction.

Traditional construction is slow and labour-intensive. That's a problem when you have an undersupply of housing and skills.The fast REZICAST system offers precast concrete panels that can be used in place of timber trusses and brick walls. Lock-up is achievable in as little as 10 days.The panels offer unsurpassed structural strength, superior energy and sound insulation, less site rubbish and water usage.  Manufactured locally then trucked to site, they are craned into place with on-ground help from labourers. By minimising the time carpenters and bricklayers would otherwise spend at height, there are also WHS benefits.More information: https://rezicastsystems.com/

Owners corporations of large apartments have avoided reporting issues said David Chandler NSW Building Commissioner, because of fears for their apartments’ reputation. But by the time they have reached a dead end in the courts, “they’ve run up hundreds of thousands of dollars in legal fees, they’ve had no defects repaired, and because of the passage of time the developer has wound up their company”. “The message has got to be: ‘Tell us about them earlier.’” In December, last year the NSW state government removed Chandler’s department from within NSW Fair Trading and established it as a standalone agency, Building Commission NSW with many more staff to enforce standards. https://www.smh.com.