Current at: 04 May 2006
The Housing Industry Association’s annual Home and Building Expo, the premier event on the home building and renovation industry’s calendar, opens to the public tomorrow (Friday May 5) after a trade only day today at the Brisbane Convention Centre.
Supported by more than 60 major companies and organisations and drawing delegates and visitors from all over Australia, the Expo continues over the weekend.
One of the major features will be a sustainable house, built off-site by Queensland company Halley Homes and transported to the convention centre. Its aim is to demonstrate how a house can be environmentally friendly without breaking the budget.
Its goals are to improve the home’s energy and water efficiency, to encourage homeowners to waste less and recycle more, and to reduce waste and improve site management during construction.
Also on display will be a classroom built by Brisbane school students and HIA apprentices which will eventually be donated to Thailand for use by children orphaned by the Boxing Day 2004 tsunami.
The classroom will be put together and dismantled three times during the Expo so that everyone has a chance to see the innovative design and build techniques going into its construction as well as the skills of the young workers.
The classroom represents a partnership between HIA’s YouthBUILD initiative, the Sunrise Rotary Club on the Gold Coast and the Australian Institute of Technology, and is part of the Aussie Sunrise Housing project which provides low-cost housing to underprivileged families in developing countries.
Visitors will be able to see the very latest in building technologies and products on display as well as talking to experts on subjects ranging from colour coordination to grey water recycling.
A highlight of the Expo will be the HIA-CSR Australian Housing Awards, at the Convention Centre on Saturday night when the announcement of category winners will culminate in the naming of the Australian Home of the Year.
Entry fees to the Expo are $10 adult, $8 for pensioners or concessions, children under 15 free.