This paper follows the report of the Royal Commission into the Building Industry. The government has accepted the commission's arguments for the establishment of an Australian Building and Construction Commission with extensive powers. However, there is now a good deal of debate on those recommendations that address reforms in the industry as well as the...

Australian timber merchants have long played a vital role in providing building materials, credit, and product information to builders.

This essay traces the history of Melbourne's alte nineteenth-century boom and bust—tracking the building cycle, explaining the city's slow recovery, and paying close attention to participants.

This paper provides a background on the focus and nature of the Australian housing industry and the factors affecting production costs. The paper will also review Australian and overseas literature relating to the subject.