Building Connection

It’s no secret that Australia has a significant housing supply and building productivity problem. Nayan Das explores the role Standards Australia plays in addressing this. Only around 172,000 new homes were built in 2025, well below the 240,000 that need to be built annually to meet the National Housing Accord target of 1.2 million new homes by June 2029. The time taken to build a home has also increased substantially. Over the past decade, average construction times have increased by more than 50%.

The PHEV commercial vehicle space continues to expand, with JAC confirming its new plug-in hybrid Hunter derivative of the T9 dual-cab will wear the sharpest price tag in the segment. Priced from $49,988 before on-roads for the Hunter Pro variant, JAC’s petrol-electric lobs into the market as the only offering with a sub-$50K retail price. Even the up-spec Hunter X is a value-oriented machine, with its $54,844 MSRP putting it around $1,000 under that of the BYD Shark 6 dual-cab chassis.

Yes, labour shortages are real. Yes, skills gaps exist. But there’s also another challenge that can have a significant impact on productivity: Fragmented information systems. What Samsung’s hearing from its customers on their construction sites is that valuable time is being lost by chasing paperwork, re-entering data across different platforms or trying to keep site teams and office decision-makers aligned.

Standards Australia is concluding its Standards Australia Training platform, with new enrolments no longer being accepted. The platform was introduced to provide standards-aligned learning and has given Standards Australia insights to inform future product and service development. Standards Australia says it remains focused on supporting existing users during the transition.

Chery will soon branch out from cut-price hatchbacks and family SUVs, with the company confirming initial specifications for its incoming mid-size body-on-frame ute, the Stockman. Formerly codenamed ‘KP31’, the Stockman isn’t just Chery’s first workhorse for Western markets: It’ll also break ground as the first diesel-electric plug-in hybrid (PHEV) utility in Australia.

Australia’s housing shortage cannot be addressed without tackling a shortage of skilled tradespeople, according to a new Housing Industry Association (HIA) report, Australia’s Future is Built by Tradies, identifying a shortfall of around 83,000 workers across the residential construction industry.

Research from Kennards Hire has found that 42% of Australians have avoided calling a tradie to tackle a job themselves, only to regret the decision later. The research, released ahead of National Tradie Day 2026, also found 71% of Australians believe tradies don’t receive the recognition they deserve, while 90% believe they should be recognised as essential workers alongside nurses and school teachers.

RAM Trucks Australia has revived one of its most popular nameplates for the DT-generation RAM 1500, bringing back the Express Grade as the working-class hero of its full-size pickup family. In the previous DS generation, the 1500 Express was a top-seller. No surprise, given it was positioned at the bottom of the price tree and offered big-ute drawcards for the least amount of coin.

Tradezone has announced a new wholesale partnership with energy technology company SAJ, expanding access to SAJ solar inverters and energy storage solutions for Australian electrical contractors and solar installers. The partnership combines SAJ’s residential and commercial energy products with Tradezone’s national distribution network and online ordering platform. SAJ’s Australian range includes solar and energy storage solutions designed for residential and commercial applications.

Melbourne jewellery business MDT DESIGN has launched a $3,000 tool grant aimed at supporting the next generation of Australian tradespeople. The MDT DESIGN Australian Apprentice Tool Grant will provide one apprentice with up to $3,000 towards tools and equipment for their trade. The grant is open to apprentices in any recognised trade across Australia, including electricians, carpenters, plumbers, mechanics, chefs, hairdressers, horticulturists and jewellers.