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A New Demand-Supply Model to Enable Sustainability in New Australian Housing

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  • Georgia Warren-Myers

    (Thrive, Faculty of Architecture, Building and Planning, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne VIC 3010, Australia)

  • Christopher Heywood

    (Thrive, Faculty of Architecture, Building and Planning, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne VIC 3010, Australia)

Abstract

Sustainability implementation in new housing in Australia lags much of the developed world’s standards and implementation levels for residential sustainability. Various reasons for this are offered via a ‘blame game’ in a sector plagued by lack of demand, prohibitive costs, and poorly implemented existing energy efficiency regulations. Multiple gaps in traditional supply-led procurement theory inhibits sustainability’s implementation in the Australian mass production residential construction system. Once-off consumers are not the key demand actor due to their inability to demand sustainability in a system that limits consumers’ choice and demand. Warren-Myers and Heywood (2016) theorized that the mass-producing Volume Builders are the pivotal demand-side actor in mainstreaming sustainability in the Australian new housing system. This paper investigated the Volume Builders’ roles and relationships with traditional demand-side actors, housing consumers, and the supply-side’s subcontractors and suppliers, to identify the ultimate demand actor that drives the housing industry. The investigation used semi-structured interviews with Volume Builders. The results demonstrated Volume Builders’ dominance of the Australian residential mass production construction industry validating their pivotal role as a demand-side actor in a consumption-based demand and supply model. This identifies Volume Builders as the key actor who could then drive wide-spread adoption of sustainability innovation in Australian mass-produced housing.

Suggested Citation

  • Georgia Warren-Myers & Christopher Heywood, 2018. "A New Demand-Supply Model to Enable Sustainability in New Australian Housing," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(2), pages 1-18, January.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:10:y:2018:i:2:p:376-:d:129645
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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Kerry London & Russell Kenley, 2001. "An industrial organization economic supply chain approach for the construction industry: a review," Construction Management and Economics, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 19(8), pages 777-788.
    2. Gert Spaargaren & Peter Oosterveer, 2010. "Citizen-Consumers as Agents of Change in Globalizing Modernity: The Case of Sustainable Consumption," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 2(7), pages 1-22, June.
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    Cited by:

    1. Warren-Myers, Georgia & Bartak, Erika & Cradduck, Lucy, 2020. "Observing energy rating stars through the Australian Consumer Law lens: How volume home builders’ advertising can fail consumers," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 139(C).
    2. Andreia de Castro e Silva & Robson Seleme & Wiliam de Assis Silva & Izabel Cristina Zattar & Elpidio Oscar Benitez Nara & Osiris Canciglieri Júnior & Lisianne Brittes Benitez, 2022. "Evaluation and Choice Criteria of Sustainable Suppliers in the Construction Industry: A Comparative Study in Brazilian Companies," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(23), pages 1-16, November.
    3. Georgia Warren-Myers & Monique Schmidt, 2023. "The Evolving Nature (or Not) of Sustainability Communications in New Home Building in Australia," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(19), pages 1-20, September.

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