GIG GUIDE

ROCK TODAY ATLANTIS AWAITS; POLAROID PEOPLE: Cabbage Tree Hotel, Fairy Meadow DESTINY KARAOKE: Marlin Hotel, Ulladulla

YOUR LETTERS

Beyond mediocrity, yes I HAD a letter published recently ("Tread warily, Knights" 9/3) raising concerns regarding Nathan Tinkler taking over the Knights.

Subcontractors lose out

SYDNEY building company Inscope Solutions left a trail of financial destruction for Newcastle subcontractors before going into liquidation last week.

US motorists rage against Macquarie toll

Drivers are avoiding the Australian-run Dulles Greenway in Virginia amid anger over its high costs, writes Simon Mann in Washington.

Australians accused of 'highway robbery'

AUSTRALIAN investors are being accused of highway robbery by motorists in Virginia, who blame the Macquarie Group for what they say are exorbitant road tolls.

Let the little terrors go wild

Animal encounters could be just the thing to tame your pack, writes Jason Mountney.

Secret Agent

Close to the action

Developer reaches for sky in Bourke Street

NINETY-NINE years after it was developed as a cinema, and later used as the Melbourne Revival Centre, one of the city's most prominent cultural hubs is to be sold as a development site.

Building them clean, green

SUSTAINABILITY is becoming increasingly important and the emphasis is on working towards a cleaner and greener environment.

Build a bond, build a winner

BUILDING your dream home can be exciting, challenging and occasionally frustrating.

Authority on building

WHETHER you are building a dream home, renovating or simply refurbishing, the Housing Industry Authority's Home Ideas Centre in the Steel River Estate at Mayfield is packed with inspiration.

Click into place

Builders are using online forums to showcase designs, writes Sue Green.

Local industry buoyant despite the gloom

As foreign makes struggle, Australian boat builders are holding their own on the world stage, writes David Lockwood.

Stay where you are

Demolishing and building anew may be your best option, writes Sue Green.

WHAT'S ON

THIS WEEKEND'S PICK LIFELINE BOOK FAIR Saturday and Sunday

Make sure to go the extra yard

DREAMS can turn ugly and we all know what can happen to the best-laid plans of mice and men.

Artistic deferences

Oh Mercy have felt the effects of split personalities, writes Andrew Murfett.

Craichouse no longer Wollongong's best-kept secret

The Craichouse Comedy Club has been Wollongong��s bestkept secret for nearly five years, but if this year��s crowd is anything to go by, the secret is now out.

Covert desal plant workers file claims

FOUR men employed as part of a controversial covert operation at the Wonthaggi desalination plant have lodged action through Fair Work Australia seeking large discrimination payouts from Thiess, the builder of the plant.

Don't mention the disasters

Peter Hofbauer is back doing what he does best. The former bigwig at Babcock & Brown has re-emerged in the City of London after keeping his head down following the collapse of Phil Green and Jim Babcock's Macquarie mini-me two years ago.

GIG GUIDE

ROCK TODAY AFTER OURZ: 11.30am Ulladulla Ex-Services BACKLASH: Illawarra Master Builders Club BILLY GOAT KARAOKE: Kiama Grand Hotel

Building management skills

Building industry tradespeople can upgrade their qualifications in a convenient and timely way.

Contents

�� Staff investment 5 �� Upper Hunter growth 6 �� TAFE��s green skills 7 �� Science in recruitment 8

Only the best

The Master Builders Association brings together apprentices and industry, with outstanding results.

Union threat to sham contractors

A POWERFUL construction union has threatened industrial action against developers and builders that engage staff as "sham contractors" as part of an aggressive response to the practice that they say is costing the government $2.45 billion a year in unpaid taxes.

Aspect of site spot on

A HUNTER school for children with autism is expected to move into its first permanent home next year.

tv previews

Survivor: Redemption Island Roads to Memphis Artscape: MONA ��� Feel the Weird

Five key steps to buying with confidence

Take some of the stress out of one of the largest investments you're likely to make by following these tips, writes Nick Galvin.

Help from mouse around the house

Building experts are on hand for advice via the internet, writes Sue Green.

Locals locked out of city apartment market

IT'S every first home buyer's worst nightmare ��� and it may be just the beginning.

Super tower to top Eureka: Grollo

A NEW skyscraper eclipsing the 297-metre Eureka Tower, Melbourne's tallest building, is likely to be built in the city in the next five years, according to Eureka's builder Daniel Grollo.

HOW THE WORLD SAW THE BIG ISSUES

BAHRAIN Declares state of emergency as protesters call for reforms and troops from other Gulf nations enter country.

Modest start for state of the arts

TED Baillieu is following a Liberal tradition in serving as Arts Minister as well as Premier. Sir Rupert Hamer and Jeff Kennett had the same combination of jobs. But if Mr Baillieu's first utterances as Arts Minister are any indication, he is not rushing to follow their example.

Big plans for littlies

JUST as a man's home is his castle, a child's cubby house is a place in which to live, dream and play.

Two for the show Two for the show

THERE are three certainties in life: death, taxes and eccentric Swiss car builder Franco Sbarro rolling out something frankly bizarre every year in time to steal the Geneva motor show.

Build your knowledge

PLANNING to build a new home, or deciding whether to build or renovate, can be daunting.

Look for quality

There is more to choosing a builder than fancy bonuses, writes Sue Green.

Quake workers' sex boom

WELLINGTON. Christchurch's prostitutes have been run off their feet after the deadly earthquake as out-of-town relief workers seek their own relief.

Bright and eye-popping - a work of art to house artworks

THE room looks like the perfect venue for a 1960s pop happening.

The men behind the rallies

TWO of the key organisers of looming public rallies against the carbon tax are former builders burned by the former Rudd government's failed green loans scheme.

LOOSE CHANGE

Warning over guarantee drop

... and another thing

TED, having trouble finding $45 million to finish the Olivia Newton-John Cancer Centre? Tell Bernie where to put his grand prix, give the hospital its money and you are left with money to spare. How easy is that? John Lindsay, Benalla

The energy efficiency divide

While many commercial property builders have adapted to the energy rating system, the residential sector lags behind international benchmarks.

The Gallery

New Natural Home Dominic Bradbury Thames & Hudson, rrp $49.95

Building more business

Burbank is about to spread its wings into eastern Victoria and Queensland.

Standard issue a wise choice

Association contracts comply where others may not, writes Sue Green.

Unlimited control of your life

Smart technology is making its way into all aspects of our lives. Paul Best investigates how far we can go at home.

TELEVISION

GRAND DESIGNS

Could this be the next helicopter for Defence?

IN ITS matte blue-grey paint, it's hard to see from the outside where the $40 million or so is spent.

Master builders create a grand design

AMORE ITALIANO- RATING: 4/5 Accordone; Australian Brandenburg Orchestra Elisabeth Murdoch Hall, February 27

A tiny victim of the quake is laid to rest

FIVE-MONTH-OLD Baxtor Gowland never took his first steps, but in his short time he won countless hearts.