ABSTRACT
The Australian climate spans from alpine to desert, with temperate, subtropical and tropical regions creating diverse climatic conditions and requiring expansive building regulations. The Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) estimates that from an initial AUD1 million of extra output in construction, AUD2. The Australian Royal Commission into the Building and Construction Industry badopted this approach and de Valence reinforces the appropriateness of this broader perspective. In 2011 the Australian Sustainable Built Environment National Research Centre (SBEnrc) commissioned an audit and assessment of R&D investment in the Australian construction industry. Historically, the Australian Government has sought to build partnerships between industries and public sector researchers via longstanding public granting schemes. The ARC Linkage scheme and the Cooperative Research Centres (CRC) programme are two such schemes. The research aims to build new understandings and knowledge relevant to R&D funding patterns, research team formation and management, future industry needs and R&D strategy.
