If passed, the bill's intention is to help Australian firms win work on major projects in the economy, improving on opportunities to win contracts on large investment projects as opposed to contracts going offshore.

This is a part of the government's $1 billion Plan for Australian Jobs, which encompasses other elements such as new Industry Innovation Precincts and greater support for small and medium-sized businesses.

"This legislation will support jobs in Australia by giving local manufacturers and other businesses more opportunities to win work on major projects," said Mr Combet.

"It will ensure the big companies which develop major projects like new mines, power stations and transport links give local businesses a fair chance rather than defaulting to overseas suppliers."

Developments such as mines and power stations requiring temporary workers to carry out their job in a remote location often necessitates the use of accommodation such as modular houses or relocatable buildings when local housing isn’t available.

Such developments can offer significant economic benefit to local regions as well as the nation as a whole with increased employment and finance injected into related sectors.

An Australian Industry Participation Authority will be established, administering policies and plans for large investment projects to improve industry access and capability.

These plans will help to boost local content on major projects, resulting in improved outcomes for project developers and local firms.

"This Bill is expected to see Australian industry win extra work worth between $1.6 billion and $6.4 billion a year. That's more income, more business and more jobs," said Mr Combet.

For this reason, it's vital for governments to embrace investment in this area, to ensure the future of Australia's security and quality of life.

With the May 14 announcement of the new federal budget, the Green Building Council of Australia is one organisation that has released a response regarding the government's infrastructural decisions.

While the GBCA's executive director of advocacy, Robin Mellon, is pleased that urban infrastructure projects will receive $24 billion in funding, he believes not enough is being done to provide better learning environments or a more resilient Australia.

"Just last week, the Urban Coalition, of which the GBCA is a member, called for A New Deal for Urban Australia and investment in infrastructure that contributes to more productive, liveable and sustainable communities and cities," said Mr Mellon.

"The absence of significant infrastructure spending in this Budget highlights the need for strategic investment that provides opportunities for more Australians, contributes to better functioning cities and boosts national productivity," Mr Mellon says.

The GBCA also states its disappointment in the funding allocated to support a more resilient nation.

An amount of $100 million has been put forward for the next two years to support natural disaster mitigation and to reduce insurance premiums, however only $33 million of this will be used for uncommitted projects and to create a National Insurance Affordability Council.

Mr Mellon commented that this is inadequate, as we need to design and build more sustainable and resilient buildings, communities and infrastructure to avoid the harsh impacts of extreme weather events on the productivity, stability, and sustainability of Australia.

"If we don’t invest now, we’ll pay for it in the long-term," said Mr Mellon.

Many areas of Australia are particularly susceptible to extreme weather events, such as Queensland for flooding, and a number of states for bushfires, with Tasmania experiencing severe fires as recently as this January.

"In the competitive, globalised world of the 21st century, good infrastructure matters," said minister for infrastructure and transport, Anthony Albanese.

Mr Albanese also commented that the new budget "begins identifying future funding priorities, with the nation's regional highways and urban public transport infrastructure set to be the big winners".

Deputy prime minister and treasurer Wayne Swan commented on Australia's recent resources boom and the road that must be taken after this for the future.

"The Australian economy is expected to undergo two large and important transitions over the forecast period. Following the largest investment boom in Australia's history, the resources boom will shift from the investment phase toward exceptional growth in production and exports," said Mr Swan.

The boom in Australia's resources has led to many temporary workers carrying out their jobs in remote areas, on mining and construction works in isolated parts of the country, where they have often been accommodated in modular houses or prefab homes. 

This resources boom has provided a significant level of employment, investment and revenue for the nation.

In terms of further national development, the government also said in its latest budget announcements that it will support Australian regions as well as cities with road upgrades, including the Swan Valley Bypass, the Bruce Highway, the Pacific Highway, the Midlands Highway and Tiger Brennan Drive as some examples.

These developments and upgrades are hoped to boost productivity, build capacity, improve safety and relieve congestion problems, improving overall quality of life for Australians both in remote or regional areas, along with those living in city areas.

With the May 14 announcement of the federal budget, minister for infrastructure and transport Anthony Albanese announced that an additional $9.9 million in funding will be provided over the next two years for the upgrading of remote airstrips to make them safer.

These airstrips often serve as vital links to communities living in remote areas, giving access to energy services, supplies, and regional centres.

Temporary workers servicing these airstrip upgrades may benefit from modular houses if local accommodation is not possible due to the small size of many of these communities.

For many of these remote populations, these airstrips are especially important as road access can sometimes be unavailable, unreliable or disrupted during the wet season, and flying is a quick and efficient form of travel.

Some of this new government funding will also allow for a greater focus on upgrading airstrips for remote indigenous communities.

So far over $50 million has been granted through the Remote Airstrip Upgrade Program, improving 237 airstrips. 

Mornington Island, Fitzroy Crossing, Nepabunna and Tibooburra are all remote communities which have benefitted from this program's funding with a variety of safety upgrades including fencing, lighting, and general work.

The Program names some of its capabilities including upgrading runway surfaces and stormwater drainage, working on safety equipment including runway lighting and navigation aids, and upgrading other infrastructure such as animal proof fencing.

Landside works such as terminals, hangars, buildings or commercial developments aren't covered by the program.

Airstrip owners, community groups and local governments in remote areas can apply for funding for their local airstrip.

The new rating system, Green Star – Public Building v1 rating tool, has been piloted for two years with extensive industry consultation.

It allows public buildings to be a part of what Green Star ratings offer – that is, a voluntary rating system assessing sustainability of design and construction for a arrange of facilities, including buildings and communities.

"A Green Star – Public Building rating provides independent verification that what is being designed and constructed is an efficient, sustainable and future-proofed asset," said the GBCA’s chief executive Romilly Madew.

"Public buildings such as community centres, libraries, law courts, theatres, museums, art galleries and places of worship can now demonstrate better outcomes for the economy, the environment and the community."

Ms Madew commented that this new rating tool has the ability to help local governments report on their environmental practices, and show accountability in energy and cost efficiency for their public buildings.

Green-Star rated buildings are likely to lower costs over their operational lifespan as they are more energy efficient, therefore allowing local governments to spend the savings elsewhere.

Manningham City Council in Victoria has sponsored this new Green Star tool, and has put forward its new civic precinct community hub to achieve certification under the rating.

The City of Yarra located in inner Melbourne has also embraced the Green Star rating tool, registering its North Fitzroy Library and Community Hub for a rating.

"We committed to a Green Star rating for our new building because third party certification sends a clear message to the community that we are serious about delivering a long-term asset that is healthy, productive and fiscally responsible," said Andrew Griffin, coordinator capital projects at the City of Yarra.

"Cautious household attitudes continue to restrain expenditure on residential construction, although many prospective buyers are being impeded by tight credit conditions. This impediment is preventing some new home building and larger renovation jobs from proceeding," said HIA chief economist, Dr Harley Dale.

Dr Dale asserted that for a more healthy residential construction industry, federal leaders will need to reduce taxation and regulatory costs, increase competition in the banking sector, and encourage greater workplace flexibility.

He also stated that while it's encouraging to see a new home building recovery underway in NSW and WA, it seems unlikely that there will be any growth in national housing starts this year.

Starts in NSW are predicted to increase by 14 per cent, and starts in WA by 17 per cent, while overall the national outlook is for a flat year.

A growth rate of 2.5 per cent and 2.8 per cent is forecast for national housing starts in 2014 and 2015 respectively, taking starts to a level of 155,336.

Renovations also struggled in 2012, falling to its lowest level since 2002. This is due to lower levels of home equity limiting finance for renovation jobs.

For 2013 HIA has forecast a 1.9 increase in growth for renovations and 2.3 per cent in 2014 – taking the total value of renovations investment to $29.7 billion, still less than 2011's peak.

Meanwhile, a number of states have been focusing on transport and infrastructure, with treasurer Michael O'Brien's announcement that Victoria would be funding more road, rail and community infrastructure projects.

In rural areas, temporary construction workers are often effectively accommodated in a prefab house, as their short-term work often lies in low or non-populated remote locations.

This report is intended to challenge Australians to become involved in a national conversation about the country's future, providing evidence and information behind many of the issues affecting all aspects of Australia – the environment, society and economy.

"This report shows that overall, Australia is a great place to live, and across most indicators we are tracking well. We've  a sustained period of economic growth with low unemployment, improvements in health and life expectancy, and most of us live in safe communities," said professor John Thwaites, chair of the National Sustainability Council.

However, Mr Thwaites identified a number of challenges including the gap between rich and poor, population growth and strain on resources, climate change and extreme weather events.

He also noted that sustainability is something that everybody is responsible for collectively and that the action we take in the next decade will determine the quality of life for the next generation – the future can't take care of itself.

The Green Building Council of Australia (GBCA) asserted their support for this report, which it says underscores the fact that securing the country's sustainable future is in the best interest of all citizens.

"The report emphasises that sustainability is not simply a matter of ensuring we protect our natural environment. True sustainability means ensuring that future generations have at least the same quality of life as we have enjoyed," said Robin Mellon, GBCA’s executive director of advocacy.

Mr Mellon cited issues such as housing affordability, employment, education, car dependence, obesity, building resilience and climate change as challenges Australia must face to move forward in securing a sustainable future.

On May 6, BG Group and the China National Offshore Oil Corporation (CNOOC) signed binding agreements with each other, whereby CNOOC will obtain a larger interest in the first two production trains of the Queensland Curtis LNG Project (QCLNG).

QCLNG is expected to be the world's first development to produce LNG from natural gas out of coal seams, and first exports are due next year.

The current project is worth $20 billion and is over halfway complete, with $11.4 billion having been spent on it so far.

The proliferation in growth of Australia's LNG industry is a great opportunity for employment, as this single development employs over 9,000 people.

Temporary construction workers may benefit from modular houses and prefab homes for when LNG projects are located in remote areas and accommodation is otherwise difficult.

Mr Gray commented that the LNG agreements signed by BG Group and CNOOC have reaffirmed Australia as a leader in supplying cleaner hydrocarbon energy to global markets.

"Last month, following the prime minister's successful visit to China, our two countries announced a strategic partnership and the supply of minerals and petroleum, and increasingly LNG, is a key plank in our broader relationship," Mr Gray said.

"Ours is a mutually beneficial partnership. China is the world's fastest growing energy market, with huge demand for LNG, at the same time as Australia is poised to become one of the world's top two LNG exporters."

Part of the agreement today builds on an agreement from October last year. BC Group will supply CNOOC with an extra five million tonnes of LNG a year from 2015 from its global portfolio, and CNOOC will receive a 20 per cent interest in the reserves and resources of some of BG Group's tenements.

Much of that success can be attributed to the financial impact of the resource boom and the revenue which that generated for the country.

And despite Resources and Energy minister Martin Ferguson's August 2012 declaration that "the resources boom is over", Australia is still enjoying the benefits of a healthy mining sector.

Last month, the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) released new data that revealed that more than 276,300 people were employed in the mining industry in May of 2012.

Furthermore, the ABS revealed that many of the country's mining towns are boasting an astronomical rate of population growth.

Towns such as Karratha, Roxby Downs, Middlemount and Newman all placed as having seen some of the fastest rates of population growth between the 2007 and 2011 censuses.

In order to house these new mining employees, many mining companies have invested in modular homes, which are an ideal housing solution for their circumstances.

Relocatable homes can be quickly shipped into remote locations and set up for a fraction of the cost it would usually take to house mining workers.

This has helped many mining companies keep expenses low and profits high, which is good for the Australian economy and for the employees as well, who are able to stay in comfortable, low-cost accommodation while they work.

With more mining projects being announced every week, it is likely that prefab modular homes will remain a valuable asset for the mining industry for many years to come.

Of course, it is not only the mining sector that has benefitted from modular housing, as modular homes are also an ideal solution for commercial applications as well.

Modular homes are not only limited to business purposes either, as they can also serve as an inexpensive, efficient and effective form of residential construction.

"More people in remote regions of the Northern Territory will be helped to get jobs and participate in their communities through this new program,” said Julie Collins, minister for Indigenous employment and economic development.

"The RJCP tackles the main obstacles preventing people in remote communities from working and participating in meaningful activities that contribute to the strength and sustainability of their community."

Ms Collins also commented that this helps to identify local jobs matched with the skills of local workers.

Local providers will help those in the area to be employment-ready and encourage and provide access to training and development in order to help them find a suitable position.
In many remote areas, work in the mining sector is often a possibility, with the use of modular houses to accommodate any extra workers involved.

Minister for Indigenous health, Warren Snowdon, commented that the providers of the RJCP assistance are trusted local organisations and councils with strong ties to their communities, possessing extensive local knowledge.

"Working closely with communities in the regions will mean the priorities and goals for participation, training, employment and long-term development reflect exactly what those communities need," said Mr Snowdon.

Strong relationships between providers and their communities will make employment more relatable and accessible.

The RJCP is also getting underway in other parts of Australia, such as the far west of NSW and Upper Darling NSW.

The Murdi Paaki Regional Enterprise Corporation Limited (MPREC) has been chosen as the provider in this area, and will work with five subcontracted organisations to deliver its desired outcomes.