Sustainability Victoria (SV) is pleased to release the FirstRate5 data analysis report. The report presents the results of an analysis of Home Energy Ratings certified for the 2014/15 financial year and will form the baseline for future reports. The analysis approach is based on questions developed by SV following discussion with industry and government in Victoria.

Thirty finalists have been announced in the 2016 Victorian Premier's Sustainability Awards, featuring three in the Built Environment category. Premier's Sustainability Awards' winners will be announced at the awards ceremony on Thursday 20 October at the Plaza Ballroom, Melbourne. For more information on the awards, finalists and to purchase tickets for the award ceremony, visit the awards website.

FirstRate5 v5.2.​3b (3.13) is now available as a free download from www.fr5.com.au. This version is a minor bug fix release with one new enhancement included. SV recommends that all users upgrade to this version.

On 8 August 2016 the Building Designers Association of Victoria (BDAV) is presenting a webinar on the latest version of the FirstRate 5 manual, which may be of interest to FirstRate5 users. Well-known industry identity, Tony Isaacs, will explain how the manual is laid out; where to look for things; and will run through some of the 'trickier' contents in the manual. This webinar will be useful for all users of FirstRate5, including users already familiar with the manual.

Sustainability Victoria has decided to discontinue the sale by tender of FirstRate5. The tender process for the sale of FirstRate5 was initiated by SV in May 2015. That process has now been discontinued with the software to be retained in Victorian Government ownership.