Large parts of Australia's centre and north-east will cop a battering from heavy rain this weekend, as every jurisdiction in the country is told to brace for extreme winds.

The nation's north half, spanning from Western Australia, across to the Northern Territory and into Queensland and South Australia, are all set to feel the force of an incoming "large cloudband", expected to deliver "widespread and unseasonably heavy rain".

Some areas, according to Weatherzone, had already collected several months' rain in one or two days earlier this week, resulting in flooding and roads being off.

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While the nation enjoyed some respite from the rain yesterday, those conditions are to be short lived, with more intense conditions expected today and into the weekend.

"Another pulse of heavier rainfall will develop over WA's Kimberley and the NT Interior on Friday and Saturday, before spreading further east across Queensland from Sunday into early next week," Weatherzone said.

"Some forecast models also suggest New South Wales, Victoria, the ACT and even Tasmania could pick up some rain from this system next week.

"As of 4pm AEST on Thursday, flood watches had already been issued in WA and the NT.

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"More flood watches and possibly flood warnings will be issued in the next few days as this second pulse of rain spreads across northern and central Australia."

The expected dumping comes as Bureau of Meteorology (BoM) issues warnings to every Aussie state and territory today over extreme marine winds.

Flood warnings also remain in place across a number of areas in WA, the NT and in Victoria.

A full list of those warnings can be found here.

Meanwhile, across the capital cities, it'll be tops of 18 degrees today in Sydney with lows of a frosty seven, in Melbourne it'll be cloudy with tops of just 14 and a low of 10 degrees.

In Brisbane, it'll be a pleasant 21 and sunny, with lows of six, while in Adelaide rain is expected with tops of 13 degrees.

In the west, Perth will see sunny skies with a maximum temperature of 17 degrees, and in Canberra it'll reach a high of 11 degrees.

Showers with a top of 14 degrees is expected in Tasmania. 

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We've all seen the headlines: Another major Australian builder collapses as construction crisis grows. Another Aussie building company collapses as costs bite. Another construction company falls into liquidation.

The Australian construction industry is in turmoil, but it's hard even for the most well-versed readers to grasp the sheer volume of companies collapsing. In the past two years, more than 2000 have gone into liquidation – more than two a day.

So why, even as Australians are crying out for more housing supply, are construction firms going bust, and is there anything you can do if your builder folds after you've paid a deposit?

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How many Australian construction companies have collapsed recently?

Since mid-2021, 2023 Australian building companies have gone into liquidation, according to data from the Australian Security and Investments Commission.

This includes the likes of Porter Davis, Probuild, ABG and A1A Homes.

For context, the accommodation and food services industry is next on the list – perhaps no surprise given the impact of the pandemic. However, it has less than half the number of collapsed companies (1013) over the same period.

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Why are they collapsing?

A range of economic conditions is causing turmoil in the construction industry, including supply-chain issues, rising interest rates, and pandemic-era stimulus ending.

It's been labelled a "perfect storm" by the University of NSW (UNSW).

"COVID lockdowns and hundreds of billions paid to people not to work caused supply shortages, both locally and overseas," Dr Peter Swan, a banking and finance professor at the UNSW Business School, said.

"Lax fiscal policies and massive printing of money by the RBA led to inflation. The cash rate has been raised from almost zero to over 4 per cent per annum.

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"All of these changes have put pressure on builders financially, as has the decline in house prices… far fewer properties are being listed for sale," he said.

Spiking raw material costs and labour shortages are also causing issues.

"For a residential builder, increased material costs and longer than usual material delivery times stretch working capital requirements," associate professor Dr Rob Nicholls, also from the UNSW Business School, said.

"Some builders cannot deal with this and collapse."

I've paid a deposit to a builder that has since collapsed. What can I do?

It's a scenario thousands of Australians have faced recently: paying a hefty deposit for a dream home, only for the builder to go bust, throwing the project into doubt.

Unfortunately, there's not a lot of protection for anyone who finds themselves in that position – a far cry from banks or superannuation funds going bust, when customers' investments or deposits are secured.

"The house buyer is just an unsecured creditor to the builder," Nicholls said.

"This means that they have two problems. Some of their funds will be lost and finding another builder to complete the work is difficult because of increased material costs."

Sometimes, governments will provide bailouts to allow customers to recoup their deposits – such as the scheme announced in Victorian following Porter Davis's collapse.

However, there's no guarantee of government intervention after a builder goes bust – Queenslanders, for example, were not given support in line with the scheme on offer in Victoria in the case of Porter Davis.

In those scenarios, Swan says there's "very little" recourse available aside from expensive legal action.

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However, he said two steps Aussies should take are to avoid buying off the plan, and opt for well-established construction firms.

"There are large, reputable builders who have been around for many decades. This offers some protection but far from complete," he said.

However, the lack of protection for home-buyers is something Nicholls is hoping to address in a research project between the UNSW Business Insights Institute project and Tip Group, which aims to propose regulations that would minimise risks in the industry.

"There is a need to change the regulatory settings for the residential building industry in order to minimise the insolvency risk for both the builder and the consumer," Nicholls said.

"Unfortunately, previous performance is no guide to future outcomes. Under the current and inadequate protections for both the buyer and the builder, there is always an insolvency risk."

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There are grave fears for a Belgian traveller missing in Tasmania for almost two weeks following expert advice the conditions she's presumed lost in are "not survivable".

No one has heard from Céline Cremer since the middle of this month, even after her car was found at Philosopher Falls in the state's remote north-west near Waratah, about 130 kilometres west of Launceston.

Her family at home in Belgium were desperate for any sign of the fun-loving 31-year-old but on Thursday police had confronting news.

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Based on expert advice, they said the recent conditions in the remote area were "not survivable for the length of time that Celine is thought to have been exposed in the wilderness".

Police highlighted freezing weather, snow and rain in the region.

Searchers on the ground, in helicopters and using drones had failed to turn up any sign of the missing woman by Thursday.

"At this stage police believe Celine's car has been in the carpark since at least 20 June, and our information indicates she was only equipped for a light day walk," police said.

"The search effort is continuing but we are dealing with extremely dense bushland and the challenging weather conditions are expected to worsen over the coming days.

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"We remain in close contact with Celine's family, and our thoughts continue to be with them."

Earlier this week Céline's sister, Amélie Cremer, asked Tasmanians to do anything they could to help find the 31-year-old.

"The most difficult thing is the waiting," Amélie told 9News.com.au. 

"We are helpless here and we just want to know."

Anyone with information should call police on 131 444.

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Sydney would have a low-rise horizon, the harbour rimmed in red-brick housing, when the Opera House would be opened by Queen Elizabeth II in October 1973.

But even before that moment, the building at Bennelong Point has been close to the affections of Sydneysiders.

It would take close to 15 years from its first proposition to the final pull on the opening plaque lanyard for the Opera House to be realised.

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"Even before it was opened, while it's still being built, you start to see the image of the Opera House appearing on international tourism posters," says Scott Hill, curator of a new exhibit at the Museum of Sydney called "The People's House: Sydney Opera House at 50".

As it grew on the harbour, its unique sails taking shape, the political angst over its construction would ebb away as the scaffold was removed, the new white shells gifted the nickname of the "Nuns in a Scrum".

Belying its formal title, there would be a kaleidoscope of differing culture that would be presented from its stages.

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Along with what are called the high arts such as theatre and orchestras, that first year of performance would also feature artists as varied as Kamahl and the Bee Gees, along with Les Girls, then one of the raunchiest shows from Kings Cross.

But the Opera House soon created its own wave of kitsch and ephemera, from teaspoons and tea towels, snow globes and key rings, Wedgewood and ashtrays.

"It's the way that people bring the Opera House back home with them, and it becomes a part of their everyday lives," says Scott.

Jade McKellar is chief customer officer at the Opera House.

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"I think what makes the Opera House so special," she says, her elbow propped on a pillow printed with its image, "is that combination of the experience, or what you're seeing at the Opera House, with the place, and the building, and the magic in that architecture."

Scott says another important ingredient to the world falling in love with the building, is its location harbourside.

"Out on the promontory, I think is the key to its success."

The exhibit, at the Museum of Sydney in Bridge Street, opens this weekend.

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