[guzzis3]

Depends on what you are after. There are 2 aspects to thermodynamics in a house. The first is resistance to heat flow through walls, the second is heat retention.

Heavy masonry walls whether brick or concrete soak up heat in the day and release it at night. You might think that's desirable but I will never forget my parents getting insulation in their brick veneer house in the 80's. They'd built it a few years earlier and it was pretty livable but after the insulation it stayed freezing cold in winter till about 11 am and stayed stinking hot in summer half the night. Made getting up hard and getting to sleep impossible. It acts like a battery (or capacitor) slowing the ingress of heat not reducing it.

If you use non massive lagging like a light cladding and material with low thermal conductivity it slows heat ingress (or loss for you southerners) but doesn't store it so if you want to change the temperature you can do that easily. In snow dwellers terms it means you can heat a room faster because you are heating the air not the wall structure.

Brick veneer looks expensive so people prefer it. It can be cheaper than most alternatives. I don't hate it, but if you are concerned with economics rather than aesthetics colourbond over pine with batts and gyprock is your friend. I personally prefer glass batts as they are fire resistant. Some might point out the material for say fibro sheet or weatherboards is cheaper but they aren't factoring in painting.

If you buy me flowers and dinner I'll let you see my spreadsheet.