Master Builder NSW JANUARY - MARCH 2021

MASTER BUILDER Official Magazine of the Master Builders Association of NSW | Issue One | January-March 2021

INSIDE:

RISING TO THE CHALLENGE

MASTER BUILDERS PROPOSALS FOR THE 2021-22 FEDERAL BUDGET PLUS:

• CHANGES TO PENALTIES FOR BUILDING DELAYS • POST JOBKEEPER STAND DOWN PROVISIONS • MASTER BUILDERS SECURES MORE TRAINING SUBSIDIES • RESCUED BABOONS GRANTED A NEW FOREVER HOME

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CONTENTS

MASTER BUILDER Official Magazine of the Master Builders Association of NSW | Issue One | January-March 2021

IN THIS ISSUE REGULARS

5 7 9 29 31 32 42 58 64 65 66 67

Contact List President’s Viewpoint Executive Director’s Viewpoint Legal: Penalty changes Industrial Relations: Jobkeeper stand down provisions Training Advertising Features: Kitchen & Bathroom

INSIDE:

RISING TO THE CHALLENGE

MASTER BUILDERS PROPOSALS FOR THE 2021-22 FEDERAL BUDGET PLUS:

• CHANGES TO PENALTIES FOR BUILDING DELAYS • POST JOBKEEPER STAND DOWN PROVISIONS • MASTER BUILDERS SECURES MORE TRAINING SUBSIDIES • RESCUED BABOONS GRANTED A NEW FOREVER HOME

Regional Roundup New Products Diary Advertising Directory

About the cover: The building industry continues to rise to and overcome all challenges, whether they are environmental, social, or governmental, with innovative, daring, and visionary proposals and solutions.

The Way We Were

FEATURES 10 Rising to the Challenge:

MBA’s Proposals

Master Builders Australia Proposals for the 2021-2022 Federal Budget

24

Excellence in Building Award: Display Homes An inside look at what made Firstyle a new category winner

26

Building a new home: for baboons Through the generosity of Clarendon Homes, some valued retirees get a new home.

36 Gender Equality in the

Construction Industry

Libby Lyons, Workplace Gender Equality Agency CEO releases Australia’s ‘scorecard’

Published by

News Corp Australia is the exclusive Publishing Partner of the Master Builder magazine.

ABN: 63 009 820 035 Phone: (07) 4690 9422 Website: www.newscorpaustralia.com Custom Publishing Manager: Emily Bosman 07 4690 9303 | M 0448 049 469 Emily.Bosman@news.com.au Editorial Coordinator: Josie Adams 07 4690 9454 | M 0437 819 696 Josie.Adams@news.com.au Graphic Designer: Jeff Brown Printed by: Greenridge Press

This publication is copyright. No part of it may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means including electronic, mechanical, microcopying, photocopying, recording or otherwise without the permission of Master Builders Association of NSW or News Corp Australia.

Disclaimer: Readers are advised that the Master Builders Association of NSW and the publisher cannot be held responsible for the accuracy of statements made in advertising and editorial; nor the quality of goods and services advertised.

Issue One | January-March 2021 | MBA NSW

3

MBA CAR BUYING SERVICE HUGE SAVINGS IN TIME AND EFFORT

SIGNIFICANT FLEET SAVINGS ON NEW AND DEMO VEHICLES

MAXIMISE THE VALUE OF YOUR TRADE-IN

CALL US FOR THE BEST DEALS ON PRICE & FINANCE

0414 919 194 OGARIT KELLEY MASTER BUILDERS

Financial Services *Conditions apply

CONTACTS MASTER BUILDERS ASSOCIATION OF NEW SOUTH WALES 52 Parramatta Road, Forest Lodge NSW 2037 | Private Bag 9, Broadway NSW 2007 Tel: 02 8586 3555 | Fax: 02 9660 3700 | Email: enquiries@mbansw.asn.au Website: www.mbansw.asn.au | ABN 96 550 042 906

HEAD OFFICE EXECUTIVE BOARD Simon Pilcher Robert Black Martin Patience Frank Mamasioulas Mick Banks Michael O’Donnell Colin Jewell

EXECUTIVE

Executive Director Executive Assistant

LEGAL

Head Solicitor Lawyer Lawyer Legal Assistant Technical Adviser

President Deputy President Immediate Past President Vice President Vice President Vice President Vice President

CAREERS ADVISORY SERVICE Manager

Brian Seidler Amanda de Vries

MBA INSURANCE SERVICES

NSW State Manager Dele Omisore

Business Development Manager (M, Tu, W) Leanne Farmer

CORPORATE TEAM — GENERAL Senior Account Manager Edwina Lyall

Account Executive Adam Myers

Administration Officer Sarah Daniel SME TEAM — GENERAL SME Team Leader (Genera) David Petkovski

Senior Account Executive Alan Fraser

Account Executive Barbara Sou Account Executive Hannah Collins Senior Account Executive Hilda Marfo Account Executive Linda Thomson Account Executive Michael Stubbs SME Administration Officer Nicola Benson Account Executive Rezwan Rahman BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT TEAM — GENERAL Business Development Team Leader Patrick Rafferty

Business Development Executive Harry Rankin

Business Development Assistant Shaian Carmona WARRANTY ELIGIBILITY TEAM NSW Home Warranty Team Leader Wayne Manley

Business Development Executive Daniel Vine Account Executive Jayne Cornwell Account Executive Kirra Lee Parr

MASTER BUILDERS FINANCIAL SERVICES

Manager, Finance & Car Buying Ogarit Kelley

MEMBER SERVICES

Manager Member Services Graham McGuiggan Membership Coordinator Paul Love

Administration Coordinator Debralee Scarselletta Administration Assistant Felicia Suwito Trade Events Coordinator Jessica Martin Member Engagement Representative Clare Mayhew

8586 3503 8586 3507 8586 3519 0422 513 705 4979 0115 0466 777057 02 9296 6796 8586 3570 0412 806 700 8586 3594 0435 967 945 9296 6611 02 9296 6797 8586 3556 0466 626 323 9296 6717 0410 234 605 8586 3583 9296 6605 8586 3501 8586 3561 8586 3568 9296 6612 9296 6610 02 9296 6798 8586 3565 0481 906 275 9296 6609 0466 431 218 9296 6604 02 9296 6799 8586 3512 0481 919 108 8586 3566 9296 6792 9296 6782 0414 919 194 1300 760 366 8586 3554 8586 3540 0413 306 556 8586 3545 8586 3572 8586 3520 8595 3515

OPERATIONS

Director Operations General Manager Operations ICT Manager Communications IT Support/Webmaster Sponsorship Relations Manager

Susan Manning Amanda Kelly Janet Hood Sophie Abbott

8586 3517

8586 3546

0458 234 735 8586 3506 8586 3504 9296 6613 8586 3524

Craig Donovan 8586 3537 Jody McGann 8586 3589 Amanda Kernaghan 8586 3580 Steven Swan 8586 3562 Alexander Ashley-Carrington 8586 3525 Haley Tibbetts 0412 980 829

FINANCE & ADMINISTRATION

Manager Finance & Administration Strebre Delovski Credit Control Manager Eric Milne Credit Officer Daniela Fraumeni Inventory & Administration Officer Treena Carter Accounts Payable Officer Bridget Delmore Accounts Supervisor Rose McGill Accounts Officer Bachar Mourad Reception #2 Charles Martin Room

8586 3508 8586 3509 8586 3567 8586 3527 8586 3510 8586 3511 8586 3530 8586 3526 8586 3546

REGIONAL OFFICES NEWCASTLE OFFICE

Level 1, 165 Lambton Road, Broadmeadow 4953 9400 or 9296 6777 NSW Regional Office & Divisional Coordinator Luke Reeves 9296 6775 Division Administrator & Events Ashleigh O’Brien 9296 6771 Receptionist Gabi Maher 9296 6770 Safety Officer John McGhee 9296 6772 Training Coordinator Kerri Richards 9296 6773 Trade Events Coordinator Rebeccah Kilmurray 9296 6776 MBA Insurance Services Business Development Manager – Warranty Leeanne Farmer 9296 6781 Account Executive - HWI Kirra Lee Parr 9296 6782

NORTHERN REGIONS

2 Boeing Avenue, Ballina Regional Coordinator Matthew Meury Business Development Manager Alan Fraser Member Services Representative Marlee Hand

GOSFORD

Unit 7/4 Stockyard Place, West Gosford Member Services Representative Kerrie Bendeich

SOUTHERN REGIONS

Unit 1, 171 Princes Highway, Ulladulla Regional Coordinator Lynn Smith Member Services Representative Teresa Townsend

6681 4266 0428 412 784 0410 234 605 6681 4266 4323 4588 4323 4588 4454 1955 0418 633 297 4454 1955

ALBURY/WODONGA

Karen Kellock

8586 3538

PORT MACQUARIE

Peter Glover David Solomon Iain Jarman Matthew Gissane Joanna Psaros Luke Sammut Peter Murphy Beverly Glover Annette Gee Tracey Van Breugel Omesh Jethwani

8586 3535 8586 3552 8586 3502 8586 3573 8586 3529 8586 3522 8586 3607 8586 3523 8586 3531 9296 6666 8586 3539

APPRENTICESHIP SERVICES

Director Construction Executive Officer Safety & Risk Industrial Relations Officers

Safety Officers

Secretary – IR & Safety IR Administration Officer Industry Sector Co-ordinator Government Projects & Programs Manager

Awards Coordinator Special Projects Officer Events Administrator Events Administrator

35 Hovell Street, Wodonga Regional Manager Steve Donaghey Administration Assistant Ashlee Lempa Membership Coordinator Vanessa Hollis

5 Burbank Place, Baulkham Hills NSW 2153

INDUSTRIAL RELATIONS AND SAFETY

EVENTS & BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT

Karen Kellock

8586 3588

NORWEST EDUCATION CENTRE & TRAINING

Apprenticeship Services Manager

Robert Collings Janelle Thomy Emma Dorranian Darcie Jeffery Alex Henebery

Unit 3, 12 Jindalee Road, Port Macquarie Regional Coordinator Kerrie Clark

WOLLONGONG

66 Auburn St, Wollongong Regional Coordinator Lee Tanks Member Services Representative Ruth Billington

ORANGE

Level 1, 296-298 Summer St, Orange Regional Coordinator Katie Kidd

MATES IN CONSTRUCTION

Hotline

0402 044 075 02 6058 2000 02 6058 2000 6581 4033 0409 180 301 4272 9409 0419 140 126 4272 9409 02 6362 6895 0458 243 976 8586 3575

Issue One | January-March 2021 | MBA NSW

5

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PRESIDENT’S COMMENT

INTRODUCTION

From the President

The numbers have it!

A

s we go to print it appears that there is some good economic news for Australia, and particularly for our industry.

The latest data shows that Gross Domestic Product (GDP) rebounded by 3.1% in December, the second consecutive rebound of around 3% since the county plunged into recession on the back of two consecutive quarters of negative growth and a 7% fall in GDP. • Household spending is playing a major role in the bounce back. In the three months to December 2020: » Spending on motor vehicles was up by 31.8% » Spending on hotels and restaurants came back by 17.5% to December » HomeBuilder spurred a 4.1% increase in housing investment in the December quarter and 8.9% increase of business spending on plant and equipment.

But GDP still remains 1.1% below what it would have been absent the pandemic.

Home lending in Australia smashed records in January (2021) thanks to the continued roll out of the HomeBuilder scheme.

The first month of 2021 saw almost 10,000 loans being made to owner occupiers for the construction of a new home. This represents a gain of some 20.3 per cent on December 2020, a month which up until then, had been the strongest on record.

The strength of the market can also be seen in other lending streams. The number of loans for newly-erected homes reached an all-time high during January, having increased by 28.6 per cent over the previous 12 months.

The value of home renovations lending in January 2021 was 47.4 per cent up on the same month last year.

While HomeBuilder is targeted at owner occupiers, the behaviour of investor lending shows that the program has succeeded in reviving sentiment towards the housing market, right across the spectrum. The total number of loans to housing investors has increased by 22.7 per cent over the past year.

While these figures indicate a strength in the industry, some data indicate that a deceleration is occurring in certain areas.

The number of loans for the purchase of residential land by owner occupiers during January totaled 3,339, well down on the 5,214 peak of late last year.

This pattern suggests that the volume of new home building jobs entering the pipeline will start to ease back over the next few months.

Nevertheless, the HomeBuilder scheme remains open until the end of March and this means that 2021 will be a busy year for residential building.

Meanwhile on the jobs front the latest ABS data shows that: • 107,381 building and construction jobs have been added (nationally) since the start of 2021.

• However, compared to a year ago, the construction workforce has contracted 3.9%, 46,682 jobs.

• In NSW the estimated construction workforce as February 2020 was 373,000 compared to an estimated workforce of 351,000 in February 2021.

This edition of Master Builder outlines a number of 2021 Budget policies Master Builders Australia has presented to the Federal Government to stimulate the economy, with particular focus on the building industry.

These policies have been compiled after consultation with the various State and Territory Master Builders Associations. Let’s hope they translate into more stimulus for our industry.

Simon Pilcher MBA NSW President

Issue One | January-March 2021 | MBA NSW

7

Create raised floors on balconies, podiums and green roof tops Designed for creating raised floors in external applications, such as balconies, terraces and green roofs, Buzon’s Award Winning Pedestal system can be used with any type of concrete or stone paver, timber decking of all types and metal or fibreglass grid systems.

The PB pedestal is suitable for many different types of applications and designs. They are perfect for creating both residential and commercial spaces and the design makes it easy to adjust and allows quick and sturdy installation of natural stone pavers, porcelain tiles, concrete pavers or decks made of timber or composite decking.

A key benefit of this innovation is the patented slope correction device.

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range of interchangeable spacer tabs of 2mm, 3mm, 4.5mm, 6mm, 8mm and 10mm, allow for precise gaps between pavers and provide positive drainage without any concern for ponding or flooding.

Using the Buzon Pedestal replaces the use of sand and cement when laying pavers, therefore eliminating efflorescence and algae and reducing weight-bearing loads on the building structure. In addition the pedestal also improves thermal insulation and reduces sounds transmission.

In commercial urban environments where space is at an ever-higher premium, a building’s roof level is potentially a rich source of usable

For even more design flexibility, the system offers height adjustment from 15mm to 955mm, millimetre by millimetre if required. This allows for unsightly services to be concealed under the floor while still offering access for maintenance of the waterproofing membrane and drainage systems.

space. Buzon say their Pedestal System can be used to maximise a roof’s potential, both hiding all manner of services and protecting roof substrates from the elements, maximising integrity and longevity.

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EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR’S COMMENT

INTRODUCTION

From the Executive Director

Another Master Builders’ milestone achieved

M

embers may recall that the MBA put together a list of policy priorities for the last state election back in January 2019.

Our document listed 16 policy priorities which the industry had identified as major issue to be considered by the various political parties in the upcoming 2019 state election.

Once such policy priority was as follows: The NSW Building and Construction Industry Security of Payment Act 1999 (SoPA) was launched by the State Government as a means to achieve, “… swift and fair settlement of any payment dispute as a vital part of the State Government’s reform agenda for the NSW construction industry”.

The NSW SoPA however, specifically excludes homeowners or owner-occupiers from the SoPA Act.

Maintaining cash-flow is an important issue for house builders and small business, particularly when the focus by the Home Building Compensation Fund (HBCF) is on a builder’s financial capacity. Default on final payment(s) by homeowners is a significant issue for the industry. Relying on tribunal or court processes is time consuming and very costly for all parties.

MASTER BUILDERS POLICY Master Builders advocates that the Building and Construction Industry Security of Payment Act be amended to include the contract relationship between homeowner or owner occupier and builder.

To trigger or serve claim, however there are a number of specific procedures and timeframes which must be adhered to.

MBA’s legal department will be running an industry education and training program including seminars, video/teleconferencing as well as face-to-face training.

This is a significant achievement and recognises the importance for builders to recover monies in the residential sector.

Brian Seidler MBA NSW Executive Director

It has been the Master Builders Policy since the SoPA legislation was introduced to have it amended to include the contractual relationship between the builders and home owners.

I can report that this has now been achieved and is a significant milestone for the residential builder.

From 1 March ’21, residential builders will be able to use the Security of Payment Act to recover monies and resolve disputes, something which has been denied to this sector of the industry for years.

Issue One | January-March 2021 | MBA NSW

9

FEATURE BUDGET SUBMISSION 2021-22

RISING TO THE CHALLENGE Master Builders Proposals for the 2021–22 Federal Budget 10

MBA NSW | Issue One | January-March 2021

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FEATURE BUDGET SUBMISSION 2021-22

Summary of proposed budget measures Master Builders Australia (Master Builders) applauds the achievements of the Federal Government in successfully navigating the country through the massive economic impacts of COVID-19.

Our industry is proud to be front and centre of Australia’s economic recovery journey. The significant multiplier capacity of the building and construction industry enables us to drive economic activity to not only protect jobs but also create jobs, with the outstanding success of HomeBuilder a leading example.

To maintain a strong economic recovery, Master Builders proposes a series of budget measures designed to maximise the multiplier capacity of the building and construction industry.

Commercial building activity • Additional funding for smaller-scale commercial building projects in social infrastructure and defence.

• Partner with state and territory governments to invest in new largescale social infrastructure projects.

• Implement a time-limited scheme that substantially reduces the timeframe in which an investor can claim capital works deductions.

• Establish CommunityBuilder (a grant like HomeBuilder) to support building work on behalf of community groups and the not-for-profit sector.

Residential building activity • Continue and increase funding for the First Home Loan Deposit (New Homes) Scheme in 2021–22 and increase the relevant home price caps to match the HomeBuilder scheme.

• Significantly upgrade the stock of rental housing by offering, on a time-limited basis, significantly reduced time limits for capital works deductions.

• Expand the National Housing Finance and Investment Corporation’s (NHFIC) ability to deliver social housing stock and create conditions to boost private investment.

• Improve the attractiveness of Build-to-Rent through more favourable subsidies and tax breaks.

• Expand the National Housing Infrastructure Fund to include a housing resilience stream.

• Implement the Royal Commission into National Natural Disaster Arrangements’ finding to develop homeowner guidance to improve resilience and the mitigate risk of natural hazards.

• Fast track the release on land on the Australian Government Property Register.

• Expand the resourcing of Livable Housing Australia to assist in the roll out of accessible housing.

Infrastructure investment • Fast track the roll out of previously committed projects.

• Identify, fund, and roll out additional projects from the current Infrastructure Australia Priority List.

• Incentivise state, territory and local governments to make procurement practices more small business friendly.

• Finance public infrastructure through the issuing of government securitised infrastructure bonds.

• Ensure the rolling 10-year forward pipeline of infrastructure work of at least $100 billion is in place at all times.

Supporting building and construction businesses • Establishing a Business ICT Modernisation Fund to help businesses upgrade away from legacy ICT systems.

• Immediately reduce the company tax rate to 25 per cent.

• Extend the $150,000 instant asset write off until at least the end of the forward estimates.

• Develop training to assist small and medium sized businesses to successfully tender for government/public sector contracts.

• Reform public sector tendering and procurement processes to improve access for small and medium sized businesses.

• Expand Regulatory Impact Assessments to include the total cost of regulations, not just the marginal cost of new regulations.

• Make the key elements of Australian Building Standards free of charge to all in the industry.

Building quality and resilience • Expand the remit of the Australian Building Codes Board to improve implementation of building quality reforms; develop and disseminate best practice tools and resources; establish a national data platform of building regulator information and a national system that governs building product suitability, conformance and compliance.

Education and training • Enable learners to make informed education choices by addressing information gaps on the MySkills platform.

• Extend the 50% new apprentice wage subsidy to all apprentices until unemployment falls below 5%.

• Transition Australian Apprenticeship Incentive Payments to the single touch payroll system.

• Implement the recommendations of the Productivity Commission’s skills review.

• Develop and fund improved in-school careers education to address bias and chronic under resourcing.

Agency resourcing for a productive, safe and compliant industry • Maintain and boost funding to the Australian Building and Construction Commission (ABCC) to ensure that building work is carried out fairly, efficiently, and productively.

• Maintain funding to the Registered Organisations Commission so that it is adequately resourced.

• Expand funding for the Fair Work Commission to assist with educating industry on implications of Modern Awards and changes arising from passage of the Fair Work Amendment (Supporting

Master Builders Proposals for the 2021–22 Federal Budget 12

MBA NSW | Issue One | January-March 2021

BUDGET SUBMISSION 2021-22

Australia’s Jobs and Economic Recovery) Bill 2020.

• Maintain and boost funding to Asbestos Eradication and Safety Agency.

• Expand representative remit of Safe Work Australia and ensure funding allocation matches its increased scope.

FEATURE

• Boost funding for the Office of the Federal Safety Commissioner (OFSC) to increase its capacity and capabilities to identify and progress best practice initiatives which improve industry safety performance and overall outcomes.

• Increase the Department of Health’s allocation to support its research into silicosis.

2020 A year of challenge and achievement Over the past year, the economic climate has been exceptionally difficult and unpredictable.

Fortunately, the Federal Government has risen to the occasion and offered unprecedented support to economic activity. This includes support specifically for the building and construction industry, which is making a real difference to overall economic recovery given the significant multiplier effect of investment in building.

Government support has meant that the dire forecasts for the building and construction industry, predicted

by Master Builders in April 2020, did not come to fruition.

Our workforce The latest figures for November 2020 indicate that Australia’s building and construction industry has more fulltime employees than any other sector of the economy and accounts for nearly one in every ten Australian jobs. Of the 1,176,067 people employed in building and construction, 84.9 per cent work on a full-time basis.

The building and construction industry is also the largest employer of new apprentices and trainees (apprentices). Over the year to June 2020, 19,595 people commenced as construction or plumbing apprentices and there were 56,380 people at various stages of their construction apprenticeship.

A key concern for the sector is attracting and retaining enough apprentices to meet workforce needs now and into the future. The Federal Government can assist in a number of ways, including extending apprentice wage subsidies, and enabling more informed decision making on career pathways and training providers.

One of the most positive trends in recent years has been the increase

in female participation in the construction industry. During November 2020, there were 165,335 women employed in the industry. While this represents only a 14.1 per cent share of total industry employment, it is a figure which has been moving in the right direction. Programs to promote careers for women in construction like Master Builders’ Women Building Australia initiative have played a part in achieving this improvement.

Building and construction ranks top of the ladder when it comes to the number of active businesses. As at the end of June 2019 (the latest available data) our industry has approximately 395,000 businesses.

The most striking feature of the building and construction industry is the small size of most businesses. 98.5% of building and construction businesses are small, with fewer than 20 people, and 59.1% have no employees. 56.0% of businesses have an annual turnover below $200,000 and 16% have an annual turnover below $50,000.

The small size of most businesses means that much of the industry lacks the resources enjoyed by large companies with respect to navigating the government procurement maze and struggle to digest and grapple with the seemingly endless stream of new regulations and mountains of associated paperwork. More can and should be done to free up our businesses and allow them to get on with doing what they do best — building for Australia’s future.

Master Builders Proposals for the 2021–22 Federal Budget Issue One | January-March 2021 | MBA NSW

13

FEATURE BUDGET SUBMISSION 2021-22

Contributing to the economy The value of construction work over the year to September 2020 totalled $210.4 billion.

This included $71.1 billion worth of residential building work, $48.8 billion in commercial building work, and $90.5 billion in civil construction works.

In addition to the significant direct impact on economic activity, the building and construction industry punches well above its weight in terms of support for other sectors of the Australian economy.

EY modelling commissioned by Master Builders and published in 2020 estimated the economic benefits from potential stimulus to the construction industry.

It found that for every $1 of Federal Government stimulus to the industry, gross domestic product (GDP) would increase by between $1.22 and $3.28 depending on how it was targeted.

Separate research published by NHFIC in mid-2020 explored the contribution of building activity. Apart from the obvious benefit of providing shelter, NHFIC’s study found that every $1 million worth of residential building activity generated a $2.9 million increase in GDP and supported nine jobs across the Australian economy. NHFIC also found that residential building activity has the second highest economic multiplier effect and commercial building activity, with an economic multiplier of 2.48, was the third highest in the rankings.

Additional analysis by Master Builders has estimated the impact of all components of construction activity on the demand for Australianproduced products and services.

Our analysis found that in 2017–18, construction activity generated $189.7 billion worth of demand for products and services in other areas of the Australian economy — with the most support going to professional services ($23.5 billion), metal manufacturing ($17.7 billion) and sawmill/wood processing manufacturing ($16.6 billion).

1.1M

395k

$210.4b

Workers

Building and construction businesses

Value of construction work

Of 1,176,067 people employed in building and construction, 84.9 per cent work on a full-time basis.

98.5% of businesses are small, with fewer than 20 people, 59.1% have no employees, 56.0% of businesses have an annual turnover below $200,000 and 16% have an annual turnover below $50,000.

$71.1 billion worth of residential building work, $48.8 billion in commercial building work, and $90.5 billion in civil construction works.

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MBA NSW | Issue One | January-March 2021

BUDGET SUBMISSION 2021-22

FEATURE

Outlook for building and construction activity to 2024–25 • Largely thanks to HomeBuilder, Master Builders has upgraded our July 2020 forecasts for residential building work by $9.2 billion, representing 27,838 more new homes over the period to 2024–25 and the creation of around 83,000 jobs (46,000 in the construction sector).

• The unprecedented reduction in migration from overseas is likely to cause significant difficulties for high density new home building.

• Commercial building activity reached a record high just before the pandemic. Over the coming years it will likely struggle due to low private sector demand. However, a boost in public sector projects will offer some relief.

Residential building: HomeBuilder a $9.2 billion success story In 2019–20 $74.4 billion worth of residential building work was done.

This included $65.1 billion in new home building activity and $9.3 billion accounted for by large home renovation projects. Approximately 192,000 new homes were completed by Australia’s building industry in 2019–20, providing a roof over the heads of around 498,000 Australians.

The onset of COVID-19 and the health and economic uncertainty that ensued annihilated the forward pipeline of work for the residential building sector. However, the Government stepped in with HomeBuilder and other stimulus initiatives which are supporting new home building activity right across the country.

Recent building approvals and home lending data indicates that HomeBuilder is having a very strong and favourable effect on new detached house building and major home renovation works. Largely thanks to HomeBuilder, we forecast $9.2 billion in additional residential building work and 27,838 more new homes will be built over the period to 2024–25 compared with our projections in July 2020. We anticipate this will boost employment across the economy to the tune of 83,000 jobs, 46,000 of which will be in the construction sector, and sustain 15,485 more construction businesses.

The extension of HomeBuilder to 31 March 2021 and changes to price caps and commencement timeframes will significantly support new home building activity and jobs in 2021 and see a healthy pipeline of work well into 2022.

Our forecasts project 160,338 new home building starts in 2020–21 (+28.7% on July 2020 forecasts) and over the period to 2024–25 close to 28,000 additional new homes will be built. In places like Western Australia, South Australia and the Northern Territory where residential building has been depressed for years, HomeBuilder has proven to be the catalyst to kick starting long-awaited recoveries.

However, the lift in building activity will be front loaded. This means that relative to our July 2020 forecasts activity in 2020–21 will see the strongest increase, however this ‘drag forward’ in demand will likely see new home building in 2023–24 and 2024–25 slightly lower than

previously projected.

Residential building: Migration a major concern Migration to Australia from overseas is the biggest influencing factor on housing demand. As outlined in the October 2020 Federal Budget, permanent departures from Australia will exceed arrivals in 2020–21 and 2021–22. This will reduce underlying demand for new home building and is one of the biggest medium-term concerns for residential building businesses.

Data for the June 2020 quarter indicates there was net emigration from Australia of almost 6,000 residents. As figures become available for subsequent quarters, we expect the scale of outward migration to expand. This is the first time Australia’s population has lost people to emigration since World War II. Net inward migration is expected back in positive territory towards the middle of the decade. However, the size of the inflow will be much lower than prepandemic due to the negative impact of COVID-19 on our labour market and consequential capacity for the economy to absorb migration labour.

Our forecasts indicate that the retreat of overseas migration will impact the demand for high density housing more severely than lower density housing. Newly arrived migrants tend to enter the rental market for their housing needs, and there is a greater concentration of rentals among apartments and units. This is supported by the latest data which shows the benefits of HomeBuilder are not being felt in the high-density part of the new home building market.

Commercial building: A tale of two sectors Commercial building activity is a hugely diverse portfolio. It captures building works for offices, shops, hotels and bars, government buildings, hospitals, schools, and community buildings.

Prior to the pandemic, commercial building activity was at an all-time high across Australia. The value of work done totalled $49.2 billion in 2019–20. In a normal scenario, we would expect it to take some time for the huge volume of new building stock to be digested by the market and as a result we had already forecast that commercial building activity would take a step back. COVID-19 has worsened this scenario.

Master Builders Proposals for the 2021–22 Federal Budget Issue One | January-March 2021 | MBA NSW

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FEATURE BUDGET SUBMISSION 2021-22

Private sector demand for commercial building projects is suffering in this environment of uncertainty and businesses are reluctant to engage in big ticket capital expenditures.

ABS data shows that compared with 12 months earlier the number of commercial building jobs approved in Australia in the three months to October 2020 dropped 17 per cent.

Predictably, the sectors most sensitive to COVID-19 have seen the largest decline in the pipeline of work – tourism, entertainment and international education. Before we will see the return of the private sectors healthy appetite for major investment, the business community needs a clearer picture of the economy’s path to recovery – hopefully 2021 will bring this clarity.

Fortunately, the public sector accounts for a large portion of demand for commercial building work. In the current climate, an accelerated roll-out of public sector building projects and development of new projects could considerably activity in the short term. Encouragingly, this is happening. In the September 2020 quarter, the volume of commercial building work done for the public sector rose by 3.9 per cent and was some 7.5 per cent higher than the previous year.

Our forecasts draw on leading indicators such as building approvals and assume a strong injection of demand from the public sector will occur over the next year. We anticipate private sector demand will begin to recover over the forward estimates and bring with it a stabilisation in non-residential building activity (see timeline below).

gains in living standards.

The boost to activity offered by public infrastructure projects will be an important ingredient of the post-COVID-19 economic recovery in Australia over the next few years.

• Similar to demand for commercial building activity, infrastructure investment is an area where government-led projects have major potential to absorb some of the slack resulting from low private sector demand.

• In 2020 we saw the federal, state and territory governments stepup to boost civil infrastructure activity by fast-tracking shovel-ready projects, expediting work on key infrastructure projects and announcing new works.

Civil infrastructure: Building the bridge to recovery

• Our most recent forecasts for civil construction anticipated an expansion in activity of 8.9 per cent during 2020–21 followed by a further increase in activity of 3.3 per cent in 2021–22.

Infrastructure investment is a major plank of the Federal Government’s agenda for the 2020s decade and has been since before the pandemic hit. As well as adding to demand in the economy, the installation of new capital stock plays a vital role in expanding the economy’s productive potential over the long term and is thus key to achieving

It was then expected that activity would start to move into reverse gear as the pipeline of government-driven projects is expected to taper off.

However, a further round of infrastructure stimulus would mean that strong levels of infrastructure investment would be sustained into the middle of the decade, if not beyond.

2019–20

2020–21

2021–22

2022–23

2023–24 & 2024–25

Record $49.2 billion in nonresidential building work done

10.8% decline in the value of work done

1.5% increase in the value of work done, predicated on increased public sector stimulus

3.6% decline as stimulus projects reach completion

Demand for private sector building work firms up, improving the stability of the value of commercial building work done with only very slight declines forecast in each year

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MBA NSW | Issue One | January-March 2021

BUDGET SUBMISSION 2021-22

FEATURE

Master Builders’ urges the Federal Government to consider these proposals:

01

Commercial building activity Commercial building activity is highly dependent on private sector investment that in turn is reliant on a strong economy. Because of the economic impacts of COVID-19, private sector demand for commercial buildings projects is suffering due to the environment of uncertainty and a reluctance by businesses to engage in big-ticket capital expenditure.

Official figures from the ABS indicate that the total number of commercial building jobs approved across Australia dropped by some 17 per cent over the three months to October 2020 compared with a year earlier. Predictably, the largest declines in the pipeline have affected the most COVID-sensitive sectors of the economy like travel, tourism, entertainment, and international education.

multiplier capacity of commercial building. Support can be provided through the following mechanisms:

Like residential building, commercial building work has a very high multiplier effect on economic activity and as such can be used as a lever for economic recovery.

3. Implement a time-limited scheme that substantially reduces the timeframe in which an investor can claim capital works deductions.

Master Builders strongly recommends further Federal Government support to the commercial building sector, as it has done so for residential building, to ensure job retention and maximise the economic

4. Establish CommunityBuilder (a grant like HomeBuilder) to support building work on behalf of community groups and the not-forprofit sector.

1. Additional direct funding for smaller-scale commercial building projects in social infrastructure and defence.

2. Partner with state and territory governments to invest in new large-scale social infrastructure projects.

Master Builders Proposals for the 2021–22 Federal Budget Issue One | January-March 2021 | MBA NSW

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BUDGET SUBMISSION 2021-22

02

FEATURE

Residential building activity

For residential building, the announcement of HomeBuilder back in June has been transformative, with the scheme likely to provide a healthy pipeline of work for residential builders well into 2022.

In the early days of the COVID-19 crisis last year, it was feared that new home building work would fall off a cliff. Instead, HomeBuilder and other initiatives mean that 2020 and 2021 will both go down as several of the healthiest years on record for new home building and residential renovations work.

The benefits of HomeBuilder, however, have been geared towards builders of single dwelling residences and medium density housing rather than on high-density residential construction which is usually undertaken by the same builders that construct high rise commercial buildings, so there is a double hit to that section of the industry.

Over the medium term, residential builders are most concerned about the ongoing absence of migration from overseas — something which has stark implications for housing demand in Australia.

Master Builders commends the Federal Government for their foresight in announcing HomeBuilder and its subsequent extension, we are however of the view that there are additional opportunities available for consideration by the Federal Government in supporting the residential building sector that not only fills some gaps in the market but also entrenches the broader successful impacts of a strong residential building industry. Support can be provided through the following mechanisms:

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1. Continue and increase funding for the First Home Loan Deposit (New Homes) Scheme in 2021–22 and increase the relevant home price caps to match the HomeBuilder scheme.

2. Significantly upgrade the stock of rental housing by offering, on a time-limited basis, significantly reduced time limits for capital works deductions.

3. Expand the National Housing Finance and Investment Corporation’s (NHFIC) ability to deliver social housing stock and create conditions to boost private investment.

4. Improve the attractiveness of Build-to-Rent through more favourable subsidies and tax breaks.

5. Expand the National Housing Infrastructure Fund to include a housing resilience stream.

6. Implement the Royal Commission into National Natural Disaster Arrangements’ finding to develop homeowner guidance to improve resilience and the mitigate risk of natural hazards.

7. Fast track the release on land on the Australian Government Property Register.

8. Expand the resourcing of Livable Housing Australia to assist in the roll out of accessible housing.

Infrastructure investment

Along with commercial building, infrastructure investment is an area where government-led projects have major potential to take up some of the slack resulting from the weak state of private sector demand. This could be done by: 1. Fast track the roll out of already announced projects.

2. Identify, fund and roll out additional projects from the current Infrastructure Australia Priority List.

3. Provide incentives to state, territory and local governments to improve procurement practices, such as revising tender design to enable packaging of bidding for contracts to increase competition

and enable a larger number of smaller contractors to bid for projects.

4. Finance public infrastructure through the issuing of government securitised infrastructure bonds.

5. Ensure the rolling 10-year forward pipeline of infrastructure work of at least $100 billion is in place at all times.

Master Builders Proposals for the 2021–22 Federal Budget Issue One | January-March 2021 | MBA NSW

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FEATURE BUDGET SUBMISSION 2021-22

04

Support building and construction businesses

The vast majority of the 395,000 businesses that make up the building and construction industry are small, with well over half having no employees at all and being run by sole traders or as partnerships.

Many of the businesses in our industry are family-run operations.

This all means that the businesses in the industry often lack the resources enjoyed by large companies with respect to navigating the government procurement maze and struggle to digest and grapple with the seemingly endless stream of new regulations and mountains of associated paperwork.

In this federal budget, we propose measures to free up our businesses and allow them to get on with doing what they do best — building for Australia’s future. The federal budget should: 1. Encourage greater investment in technology and digital innovation by establishing a Business ICT Modernisation Fund to help businesses move from legacy ICT systems to more modern capabilities.

2. Immediately reduce the company tax rate to 25 per cent.

3. Extend the $150,000 instant asset write off until at least the end of the forward estimates.

4. Develop training programs for small and medium sized building and construction businesses to improve their ability to successfully tender for government/public sector contracts.

5. Undertake reforms to the public sector tendering and procurement processes to make them more accessible to small and medium sized businesses.

6. Expand the scope of Regulatory Impact Assessments in order to take account of the total cost of regulations – rather than just the marginal costs of new regulations.

Reduce company tax Immediately reduce the company tax rate to 25 per cent Training programs Develop training programs for small and medium sized building and construction businesses to improve their ability to successfully tender for government/public sector contracts Free Standards Make the key elements of Australian Building Standards free of charge to all in the industry

7. Make the key elements of Australian Building Standards free of charge to all in the industry.

05

Building quality and resilience

Public confidence in the building and construction industry is critical and should be underpinned by a strong National Construction Code that is supported by a well-resourced regulatory regime and ongoing industry education. Gaps in the system have been recognised by all Governments in recent years. While Master Builders acknowledges the predominant regulatory role of State and Territory Governments, we are of the view that more should be done at a National level to resolve remaining gaps that could best be achieved as follows:

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BUDGET SUBMISSION 2021-22

Best practice tools

1. Expand the remit of the Australian Building Codes Board (ABCB) to not only administer and update the National Construction Code, but to also improve support for the Government’s implementation of building quality reforms and coordinate delivery of best practice tools and resources for industry practitioners and government regulators. The expanded remit should include:

Facilitate compliance, audit, surveillance, information sharing, training and interpretation of standards and codes

» D evelop and disseminate best practice tools to facilitate compliance, audit, surveillance, information sharing, training and interpretation of standards and codes.

Information platform Establish and administer a national data platform for building regulator information, building product suitability, conformance and compliance

» D evelop model/best practice regulatory tools in an Australian Model Building Act to guide legislative changes in states and territories that support building quality and National Construction Code reforms. » E stablish and administer a national system that governs building product suitability, conformance and compliance. » Establish and administer a shared national data platform for building regulator information.

NCC and Australian Standards Support recommendations from the Royal Commission into Natural Disaster Arrangements

» Support implementation of the National Construction Code, the Australian Standards and the homeowner guidance recommendations from the Royal Commission into Natural Disaster Arrangements.

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FEATURE

Education and training

Australia’s building and construction industry is one of the economy’s most important incubators when it comes to mentoring talented new members of our nation’s workforce. Latest figures indicate that at the end of June 2020, some 56,405 people were in the process of being trained for a career in the construction trades. In the current economic environment, some businesses are struggling to take on apprentices. Thankfully, the Apprentice Wage Subsidy has helped address this issue. Going forward, our main concern is that our industry continues to attract and retain enough apprentices to be meet our workforce needs over the coming decade and beyond. We believe that the federal budget can support this in several ways, such as: 1. Resource the National Careers Institute to improve the MySkills platform to address information gaps and enable learners to make more informed decisions about their educational pathways and training providers. This should include harnessing available data from the NCVER, USI, ASQA, etc. to publish information about all training providers on their fees, course duration, student and employer satisfaction, employment outcomes, and completion rates.

2. Extend the 50 per cent 12-month wage subsidy for new apprentices to cover new and current apprentice wages until the unemployment rate falls below 5 per cent.

3. Simplify and streamline employer incentives for hiring apprentices

by transitioning Australian Apprenticeship Incentive Payments to the single touch payroll system.

4. Implement the recommendations from the Productivity Commission’s Review of the National Agreement on Skills and Workforce Development.

5. Address the under resourcing and bias in school careers education by tasking the National Careers Institute to work collaboratively with peak industry bodies to develop careers education programs for year 8–12 students to be delivered in schools and funded under a new funding agreement — Project Agreement for Quality Careers Education.

Master Builders Proposals for the 2021–22 Federal Budget Issue One | January-March 2021 | MBA NSW

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FEATURE BUDGET SUBMISSION 2021-22

07

Agency resourcing for a productive, safe and compliant industry

The building and construction industry remains committed to delivering safe and productive workplaces.

There are a myriad of Federal agencies working with industry to achieve that aim. While acknowledging the debt burden of Government due to supporting the economy through COVID-19, Master Builders is of the strong view that support from the Federal Government to ensure safety and productivity of the industry is integral to the success of the industry maximising its capacity to drive economic recovery.

Australian Building and Construction Commission – Maintain and boost funding

constituted is larger and includes functions and tasks about which there is a growing degree of community concern. These functions include responsibility for ensuring employers

The Australian Building and Construction Commission (ABCC) is an essential agency holding responsibility for ensuring that building work is carried out fairly, efficiently, and productively to deliver benefits to employers, employees, workplaces, and the community.

meet and comply with their employment conditions and a greater focus on the standard of industry commercial conduct, including compliance with various State and Territory security of payment regimes.

When compared to earlier iterations, the remit of the ABCC as

The impacts of a larger remit for the ABCC are positive and, when regard is given to the noticeable benefits these deliver to industry and

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Master Builders Proposals for the 2021–22 Federal Budget 22

MBA NSW | Issue One | January-March 2021

© 2020

BUDGET SUBMISSION 2021-22

workplaces, there is significant merit in not only maintaining the existing level of appropriation but increasing this at least $5 million per year over the forward estimates period.

Registered Organisations Commission – Maintain funding The Registered Organisations Commission (ROC) has delivered improved standards of industrial conduct and greater degrees of transparency and accountability to those who are members of such organisations and therefore its funding should be maintained to ensure adequate resourcing.

Fair Work Commission – Additional funding to assist Modern Award compliance and impending changes to IR laws Master Builders recommends that additional funding be made available to business through the Fair Work Commission (FWC) to educate industry about substantial changes to Modern Awards arising from both the 4 Yearly Review of Modern Awards and other related sources of change to employment conditions arising from the passage of the Fair Work Amendment (Supporting Australia’s Jobs and Economic Recovery) Bill 2020.

The heightened degree of community awareness about the level of industry compliance with legislatively prescribed employment conditions should signal to Government that greater resourcing should be made available to let industry help industry. Various items of legislative change, combined with significant changes arising from the 4 Yearly Review process, will see the complexity and density of industrial relations obligations increase and compliance become even more resource intensive for business, particularly for small business.

Government should provide the FWC with an additional appropriation of $20 million for the first year of the forward estimates. This appropriation should be reserved for, and made available to, industry representatives to assist employers increase their awareness and understanding of their obligations and help them better navigate through the many sources of complex and detailed workplace obligation.

Asbestos Eradication and Safety Agency – Maintain and boost funding The Asbestos Eradication and Safety Agency (ASEA) plays an important coordination and centralisation role as Australia moves to ensure asbestos hazards are controlled and without risk to health and safety.

Industry remains keen to see greater interaction with ASEA. Industry is concerned to see a greater degree of research undertaken in terms of managing asbestos in situ, and for greater levels of awareness and education amongst the community, especially amongst the DIY home renovation sector.

Master Builders calls on the Government to not only maintain the existing level of appropriation for ASEA, but for it to be boosted by not less than $2 million per year over the forward estimates to take advantage of the improved level of goodwill which exists within the building and construction sector.

Safe Work Australia Act 2008 (Cth) Safe Work Australia – Boost funding Safe Work Australia (SWA) is increasingly playing an even greater

FEATURE

role in discharging its initial remit, being the coordination of nationally consistent workplace health and safety laws and policy. To achieve this, its representative remit must be expanded to generate a greater representative role for those employers who operate within what SWA categorise as ‘priority industries’, such as the building and construction industry.

It is also anticipated that the Agency’s workplan will be expanded significantly if key recommendations arising from the Model WHS Laws Review are adopted.

We also continue to hold the view that SWA must also pay greater regard to domestically based matters and ensure it does not lose sight of its overarching aim and purpose. It should do this by ensuring stricter adherence to the Intergovernmental Agreement for Regulatory and Operational Reform in Occupational Health and Safety as originally agreed by COAG. In addition, Master Builders calls on the Government to undertake an independent review of SWA to ensure it is operating in accordance with its revised objective and functions arising from amendments to the Safe Work Australia Act 2008 (Cth) enacted in August 2017. Master Builders calls for additional funding of not less than $500,000 for the first year of forward estimates to facilitate the review.

Office of the Federal Safety Commissioner – Boost funding The Office of the Federal Safety Commissioner (OFSC) is an effective entity that proactively engages industry in working towards achieving high standards of workplace health and safety on Australian building and construction projects.

Improvements in industry safety outcomes are clear and compelling for those entities who have achieved accreditation under the Australian Government Work Health and Safety Accreditation Scheme (‘the Scheme’). These results are complimented by the OFSC’s pursuit of sustainable cultural change within the industry, along with its support for innovative and positive WHS practices.

Master Builders recommends that the Government boost funding to the OFSC specifically to increase its capacity and capabilities to identify and progress best practice initiatives which improve industry safety performance and overall outcomes.

This will also assist in promoting accessibility of the Scheme to small and regional construction companies.

Dust Diseases Taskforce/Department of Health – Ongoing funding for domestic research Master Builders supported the creation of the Dust Diseases Taskforce as a dedicated, health focused taskforce to coordinate a national approach to the prevention, early identification, control, and management of dust diseases.

The work of the taskforce is particularly crucial given that community focus on disease caused by dust, especially silicosis, has increased in recent years despite there being precious little data on the extent of disease or research on appropriate control methods, particularly for at risk sectors including building and construction.

Noting that the taskforce is due to hand down its final report in June 2021, Master Builders seeks that it, or a relevant agency within the Department of Health, receive $5 million to fund specific research into the extent of silicosis exposure on construction sites, including the level of exposure across different types of construction workplaces and the different types of work performed therein.

Master Builders Proposals for the 2021–22 Federal Budget Issue One | January-March 2021 | MBA NSW

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FEATURE DISPLAY HOME OF THE YEAR

EXCELLENCE IN HOUSING AWARDS

DISPLAY HOME OF THE YEAR WINNER I

nterest around the Excellence in Housing Awards has been growing significantly in recent years; the Master Builders Association of NSW has been recognising and celebrating the best Display Homes in the state through its Awards programme for several years, and with this Award category continuing to attract great interest with a record number of entries, in 2020, the MBA introduced a new major award ‘Display Home of the Year’.

This first major accolade was awarded to Firstyle Homes for their Norwood / Delta design.

So, we thought we would take the opportunity to sit down and talk to Pat Romano, General Manager from Firstyle Homes about their major success at the 2020 awards.

Pat, firstly congratulations on your success at the 2020 Excellence in Housing Awards, how does it feel to be the winner of the first ever Display Home of the Year?

Everyone was extremely humbled and honored to receive the award. Receiving a major accolade within such a competitive category

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MBA NSW | Issue One | January-March 2021

is not easy, so we are mostly so proud of all our brilliant Firstyle team for making this achievement happen.

What is Firstyle Homes story and how did they get to become an awardwinning business?

Firstyle Homes is a family business, first established by Romeo and Domenic Tamburri in 1996. Since then, the company has continued to maintain an outstanding reputation within the building industry.

We specialise in residential construction projects, including single and double store homes, duplex, dual living, and ranch designs as well as house and land packages and we build throughout metropolitan Sydney,

the Central Coast, Southern Highlands, and Newcastle.

We have been a member of the MBA since 2008, regularly engage in award programmes, and we are so proud to be an industry leading award winning building company.

How many staff does it take to operate Firstyle Homes?

Our team consists of over 80 high achieving full time staff plus over 100 subcontractors, and we are so thankful for their contribution and for helping us achieve such a fantastic award.

So after all of your success in 2020, how is 2021 looking for Firstyle Homes?

We are very excited about the prospect of 2021! Firstyle Homes is on track to have an extraordinary year ahead, record sales, biggest build quota and a roll out of 10 new display homes are our plans for 2021.

A hugely successful 2020 for Firstyle Homes, is set to be topped by an even busier 2021, and we can’t wait to see Firstyle Homes achieving even bigger milestones.

DISPLAY HOME OF THE YEAR

FEATURE

From left to right: RomeoTamburri Firstyle Homes CEO, Brian Seidler Executive Director MBA NSW and Pat Romano General Manager for Firstyle Homes.

Firstyle Homes team celebrating this great achievement.

Issue One | January-March 2021 | MBA NSW

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FEATURE

TO THE RESCUE

Retired Baboons Granted a New Forever Home by Clarendon

C

larendon Homes Group has embarked on a project to construct a new enclosure for a family of Hamadryas Baboons that have been retired or rehabilitated at Zambi Wildlife Retreat in Wallacia.

The 357 sqm enclosure, due for completion

by June this year, is designed to create a resort style retreat to improve the quality of life and dignity of the group of baboons with a mix of males, females and juveniles.

The landscaping and vegetation will closely resemble their natural environment, complete with a raised 12m² resting platform, manmade sandstone caves and an active water feature.

A secure viewing platform for interactive feeding is being constructed, allowing the public to experience the baboons distinct character during exclusive visits. There is also a fully covered secure service area for staff and volunteers to manage and care for the health of the baboon while providing privacy from the public.

Clarendon first became aware of the need for the new enclosure during a staff reward day at the Wildlife Retreat, when a small

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MBA NSW | Issue One | January-March 2021

group of their team experienced a variety of exotics animals, in an up-close and intimate way.

“Zambi cares for animals who have been retired from zoos and circus’s, orphaned, injured and rescued from unloving homes and wanted to help them on their mission to provide the best care possible,” said Peter Campbell, Chief Executive Officer, Clarendon Homes Group.

He added, “Providing a new enclosure to rehouse their baboon troop, was Zambi’s top priority at the time and as homebuilders knew we had the capacity to work with our partners in the business to make it happen.”

Zambi Wildlife Retreat is home to the big cats, lions and tigers, along with primates, native birds, dingoes, wolf dogs, reptiles, domestic and farm animals. Private tours and small corporate group visits can be arranged by appointment, where visitors will be contributing to the care of existing

TO THE RESCUE

FEATURE

animals and those who will also be needing a safe and loving home in the near future.

“This is truly an amazing sponsorship with Clarendon homes — our gratitude for their involvement and the support from their business partners, is beyond words. It is so exciting for us to know what lays ahead for the baboon family and it will be the most wonderful day when they step inside their incredible new home for the very first time,” said Donna Wilson, Director, Zambi Wildlife Retreat.

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COURT RULING LEGAL

Changes to Penalties for Building Delays

$1 per day LD’s in residential building contracts no longer rules out claims by owners for general damages for delay.

Facts 18G of the Home Building Act 1989 (NSW)

I

n a recent case, the Builder entered into a standard form Housing Industry Association NSW Residential Building Contract for Works on a Cost Plus Basis (Contract) with the Owners to renovate the ground floor of their house in Haberfield.

The LD’s for late completion was $1 per working day which was consistent with the default position under the Contract.

The works under the Contract were completed approximately seven months late and the Builder made no requests for any extensions of time. The Owners made various claims against the Builder, among them, was a claim for general damages for delay in the sum of $30,000.

Builder’s case The Builder claimed that the Owners were only entitled to recover $1 per working day for delay in accordance with the LD clause in the Contract and that by making provision for LD’s in the Contract, the parties were taken to have intended to exclude a right for the Owners to also claim general damages for delay against the Builder.

(HBA) as it would have the effect of restricting the Owners’ rights in relation to the benefit of the warranty under section 18B(1)(d) of the HBA (that the work will be done with due diligence and within the time stipulated in the Contract).

What did the Supreme Court decide?

The Court found that: • the LD clause should not be interpreted as providing the only remedy for delay. Rather, by specifying the amount of LD’s so low at $1 per working day, instead the parties intended for the Owners to also have a right to claim general damages for delay (although in this case general damages were ultimately not awarded as the Owners did not meet the test for general damages that applies to breach of contract);

Owners’ case

• that an LD clause which limits a party to claiming nominal damages for a breach of a warranty restricts the rights of that person in respect of the warranty and is therefore void under section 18G of the HBA (which says that any agreement that restricts or removes the right of a person in respect of any of the statutory warranties is void); and

The Owners’ claimed that the LD clause did not provide the only remedy for the Builder’s delay because if it did, it would be void due to section

• the outcome may have been different if the LD clause provided for the payment of a substantial amount in LD’s.

What does this mean for residential builders?

• builders will be exposed in relation to existing contracts that stipulate $1 per working day (or a nominal amount for LD’s) as owners would be entitled to LD’s of $1 per working day plus general damages for delay by the builder; • any attempt to limit the builder’s liability for delay (including inserting a nominal amount for LD’s) will be void under section 18G of the HBA; • if builders wish to exclude general damages for delay in new contracts, they should insert a rate for LD’s that offers the owner a “substantial right” to compensation not just a nominal amount for breach of the statutory warranty (that the work will be done with due diligence and within the time stipulated in the contract); and • in order to limit the builder’s exposure for not only LD’s but also general damages for delay, builders should ensure that they claim all available EOT’s in relation to extending the contract period.

Information supplied by Bradbury Legal Pty Ltd: 02 9248 3450 info@bradburylegal.com.au www.bradburylegal.com.au

Issue One | January-March 2021 | MBA NSW

29

Everything safety in one place Replace paper, Excel and individual apps

Registration and Induction

Employer and Personnel

Corrective Actions

Permit Zones

Inspections

Defects

SWMS

SDS

Safety Plans

Injury and Incident

Meetings

Plant and Equipment

Bulletins

Site Diary

Bookings

Project Website

Safety | Quality | Operations www.HammerTech.com.au

POST COVID

INDUSTRIAL RELATIONS

POST JOBKEEPER STAND DOWN PROVISIONS

As Members may be aware, the Federal Government’s JobKeeper payments scheme is due to finish on 28 March 2021.

This will bring to an end the financial subsidy and the ability for an employer to issue a JobKeeper enabling stand down direction requiring that an employee work reduced hours, or no hours at all.

T

his means that for employers whose business has not fully recovered from COVID-19 will instead be reliant on the stand down provisions of the Fair Work Act 2009 (the Act).

In recent cases challenging the use of the stand down provisions under the Act by employers who did not qualify for the JobKeeper scheme, the Fair Work Commission (FWC) has confirmed that employers may only stand down employees where there has been a complete stoppage of work.

There must be more than a mere slowing or disruption of operations such as a reduction in production or changed hours of work.

Employers looking to plan post the expiry of JobKeeper, may need to consider other measures to manage their workforce given the narrow operation of the stand down provisions under the Act. This may include obtaining their employees’ consent to temporarily reducing their hours of work or using their acquired annual leave or long service leave or accrued

roster day off entitlement if one exists.

In many cases, when all other avenues are exhausted, redundancies may unfortunately occur.

Under the Act, the stand down provisions in s524(i)(C) provide that an employer may stand down an employee without being required to pay them if: » The employee cannot usefully be employed and » Standing them down is because of a stoppage of work for any cause for which the employee cannot reasonably be held responsible.

Comparable stand down provisions may also be set out in employment contracts or an applicable enterprise agreement.

Historically, the courts and tribunals have interpreted an employer’s right to stand down employees without pay as only applying in exceptional circumstances. The starting position is generally that employees who are ready, willing and able to work are entitled to

be paid by their employer when directed not to attend work where there is no work for them to do, unless the employer can show that the employees cannot be usefully employed for a reason falling within s524 of the Act. It also bears noting that stand downs have traditionally been considered to be ‘all or nothing’. Unlike the JobKeeper enabling directions, it is not possible for example, to have a one or two day a week stand down and continue regular working arrangements on the remaining few days. A stand down under the Act is an entire exclusion of the employee from the workplace until conditions improve enough to reinstate the employee into their pre-stand down situation.

However, it may be that employees who work within a distinct area or business activity within the company, may be able to be stood down because they cannot be usefully employed due to the stoppage of work within that defined business activity, whereas in other areas of the business employees cannot be stood down because there has not been a complete stoppage and they can still be usefully employed.

If members find themselves in the situations described in this article, it is suggested that you contact the Association’s Industrial Relations Department on 02 8586 3555 before initiating a potential stand down of employment.

Issue One | January-March 2021 | MBA NSW

31

TRAINING

UPSKILLING COURSES

Don’t miss out on NSW Government subsidies* APPLY NOW! *This training is subsidised by the NSW Government. Subject to availability and eligibility criteria.

TRAINING

EDUCATION AND SKILLS DEVELOPMENT Upskill today and future-proof your career.

Industry licence qualifications and workshops are now available online. For builders, gaining your CPD points has never been easier!

We provide Covid safe learning with online interactive tutorials and classroom training with safe social distancing measures in place. We also provide customised workforce training solutions to suit your business needs.

Training is offered at our Master Builders Education Centre in Norwest and our regional offices in Newcastle, Ballina, Wollongong, Port Macquarie, Gosford, Ulladulla, Orange, and Albury.

Our training programs include: • Builder and trade licence pathways • Online qualifications • Recognition of Prior Learning • Online continuing professional development • Work health and safety training

Search mbansw.asn.au/training

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MBA NSW | Issue One | January-March 2021

UPSKILLING COURSES TRAINING

Qualifications and Licence Pathway Programs CPC40110 Certificate IV in Building and Construction (Building)

CPC30611 Certificate III in Painting and Decorating

CPC50210 Diploma of Building and Construction (Building)

Kitchen, Bathrooms, and Laundry Renovations licence pathway program

CPC30211 Certificate III in Carpentry

CPC30313 Certificate III Concreting

CPC31411 Certificate III in Construction Waterproofing

MSF31113 Certificate III in Cabinet Making

CPC30111 Certificate III in Bricklaying and Blocklaying

BSB51415 Diploma of Project Management

Safety Training and Industry Courses First Aid

Remove Non-Friable Asbestos

Internal Waterproofing — Industry Best Practice

General Construction Induction (White Card)

Supervise Asbestos Removal

External Waterproofing – Industry Best Practice

Manual Handling

Asbestos Awareness

Work Safely at Heights

Health and Safety Representative

Health and Safety Representative (refresher)

Test and Tag of Electrical Equipment

Professional Development Workshops Contracts Workshop Keys to Property Development

Complying Development Introduction to Security of Payment Act

Pre-Purchase Inspection Report Writing Understanding BASIX

Contracts and Disputes

Managing Finance

Tenders and Contractual Arrangements

Site Management

Quality and Risk Management

Processes and Personnel

Project Planning

Building Profitability

Waterproofing for Builders

Project Cost Control

Builders Quantities and Estimating

Supervision

The Features of AAC Panels For further course information including course fees, visit our website www.mbansw.asn.au/training Contact the Education and Skills department on 02 8586 3588 or education@mbansw.asn.au REGISTER YOUR INTEREST: www.mbansw.asn.au/make-training-enquiry RTO ID: 6163 Issue One | January-March 2021 | MBA NSW

33

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CAREER OPPORTUNITIES TRAINING

MORE TRAINING SUBSIDIES Master Builders secure more training subsidies to provide much-needed skills to the industry.

E

ducation and training is set to play a pivotal role in our economic recovery. Under the NSW Government’s Smart and Skilled program, Master Builders has secured more training subsidies to support the growth of the building and construction industry. The subsidised places are in key building and construction courses. There has never been a better time to invest in the development of your skills and knowledge.

of Education initiative providing financial assistance to participants in the Vocational Education and Training (VET) system. It is designed to help people in NSW get the skills, knowledge and qualifications they need to find a job and advance their careers. Smart and Skilled provides eligible participants with government-subsidised training up to and including Certificate III, Certificate IV and above in targeted priority areas.

“If you want to get your contractor or building licence, start your own business, or get a promotion, Master Builders has the training you need. We now have access to more subsidised places in a range of our Certificate III and Certificate IV courses. With these affordable opportunities, now is the time to take the next step in your career” says Craig Donovan, Director of Operations Master Builders NSW.

Master Builders offer subsidised places* in the following courses to eligible Smart and Skilled participants:

Not only are our training subsidies available in Sydney, but they also extend to our regional areas. With access to our online learning and virtual classrooms, there is no reason why you can’t take part in a course from anywhere at anytime.

• CPC31411 Certificate III in Construction Waterproofing

• CPC30211 Certificate III in Carpentry • MSF31113 Certificate III in Cabinet Making • CPC30611 Certificate III in Painting and Decorating • CPC30318 Certificate III in Concreting

• Kitchen, Bathroom and Laundry Renovation • CPC40110 Certificate IV Building and Construction (Building)

About Smart and Skilled:

• CPC50210 Diploma of Building and Construction (Building)

Smart and Skilled is a NSW Department

• BSB51415 Diploma of Project Management

About Skilling for Recovery: Skilling for Recovery is a recent addition to the Smart and Skilled program, providing fee-free training. The key focus areas of Skilling for Recovery are: • to provide entry level training for people looking to re-enter the workforce or who are looking to find more job security in another industry, • to support people who are at risk of unemployment due to a downturn of work or hours, • to boost the education opportunities of youth (17 to 24 years of age).

If you or someone you know matches one or more of these categories, Master Builders can help facilitate access to Skilling for Recovery funded training.

To find out if you are eligible to access subsidised or fee-free training, contact Master Builders Education and Skills Development.

Phone: (02) 8586 3588 Email: education@mbansw.asn.au Website: mbansw.asn.au/training *This training is subsidised by the NSW Government. Subject to availability and eligibility criteria.

Issue One | January-March 2021 | MBA NSW

35

WORKPLACE, HEALTH & SAFETY

GENDER EQUALITY

Workplace Gender Equality In The Construction Industry

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MBA NSW | Issue One | January-March 2021

GENDER EQUALITY

WORKPLACE, HEALTH & SAFETY

Issue One | January-March 2021 | MBA NSW

37

WORKPLACE, HEALTH & SAFETY

GENDER EQUALITY

On 26 November 2020, Ms Libby Lyons, CEO Workplace Gender Equality Agency released *Australia’s Gender Equality Scorecard showing employers action on gender equality had stalled. Libby recently spoke to Omesh Jethwani, Government Projects & Programs Manager.

What is WGEA, and what does the agency do?

T

he Workplace Gender Equality Agency (the Agency, WGEA) was established in 2012 to improve and promote equality for both women and men in the workplace.

Under the Workplace Gender Equality Act, the Agency collects data from all non-public sector organisations with over 100 employees on six gender equality indicators: • workforce composition (jobs women and men do); • gender composition of boards; • equal pay; • support for flexible work and caring; • the consultation employers have with employees on gender equality; and • sex-based harassment and discrimination.

The Agency has been collecting and reporting data for seven years and our dataset comprises just over 4.3 million Australian employees, or more than 40% of the workforce.

However, WGEA is not just a regulator. We are also an educator and influencer and we work in partnership with employers. The insights from our data are used to advise and educate business on gender equality strategies and actions that deliver positive results.

By working together with the business community, we have gained their support. It is now accepted practice for Australian employers to annually submit their information and data.

In previous years, we have had a compliance rate of about 99%. Last year, even with the devastating impact of COVID-19 on our economy, we maintained a 98% compliance rate.

Why is gender equality in the workplace important?

Workplace gender equality is both the right thing to do and the smart thing to do. We know from a growing body of research over the last decade or so that gender equality and diversity is good for organisations and good for employees. When leadership groups are balanced and diverse, they are stronger, more productive and can improve the bottom line of the organisations they govern.

The release of last year’s BCEC/WGEA 2020

38

MBA NSW | Issue One | January-March 2021

Gender Equity Insights Report proved beyond all doubt that the business case for gender equality is clear and compelling.

This report analysed our world-leading dataset to provide tangible proof of something we have always suspected: a more gender-balanced leadership in an organisation delivers better company performance, greater productivity and greater profitability. It revealed a strong and convincing causal relationship between increasing the number of women in senior leadership and subsequent improvements in company performance.

Appointing a female CEO, increasing the share of female key management personnel and increasing female representation on its board all led to increases in the market value of Australian ASX-listed companies. A company is also more likely to outperform its sector on three or more key profitability and performance metrics by taking the same actions. The findings of this BCEC report prove that gender equality is a commercial imperative and provides organisations with a competitive edge over their business rivals.

However, workplace gender equality is not just about the business case. While the business case is essential, gender equality is also an issue of basic human rights as it affects 50% of the world’s population. When women are structurally disadvantaged in the workforce, or excluded from employment opportunities through occupational and industrial segregation, we are ignoring half the talent, ideas and potential of the workforce.

Workplace gender inequality also has a flowon effect throughout all of society. As long as women earn less than men, care work is undervalued and women are dramatically underrepresented on boards and at CEO level, women’s position in our society is not equal to men’s.

On 26 November 2020, WGEA released *Australia’s Gender Equality Scorecard. Care to share the results with our readers.

First of all, it is important to mention that last year’s dataset paints a comprehensive picture of Australia’s private sector workforce just prior to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.

This will provide us with a strong baseline for comparison with this year’s dataset, which will

capture the impact of COVID-19 on workplace gender equality.

Overall, the 2019-20 data showed a concerning decline in employer action on gender equality prior to the impact of COVID-19.

The worst result was the reversal in action on pay equity. There was a decrease of 6.1 percentage points (pp) in the percentage of employers that took action to close their gender pay gaps. Just 54.4% of employers who did a gender pay gap analysis took action to close the identified gaps.

I am also troubled by the ongoing lack of women at CEO and Board level. Although there were slight increases in the number of female CEOs and board directors, we are still decades away from achieving gender balance at the top levels of leadership. Progress on this issue remains glacial.

There were some positive developments. The gender pay gap continued to close, with the total remuneration gap dropping by 0.7pp to 20.1%. Access to flexible work and paid parental leave for employees has increased.

For the first time since we started collecting data, over 50% of employers now offer paid primary carer’s leave to their employees.

Women’s promotions and appointments to managerial roles continues to rise with women now comprising almost four in 10 managers in our dataset. I was also pleased to see another strong increase in employer action on family and domestic violence.

The 2019-2020 report showed employers action on gender equality had stalled. What are the factors that may have contributed to this outcome?

I have been concerned for some time that Australian employers might have become complacent. The modest rate of change that we saw in the 2018-19 results suggested they were in the grip of what I call “gender equality fatigue”.

I was very disappointed that almost nothing changed in the results of last year’s dataset. It seems to me that Australian employers are on autopilot when it comes to improving gender equality. The issue is clearly not receiving the necessary attention to drive further change.

Many organisations appear to believe that

GENDER EQUALITY

WORKPLACE, HEALTH & SAFETY

Libby Lyons CEO — Workplace Gender Equality Agency

having gender equality strategies and policies is all they need do. Policies and strategies are not very useful unless they are implemented across a workplace.

Thoroughout 2020, Australian businesses faced challenges and upheaval of a kind that has not been seen for many generations. I also know and appreciate that employers are likely to encounter more disruptions in 2021. However, I am concerned that if we do not see increased employer action on gender equality, we will go backwards. Employers have to keep their foot firmly planted on the pedal to continue to drive better gender equality outcomes.

Results from the WGEA’s 201920 report show the construction industry now rated to have the second-highest pay gap. In your opinion, why do you think the maledominated industry struggles to close the gap?

The main reason is that the industry remains so male-dominated and employers have made little effort to change this. Men dominate the upper echelons, thereby having more access to additional discretionary payments such as bonuses which contributes significantly to the

construction industry’s remuneration gender pay gap of 26.1%.

The construction industry also has to step up the action on pay equity. Just 41.3% have conducted a pay gap analysis in the last 12 months. Of those, 14.4% created a pay equity strategy or action plan, 19.5% reported pay equity metrics to the executive and 16.9% reported pay equity metrics to the board. All of these results have barely kept pace with the national average.

By contrast, the Mining industry, which is the most male-dominated industry in our dataset, has made a more concerned effort to improve workplace gender equality and close its gender pay gap.

The total remuneration gender pay gap in the Mining industry is 13.6%. Although it is still too high, it is lower than the national gender pay gap of 20.1% and less than half of Construction industry’s pay gap. Mining is also doing well on other indicators. Over 58% have conducted a pay gap analysis in the last 12 months.

Of these, 28.7% have created a pay equity strategy or action plan, 46.5% reported pay equity metrics to the executive and 33.7% reported pay equity metrics to the board. These results are all much higher than the national

average.

The best way to close the pay gap in the contruction industry is for employers to follow the mining industry’s lead and take targeted action on pay equity.

What has been the impact of COVID-19 on women’s employment?

Previous recessions (1982-83, 1989-93) and downturns (2007-09) have predominantly hit men’s jobs and male-dominated industries harder. By contrast, the COVID-19 recession has had an equally detrimental impact on women.

In the early stages of the pandemic, more women than men lost their jobs. Femaledominated industries such as the hospitality, retail and service sectors were heavily affected.

Although women’s employment figures have improved in recent months, I still have concerns about the long-term impact of the COVID-19 crisis on women’s workforce participation and their economic and financial security.

As we move into the post-COVID recovery phase, we must make sure that women’s workforce participation is not sidelined. Our economic recovery depends on women having Issue One | January-March 2021 | MBA NSW

39

WORKPLACE, HEALTH & SAFETY

GENDER EQUALITY

equal access to secure full-time jobs. Women and men must have an equal opportunity to re-engage and participate in the workforce.

Employers have an important role to play in making this happen by ensuring the momentum towards gender equality is sustained. It is good for business and integral to our economic recovery.

Only 5.7% have set targets for employee engagement in flexible working and only 2.2% have set targets for men’s engagement in flexible working. To change a workplace, you have to change its culture. Flexible working strategies and policies have to become the lived reality of employees.

The latest annual snapshot from the WGEA showed access to flexible work arrangements was improving before the pandemic hit. Did that trend continue during the COVID-19 pandemic? Do you think the trend will continue after the COVID-19 pandemic?

I do believe the trend toward increased access to flexible work arrangements will continue.

The COVID-19 crisis has proved to Australian employers that they can trust their employees to work flexibly and still be productive.

Employees now have an expectation that they can and should be able to work flexibly. The onus is now on employers to make flexible work an essential, mainstream practice in their workplaces.

Access to flexible work has improved every year since we started collecting data. More than three-quarters (75.9%) of employers now have policies or strategies to promote flexible working which is great to see. However, our data has also identified a key problem – the flexible work action gap. Not enough employers are implementing their strategies and policies through action plans for engagement.

The basis of any successful flexible work arrangement is the trust between employer and employee. As we gradually move into a postCOVID-19 environment, most employers now know they can trust their employees. Equally, employees feel more empowered to negotiate flexible working arrangements that fulfil both the employer’s requirements and the employee’s responsibilities outside work.

Have Australian workplaces gone forward or backwards on actions to close gender gaps in the workplace?

In some ways, both. On the positive side, there has been a strong increase over the last seven years in the number of employers that have analysing their remuneration data for pay gaps.

It rose by 22.4pp from 24.0% in 2013-14 to to 46.4% in last year’s dataset.

Unfortunately, we have also identified an action gap in this area. Although more employers have been analysing their pay data, over 45% of those who did took no action. Even worse, there was a decrease of 6.1pp in the percentage of employers that took action to close their gender pay gaps. Last year’s data shows that employer action on pay equity went backwards and the action gap widened.

We cannot allow this trend to continue.

Experience tells us that when employers measure their data, identify their problem areas and make a plan to address it, the pay gap closes. Our research shows that actions to close pay gaps are three times more effective

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MBA NSW | Issue One | January-March 2021

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GENDER EQUALITY

when the results are reported to the executive or Board.

Do you think more or fewer men are taking paid parental leave as a primary carer? Why? There has been some slow progress in this area. In last year’s dataset, there was an increase in the number of men taking primary carer’s leave (up 1.4pp) to 6.5%. There was also an increase in the number of employers offering paid parental leave to both women and men (up 3.0pp to 52.4%).

do to improve gender equality?

The four key action areas for employers in the construction industry are the same as they are across all other industries: • Normalising flexible work for women and men • Normalising equal access to paid parental leave for women and men • Closing the action gaps by taking action on issues such as pay equity • Implementing accountability at all levels of an organisation. Accountability is crucial as it generates action to improve gender diversity

Normalising access to paid parental leave for women and men is a key action area for employers. Aboloshing the labels of ‘primary’ and ‘secondary’ carers is important. Employers have a crucial role to play in making it a mainstream working practice and allowing men to access the same leave entitlements as women is imperative.

We also have to ensure that change is both real and lasting. Progress towards gender equality in our workplaces does not happen on its own. Change happens when organisations set targets, measure their progress, make people accountable for the outcomes and report the results to their boards and senior executive teams.

Having a paid parental leave scheme is an important first step. As I mentioned earlier, just over half of the employers in our dataset offer paid parental leave. Of those that do offer it, they need to support and encourage men as well as women to use it. In particular, they have to ensure their male employees can use their parental leave entitlements without it having a negative impact on their career or being adversely judged by their managers and peers.

Organisations have to move towards genderneutral parental leave policies, offering equitable parental leave for all parents.

The construction industry also has some specific cultural and structural issues standing in the way of progress. The UNSW Australian Human Rights Institute Demolishing Gender Structures report identified some barriers for the progression of women. These included rigid work practices, toxic cultures and hostile attitudes towards flexibility, parental leave and employees’ work-life balance. The report also revealed how construction sites work to exclude women. It found evidence of tolerance and acceptance of sexism, sexist language, sexual harassment and sex discrimination.

How diverse is the construction industry when it comes to gender?

The industry needs to re-consider its approach to gender equality. Organisations must examine their own data alongside the overall industry data and use this as the basis for a genuine discussion about the barriers women face and the issues men face in the industry. The construction industry has to challenge some of its long-standing assumptions about how and when work gets done – If you keep doing things the same way, change cannot happen.

The Construction industry is the second most male-dominated industry in our dataset after the Mining industry. Only 18.1% of its employees are female. Women comprise just 2.7% of chief executive officers, 15.1% of key management personnel and 13.0% of all managers. These figures are all far lower than the national average. The industry also has a low representation of women in management compared with representation across the industry: 13.0% compared to 18.1%.

The traditionally masculine roles in the industry have continued to remain this way. Women comprise 4.0% of machinery operators and drivers, 15.3% of labourers and 3.1% of technicians and trades. By contrast, they dominate the clerical positions, with women comprising 77.7% of clerical and administrative workers.

In short, our data paints a stark picture which shows that the construction industry lacks gender diversity across all of its manager categories and non-manager occupations.

What can construction companies

What are some of the actions organisation can adopt to increase the number of women in leadership roles?

Our data shows that we do not have enough female leaders in Australia and women are not moving into senior management roles at a fast enough rate. Dedicated employer action is one of the keys to changing this situation.

Traditionally, the leadership culture in Australian workplaces has been developed around the needs and circumstances of men. The Women in Leadership Report we produced in collaboration with McKinsey + Co and the Business Council of Australia in 2017 clearly shows that organisations must take a

WORKPLACE, HEALTH & SAFETY

systematic approach to increase the number of women in leadership.

The research showed a clear correlation between the representation of women in senior roles and the availability of more flexible working options, including part-time roles for managers. Agency data reveals that currently only 6.4% of manager roles are worked parttime. Considering that women are three times as likely as men to work part-time, this is a real barrier to women’s career progression into senior leadership roles.

The Women in Leadership Report demonstrates that organisations which succeeded in boosting women’s representation in senior leadership roles used a suite of 10 practices. As well as normalising flexibility, these include a meaningful internal business case for gender equality, leadership accountability, opportunities for women to gain experience in key operational roles and access to the active sponsorship that men have long benefited from.

The findings of 2019 BCEC WGEA Gender Equity Insights Report back up the Women in Leadership Report which identified the normalisation of flexibility as a key driver of improving the representation of women in management. It shows that implementing formal flexible work arrangements and reporting this to the board significantly increased the number of part-time female managers.

Another key finding of the report shows that access to paid parental leave also improved the representation of women in management.

Female managers are twice as likely to return to work if their employer provides 13 or more weeks of paid parental leave. We had always suspected that the normalisation of flexible work and access to paid parental leave was crucial in getting women into management roles and keeping them there. Now we have some solid evidence to support this.

Finally, the report identified that companies with a female CEO reported an increased number of women managers, as did those organisations who moved from all-male to gender-equal company boards.

What these findings reveal is that if you change the working conditions available to all employees, the choices women make change too. Access to paid parental leave and flexible work arrangements actually enables more women to choose to return to work, stay in the workforce and move into senior leadership and management roles. *Note: The WEGA data is based on 4,943 reports submitted in accordance with the Workplace Gender Equality Act 2012 for the reporting period 1 April 2019 to 31 March 2020.

The data covers over four million Australian employees.

Issue One | January-March 2021 | MBA NSW

41

ADVERTISING FEATURE

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WATERPROOFING JUST GOT EASIER, SIMPLER, AND A LOT BETTER! Aquacrete has just launched its latest product, a waterproof membrane called Flexi-Liner™.

Flexi-Liner™ is a unique product range and the class III single component cementitious is the only type of its kind in the world, exceeding 650% elongation after 21 days, just mixed with water.

All Flexi-Liner™ cementitious membrane products just mix with water, are nontoxic, earth conscious and LOW VOC <1mg per litre of product, the lowest possible result.

Aquacrete approached the waterproof membrane market with the view that if they couldn’t do it better, then they wouldn’t do it at all.

“A major factor was identifying how unique we were and how we could contribute to benefit an alarming issue, that for 1% of the cost to build the project, failures of the waterproof membrane contributed to 80% of the cost of remedial works,” Aquacrete technical consultant David O’Leary said.

“You will find Flexi-Liner™ to be a competitive product and it will do what Aquacrete says it will do provided the recommended installation methods and instructions are followed.”

Their products are rigorously tested

and approved through recognised accredited testing facilities to comply with local and international standards.

Flexi-Liner™ products can be applied by trowel, brush, roller or sprayed depending on the application, however it is important that correct water is added and WFT, (Wet Film Thickness) are applied.

Users will not need a primer or a wet surface to apply, however it can be applied to a wet surface with no pooled water.

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In addition, they have in-house laboratory and production facilities to ensure their customers consistent efficiency and Australian made and owned dependability.

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KITCHENS & BATHROOMS

ADVERTISING FEATURE

Outdoor living at its best.

The international award-winning research and design team at Phoenix Tapware has developed a brand-new mixer collection expertly crafted from premium 316 marine-grade stainless steel.

Like the Vivid Slimline collection, SS has a refined, slender profile with an added thin, elegant, extended pin lever, delivering stunning architectural design while standing up to tough Australian conditions.

An evolution of Phoenix’s popular and timeless Vivid Slimline range, SS is particularly suited to outdoor kitchens, laundries, and coastal residential areas.

This is thanks to the superior corrosion resistance of 316 marine-grade stainless steel, which provides extra years of life and usage where harsh elements are present.

“Vivid Slimline SS is a celebration of the raw material and is designed to echo the craftsmanship and textures of 316 stainless steel,” says Phoenix Senior Designer Ban Liu.

A year in development, the new range, which comes with a residential lifetime warranty on the finish, went through a rigorous testing and manufacturing process. The research and design team conducted corrosion testing on various grades of stainless steel, including 304, before deciding to proceed with the higher marine-grade 316.

The extensive offering includes a Basin Mixer, Vessel Mixer, Wall Mixer Set, Sink Mixer, Shower / Wall Mixer, Wall Outlet, and Shower Arm & Rose.

Vivid Slimline SS, like all of Phoenix’s products, is manufactured to a high quality. Precision and durability are no exception when it comes to this collection, with Phoenix offering a 15-year warranty period on the cartridge, 7 years on product and parts, and 1 year on labour for the entire Vivid Slimline SS collection.

Phoenix Tapware nurtures Australian design talent and is a strong advocate of creating uniquely designed taps, mixers, showers and accessories. Throughout its 30-year history, Phoenix has grown to be a leader within the Australian plumbing industry, winning multiple awards, including a Best of the Best Red Dot, as recognition of its excellence. www.phoenixtapware.com.au

Issue One | January-March 2021 | MBA NSW

43

BUILDING THE INDUSTRY

WALL CLADDING

ADVERTISING FEATURE

Transform your wet area with Easycraft’s new product easyULTRA

F

or over 35 years, Easycraft has led the way with creative, premium quality solutions that shaped the progress of Australian building design. They made their mark with forward thinking wall and ceiling linings as decorative and stylish as they are functional and flexible.

Easycraft is proud to be recognized as a “go-to” collaborator for architects, designers, trades and hands-on DIYers – setting the trends across residential, commercial, and retail applications and beyond.

This is largely attributed to Easycraft’s range of profiles which offer character and appeal in addition to durability unmatched to traditional plasterboard.

Wet Area Interior (easyULTRA) is a wall cladding for all interior wet areas such as bathrooms, laundries and kitchens.

Made from reconstituted hardwood, it provides a tough and hardy baseboard while offering Easycraft’s full range of profile finishes to match existing walls or to create a new style or design.

The easyULTRA product is suitable for: • Interior wet area applications • Residential applications: Bathrooms, kitchens, laundries • Commercial applications: Offices, rental properties, retail, restaurants, apartments, hotels, aged care facilities Easycraft’s Wet Area Interior boards are perfect for bathroom renovations and kitchen splash backs. They come pre-primed (both front and back surfaces for additional protection) and are ready to paint.

• More durable and soundproof than traditional plasterboard • Sheets are pre-primed with a commercial grade primer and ready to be painted • Suitable for locations with high moisture and humidity • Easy tongue-and-groove installation • Within commercial projects, it can be installed by one of the following contractors; Carpenter, Plastering Contractor or Joinery

Contractor.

• The easyjoin system makes installation 50% quicker Easycraft is proudly an Australian owned and made business. All our raw materials are produced by Australian manufactures, our processing and painting is conducted locally.

In addition to this, Easycraft has a national sales and distribution network to ensure our products can be provided to any renovation, extension or construction site throughout Australia.

Easycraft is committed to providing products that use environmentally sustainable timbers, sourced using best practice management systems, comply with national construction building codes and promotes the benefits of using Australian grown and made wood-based products.

To see more on Easycraft’s easyULTRA product or to learn more about Easycraft, visit www.easycraft.com.au For design inspiration check out our socials at @easycraft.panels on Instagram.

Issue One | January-March 2021 | MBA NSW

45

NEW AT DAHLSENS! A SMARTER WAY TO BUILD A ROOF SAY BYE TRIPLE G TO RIP AND SKE S W NAILING !

STAND IT UP

SQUARE IT UP

SCREW IT DOWN

The Dahlsens Truss and Frame team is committed to bring you the latest time-saving technology. That’s why we’ve partnered with Pryda to offer the biggest innovation we’ve seen in truss manufacturing in a long time!

Pryda SpeedTrussTM is the latest in roof truss installation, enabling you to work smarter and more safely. The assembly kit arrives ready to go and all the pieces simply fall into place. Position a truss, square it up, and screw it down. Reduce short-term bracing, and remove the need for triple grips and temporary fixing.

This latest innovation is now available across all Dahlsens Truss and Frame manufacturing sites.

SAVE TIME WITH ONE ACCOUNT FOR ALL YOUR BUILDING SUPPLIES.

TRUSS & FRAME BUILDING MATERIALS

30 MANUFACTURING PLANTS AND TRADE STORES ACROSS NEW SOUTH WALES AND VICTORIA. SEE DAHLSENS.COM.AU FOR YOUR NEAREST LOCATION.

BUILDING THE INDUSTRY

ADVERTISING FEATURE

PNP GROUP AUDITS MAJOR DEFECT & REMINDERIAL WORKS IN SA

PROJECT: NORTH ESPLANADE GLENELG NORTH, SOUTH AUSTRALIA

“

PNP GROUP’s HIGHLY EXPERIENCED TEAM LED BY MARCUS PAVLAKIS HELPED SAVE OUR INVESTMENT UNDER AN INSURED EVENT WHERE WE ACHIEVED OUR POLICY ENTITLEMENTS” — Victor Kumar: Right Property Group

I

n late 2018, A Class 2 (A) residential unit complex, (image 1) sustained major damage after winds removed sections of the roof and sub structure which damaged the surrounding properties. In the following months, the property sustained further damage by a fire.

This event triggered a notice by City of Holdfast Bay, (“the Council”) with upgrades under Development Act 1993 and pursuant of the National Construction Code Volume 1 – Building Code of Australia Class 2 to Class 9 Buildings (NCC). Of particular note, bathroom penetration, (image 3) FRL 90/90/90 and Fire protection. In accordance with AS 4072.1 and AS 1530.4 and resistance to the incipient spread of fire and /or other parts of Clause C3.15 of the NCC. In Sept 2020, The PNP Group was contracted by the insured because of the two year delays.

During our preliminary discussions with stakeholders on the issues, concerns on project communications, management, repairs and methods, PCBU obligations and Policy had been raised.

As our investigation and audits progressed, further need on intervention arose on confirmation the key issues on communications, PCBU, design and method of repairs, fire upgrades and noncomplaint penetrations was confirmed.

We commenced sampling on the method of repair provided, by an Accredited Laboratory Testing Facility on smoke damaged timbers (image 2) doing controlled contamination samples (image 4) showing 8.9 PAHs (mg/kg) (Test B) vs Cleaned (Test A) 1.3 PAHs (mg.kg) vs undamaged timbers tested > 0.05 timbers (mg.kg). Our audits on other sections of the property had found evidence of water damage caused by the events not identified for replacement under insured Policy, including, but not limited to kitchens, (image 5) vanities and carpets. We also commissioned reports on infrastructure, electrical and air conditioning systems exposed to delays, and found evidence of corrosion and seized components because

info@pnpgroup.co

1300 767 462

Image 1 of the delays and ocean salt. Accelerated damage and mould was also present in carpets, walls and internal fixtures.

PNP Group, in pulling together a specialised consultant team, achieved swift results, beyond expectations and centralised communications so recommendations lodged by the lost adjustor, gained quick approval by the insurer based on Policy wording, Standards, Codes and Key Laboratory reports.

The PNP Group, working with our new assigned builders, expect delivery of the property and handover by September 2021.

Results: The insured received every policy item, support and expertise and our new builders can deliver a building project with every line item costed to industry standard, quick approval and management support that ensures a quality delivery.

Conclusion: The end result of PNP Group inspections is ensuring the building codes and standards are upheld, and the insured receives each policy item. Moreover, the insurance builders get our full support on building works vs costs.

Image 2

Test A

Image 3

Test B Image 4

Image 5

Statement: With the new association PNP Group provides our investment group, they have surpassed our expectation on what is possible to be achieved under our Policy with events using the right knowledge, expertise and attitude with stakeholders. We acknowledge their ability to not only provide services and solutions to Property Investors and Strata Managers but finding an acceptance with builders seeking perfection with insurance remedial and repair works.

— Victor Kumar

1300 PNP GOC

www.pnpgroup.co Issue One | January-March 2021 | MBA NSW

47

K-FLOOR and K-DECK

19mm & 16mmTongue & Groove 25% less cost. 1.15g/cm3 Structural Flooring & Decking Board

BETTER BUILDING TECHNOLOGY

ADVERTISING FEATURE

Save time and money with advanced cladding technology The new generation of Magnesium Oxide cladding is set to save on material and labour costs while offering peace of mind to property owners.

F

or many trades in the building and construction industry, the change from plasterboard and CFC cannot come quickly enough. Citing deficiencies in exterior weather to the multiple layers required for some fire walls, costs can additionally blow-out, with many of these materials requiring expensive and specialised tools for application and installation.

The new generation of Magnesium Oxide cladding (MgSO4) and sheeting by FireCrunch is the answer to most forms of internal and external cladding. It is lightweight, can be used on a variety of surfaces, is installed easily requiring less labour and can be used as a fire wall offering a total fire block.

While the earlier types of MgSO4 board were effective protection from fire, they had a poor surface finish and a tendency to absorb moisture if not properly sealed.

Through new technology, FireCrunch has achieved high loadbearing (55kN) CSIRO- tested and compliant, verified fire-proof building products, while offering highquality, double-slurry surfaces and giving a first-class finish. It

can be used as underlay flooring, tile backers, shower bases and once primer-sealed, can be painted with normal water-based paints, texture paints or renders.

With costs as low as $18.00 per sqm, MgSO4 offers top fire rating from NATA, CSIRO and

Resolute Labs.

MgSO4 cladding will handle up to FRL 90/90/90 (NATA Labs tested) with a single sheet each side of a 90mm cavity frame. It has endured real-time bush fire simulation tests and full-scale furnace tests at 1000.

MgSO4 is regularly recommended by architects, specifiers and QS/ surveyors, and fire engineers and certifiers.

The board contributes 95% less Co2 than plasterboard.

The material is suitable for fire separation walls in high-rise residential and commercial construction and for bushfire BAL FZ and flood-prone areas and available to clients Australia-wide.

Issue One | January-March 2021 | MBA NSW

49

Insurance tailored for the building and construction industry Our insurance options are made for your industry.

We’ve got your employees covered, even at heights.

Contact Tim for your business super needs

Tim Waterson – Business Development Manager, NSW 0413 636 750

tim.waterson@cbussuper.com.au

Eligibility criteria applies. For more information, read the Industry Insurance Handbook.

cbussuper.com.au

You should read the Employer Handbook, Cbus Industry Superannuation Product Disclosure Statement (PDS) and other relevant documentation to decide whether Cbus is right for you. Call 1300 361 784 or visit www.cbussuper.com.au Cbus’ Trustee: United Super Pty Ltd ABN 46 006 261 623 AFSL 233792 Cbus ABN 75 493 363 262.

RETAKING CONTROL

ADVERTISING FEATURE

How business owners can gain control in an uncertain climate

S

ome of the hardest hit by the COVID-19 outbreak are our business owners, particularly those in small and mediumsized organisations.

Having to stand-down staff, not knowing what the business’ future holds and being responsible for people with questions that can’t be easily answered are just a few of the issues.

While it can feel extremely stressful having so many unknowns — you may be surprised by the mental and emotional shifts experienced when you get on top of the things you can control.

Focus on what you can control While you may be used to planning months or even years ahead, shifting your focus to days and weeks means you can be more responsive to news and support as it unfolds.

This also gives you the brain space to focus on the people and priorities around you more effectively.

Keeping a calm and practical approach as much as possible can help to stop your mind from running ahead to all the ‘what-ifs’ that may never happen, and instead deal with those things you’re sure of.

Get informed so you can make the best decisions There are many helpful resources out there to support businesses through this tough time.

Sifting through them can be overwhelming, so sticking to the official websites can simplify things.

Going directly to the information provided by the Federal Government or your State Government will ensure that all the misinformation isn’t adding to your confusion.

Prioritise your own mental health!

You will be far more effective in supporting your business and the people in it if you’re mentally healthy.

one does right now — just be as frank as you can with your employees about that and make sure they know you are doing your best to bring them as much information as you can.

Keeping the communications lines open will mean you have opportunity to hear from them about their needs and can avoid misinformation, uncertainty and smaller issues growing into major problems.

Cbus employers enjoy special access to SuperFriend’s programs and resources. Contact SuperFriend for more information.

This article was provided by Cbus’ workplace mental health and wellbeing Partner, SuperFriend, and reproduced with their permission.

Get equipped to support the people around you

SuperFriend is not a health or crisis service, nor does it provide clinical advice or professional services.

The information provided is intended for educational and information purposes only. It cannot take the place of any professional medical help, diagnosis or treatment. If you are in crisis, please call Lifeline on 13 11 14. Cbus’ partnership with mental health promotion foundation, SuperFriend, provides member and employers with opportunities to create mentally healthy workplaces, visit www.superfriend.com.au for more information.

Cbus’ Trustee: United Super Pty Ltd ABN 46 006 261

You don’t have to have all the answers — no

623 AFSL 233792 Cbus ABN 75 493 363 262

Beyond Blue have created an excellent resource for small business owners to help identify stressors in their business and what actions can be taken to alleviate them.

SuperFriend has also put together a COVID-19 Support Guide.

Issue One | January-March 2021 | MBA NSW

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ADVERTISING FEATUREBUILDING THE INDUSTRY

THE ACRS DIFFERENCE

üIndependent

ACRS is a steel certification scheme for steel users, and independent of product suppliers. So you know ACRS is working for you;

üExpert

All ACRS auditors and technical staff are qualified and experienced in the manufacture of the materials ACRS certifies. So with ACRS you know certified materials have been audited and approved by people who understand them;

üComprehensive

ACRS certifies all steel products, from all manufacturing locations to all scheme standards. So with ACRS you know all listed products are covered, not just some;

üRigorous

ACRS audits every major site at least once every year. So with ACRS you know certificates are up to date;

üVerified

During every audit, ACRS takes samples at random from standard production and checks production data every three-months. So with ACRS you know supplied materials are assessed regularly;

üContinuous

ACRS uses only selected laboratories to ensure accurate results independent of the supplier, and matches these with the supplier’s production data to monitor the supplier’s consistency.

www.steelcertification.com

Ph: (02) 9965 7216 | E: info@steelcertification.com ABN: 40 096 692 545

52

MBA NSW | Issue One | January-March 2021

ACRS - Independent, Expert Third Party Certification & Verification of Reinforcing, Prestressing and Structural Steels for Compliance with Australian and New Zealand Standards

CERTIFICATION

ADVERTISING FEATURE

ACRS 2021 certificates are online with some important changes Philip Sanders, Executive Director, ACRS

A

s many of you would have read in previous ACRS features, a number of new Standards were released during 2019 and 2020, some suppliers left the local market whilst others entered, and numerous projects have found that their basic assumption that materials specified and purchased would consistently meet the required standards and specifications have been severely challenged, including that materials would be supplied to projects under ACRS certification, as required.

ACRS Certified Steel Reinforcing Materials Manufacture and Processing The recent release of AS/NZS 4671:2019 and its product requirements initially caused some confusion in the marketplace particularly whether the 2001 edition of AS/NZS 4671 remains valid, or whether the 2019 edition must apply to any supply delivered under ACRS certification. A transition period of two years is currently operating, and suppliers are progressively moving to the new Edition.

ACRS early JAS-ANZ accreditation to certify to both AS/NZS 4671:2001 and AS/NZS 4671: 2019 has continued to assist suppliers, building surveyors, government departments and consumers retain confidence in the uninterrupted supply of compliant materials. ACRS is continuing to issue certificates to AS/ NZS 4671:2001 and seamlessly update suppliers to AS/NZS 4671: 2019 as they complete their transition.

ACRS Certified Structural Steel Manufacture and Fabrication: An Integrated 2-Stage System AS 4100:2020 Steel Structures was released in August 2020 with ACRS JAS-ANZ accredited to include this new edition in certification from November, providing an important link with ACRS existing JAS-ANZ accredited certification of structural welded sections to AS/NZS 5131:2016 Structural Steelwork Fabrication.

With this latest extension to our accreditation, ACRS provides certification across all the necessary standards and government specifications forcibly ending the false claims by some parties that ACRS certification of structural welded fabricated sections does not cover AS/NZS 5131, leaving customers and government departments without their expected coverage by ACRS certification, with consequent contract problems when this was discovered.

As with steel reinforcing materials manufacture and any subsequent processing or fabrication, ACRS certification of both Stage 1 - Manufactured Product and Stage 2 - Fabricated Product (structural welded sections) remains a requirement. Any break in the chain of certification renders the materials uncertified, and materials conformity and compliance to regulations must be demonstrated by other means and approved by the appropriate decisions making body.

Important ACRS Certificate Wording Updates: January 2021 To assist users of ACRS certificates more clearly understand the scope of each certificate there have been some significant wording changes this year that you should be aware of.

For the various Manufactured Product categories, wording will be similar to: “Products listed on this Manufactured Product certificate may be relied upon as having the benefit of ACRS Product Scheme certification after any subsequent processing only where cut, or bent, or welded by an ACRS certified processor.

For Approval of processed reinforcing bar, refer to the bar processor’s ACRS Fabricated Product certificate.”

For the various Fabricated Product categories, the new certificate wording will be similar to: “Products listed on this ACRS Fabricated Product certificate may only be relied upon as having the benefit of ACRS Product Scheme certification where fabricated from appropriate Approved Materials manufactured by an ACRS certified Manufacturer with the appropriate Scope of Certification.”

For further information, or for any enquires please contact ACRS at: info@steelcertification.com or phone: +61 (0)2 9965 7216 Issue One | January-March 2021 | MBA NSW

53

Beautiful. Natural.

Sustainable. Australian.

Wildlife Retreat at Taronga, NSW

You can be assured that wood carrying the Responsible Wood mark has come from certified Australian forests that are sustainably managed to the highest global standards.

responsiblewood.org.au

ADVERTISING ADVERTISINGFEATURE FEATURE

The accommodation pods designed with cross-laminated timber (CLT) panels for both the floor and wall structures.

Room with a view at Taronga Described as a lush bushland oasis just a stone’s throw away from the Sydney CBD, Taronga’s newest attraction, the Wildlife Retreat, combines earthy Australian luxury with an up-close overnight experience starring the animals which call Taronga home.

L

ocated in the Australian Habitat section, the retreat consists of 62 luxury rooms and suites, a guest lodge entry pavilion and separate restaurant building that links the retreat to the existing Taronga Centre function spaces. The pods encircle and overlook an open and accessible animal exhibit showcasing native Australian species.

strong engagement and interaction between architecture and nature, landscape and native wildlife.”

ABOVE: A low scale permeable environment with a variety of visual and physical connections.

The project aims to become one of Australia’s first 5-star Greenstar Hotel environments, creating an iconic, adventurous, and interactive experience involving direct contact between animals and guests.

skyline beyond. These green screens also shelter the open-air access walkways that connect to rooms and lead guests’ eyes to the central wildlife exhibits below.

Owned and operated by Taronga Conservation Society, the five-star eco-retreat has more than doubled the space for Australian wildlife by reclaiming unused land, allowing overnight visitors up-close encounters with native animals in their natural habitat.

Part of the approach to achieve a 5-Star Greenstar outcome for the Retreat was for the accommodation pods to rely primarily on PEFC certified Binderholz cross-laminated timber (CLT) panels for both the floor and wall structures. The internal CLT surfaces for the floors, ceilings and walls were then lined to achieve acoustic and fire ratings.

Nestled by the function centre, the lodges feature Responsible Wood certified blackbutt timbers and Sydney sandstone, centred around a pool where platypus and freshwater eels will swim.

Designed by Cox Architecture and featuring structural engineer Taylor Thomson Whitting, the award-winning Wildlife Retreat was recently announced as winners of the Australian Certified Timber award announced as part of the 21st Australian Timber Design Awards.

Nick Tyrrell, Cox Architecture director, explains: “The built outcome celebrates the principle of

In addition, the retreat combines a rich tapestry of timbers with Responsible Wood certified ASH (Australian Sustainable Hardwoods) and Warringah Timbers featured extensively throughout the project.

The accommodation pods include native planted ‘green screens’ that cover the northern facades and roofs to camouflage the buildings, while preserving magnificent views of Sydney harbour, the Opera House, Harbour Bridge and CBD

The shared public components of the retreat include the reception guest lodge and dining facility, which includes a function space on the second story. These buildings respond to the circular form of the existing Taronga Centre and can be opened in appropriate weather conditions to provide open air gathering spaces for guests.

The award-winning eco-retreat, which opened in October 2019 is one of several overnight experiences at the zoo, which also includes Roar & Snore in Sydney and the Zoofari Lodge, Billabong Camp and Savannah Cabins at Taronga Western Plains Zoo in Dubbo.

Issue One | January-March 2021 | MBA NSW

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From design details to installation. Free knowledge-building resources.

From doors and windows to stairs and balustrades, fire detailing to decking – WoodSolutions technical design guides are your go-to resource for using wood and wood products in compliance with the National Construction Code.

At woodsolutions.com.au you’ll also find a huge range of resources, from performance data to expert advice, hours of recorded webinars, podcasts and more.

Whether you’re an experienced professional or starting in the industry, you’ll discover visiting WoodSolutions is a career-building move.

Scan the QR code to download the latest guides or go to www.woodsolutions.com.au

BUILDING WITH TIMBER

ADVERTISING FEATURE

Timber Construction For Schools W

ith the recent announcement of the NSW Schools Stimulus, architects have an opportunity to provide both environmental benefits and psychological benefits for the building’s users. Some of the benefits are as follows: • Several studies into biophilic design have shown exposure to nature has a direct impact on children’s wellbeing. Various studies have found improvements by increased rates of learning, improved test results, concentration levels and attendance and reduced impacts of ADHD • Research into exposed wooden surfaces within offices has proven psychological benefits for building users • Depending on design complexity, builder experience, and other projectspecific factors, timber projects have demonstrated program savings of up to 30% when compared to reinforced concrete construction • Timber locks up carbon into the life of the building and has significantly less embodied carbon impacts compared to traditional

construction.

• Timber is The Ultimate Renewable™, reducing the environmental impact of construction through lower embodied energy • Timber burns at a predictable rate. A qualified fire engineer can design for exposed timber to meet the FRL requirements • Air-tight building with Fire Resistance Levels (FRLs) panels manufactured to mm tolerances • Demonstrable innovation • 2019 construction code changes has allowed for a Deemed To Satisfy (DTS) pathway for School Buildings (Class 9b) These impacts have already been experienced with post and beam structures in educational buildings like Our Lady Of Assumption College, Honeysuckle at Newcastle University, and the Mary Reay Teaching Building and Fenner Hall at Australian National University. Successful projects must consider the following important design considerations: • Detailing for end of life, optimising the ability for reuse of timber systems

• Designing for durability to ensure maximum life cycle expectancy • Structural orientation to ensure adequate services reticulation • Understanding of the local and international supply chain and capacities • Understanding and designing for appropriate levels of fire risk.

• Designing for program efficiency • Engaging with an experienced team (particularly a Fire Engineer, if not using a DTS solution) to deliver successful projects that has cost and program efficiencies, and utilises exposed timber benefits.

The WoodSolutions Mid-rise Advisory Partnership, jointly funded by the Federal Government and Industry Partners, is set up to provide free advice for the development of the mid-rise timber building market in Australia.

If you would like to get in touch with WoodSolutions with free technical assistance in the form of a workshop, meeting or presentation contact: midrise@woodsolutions.com.au.

Issue One | January-March 2021 | MBA NSW

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REGIONAL ROUNDUP

Central Coast Division LEFT: President Barry Robson (adfa), Vice-President Maree Stokes (adfa), Kerrie Bendeich (MBA), Jacquie & John Limpus.

LOCAL MEMBER NEWS!

We decided to present the awards through a live webinar format. This was well received by the students, employers, sponsors and staff, as we didn’t want to postpone the event, which we have held for almost 20 years.

O

n Friday 27th November 2020 during Asbestos Awareness Week, our local member About The House Safe Asbestos Removal officially opened their new shop front office at Kariong Shops, Curringa Road Kariong.

David Hedge, Head Teacher Building & Construction did a fantastic job setting up and hosting the live webinar award presentation.

We had Heath Jones, President MBA Central Coast Division welcome everyone for attending the event. And Craig Deakes, Team Leader IEC spoke on behalf of the Ourimbah TAFE Campus about the challenging but successful year had by staff and students.

The event was supported by Kerrie Bendeich from Master Builders Association and adfa — Asbestos Diseases Foundation of Australia including President Barry Robson, VicePresident Maree Stokes and a number of members and supporters.

An information session was conducted on the dangers of asbestos and how About The House Safe Asbestos Removal have teamed up with adfa to bring further awareness of the dangerous effects of asbestos and their continued support to those who have been affected.

About The House have been proud supporters of adfa — Asbestos Diseases Foundation of Australia for nearly a decade.

Founded in 1990 and located in Sydney; 2020 marked adfa’s 30 year anniversary of offering support services for victims and their families diagnosed or affected by a devastating asbestos related disease including asbestosis and mesothelioma.

The recently opened shop front office on the Central Coast will create a synergy with adfa to become their Information Centre allowing them to further extend their support throughout the Central Coast.

About The House commend adfa’s tireless effort as they support victims, inform communities and campaign for change.

ASBESTOS SAMPLE DROP-OFF SERVICE — FAST & SIMPLE TO USE!

58

MBA NSW | Issue One | January-March 2021

O

n Wednesday 25 November we held our annual Central Coast Division Apprenticeship Awards with Ourimbah TAFE Campus.

Due to COVID-19 restrictions, events and gatherings in 2020 were not an option, so we had to come together with the Building & Construction Staff to make changes to the way we present the awards to the students.

RIGHT: John Limpus (About the House Safe Asbestos Removal) and President Barry Robson (adfa).

Throughout the day Central Coast residents were able to learn about asbestos safety as the open day was co-ordinated with Asbestos Awareness Week which ran from the 23rd to the 30th of November. This is an awareness campaign widely advocated by SafeWork NSW and The Asbestos Eradication Agency.

2020 APPRENTICESHIP AWARDS – WEBINAR

About The House have launched a new asbestos sample drop-off service for all asbestos testing; a fast, simple and cheap way for tradies to achieve safe and effective asbestos testing.

Their aim is to make it simple, cheap and fast for tradies to test, making it safer for themselves and their customer.

It was followed by a short address from MBA Executive Director, Brian Seidler, who gave us an insight into the importance of good quality young skilled tradespeople entering the industry.

We were fortunate to have the ongoing support of our major sponsors North Building & Construction, Sanctuary New Homes, ELWD, Bunnings and Sydney Tools.

We would also like to thank our new sponsors Weathertex, Dahlsens and Milwaukee.

The cost for using the sample drop off service is half the price of having to arrange a specialist to come out and take a sample. The service is also a much quicker alternative, preventing unnecessary delays on site.

A special thanks to Sydney Tools for donating buckets and tools for the minor prize winners.

And we welcomed Milwaukee on board to sponsor all our major prize winners with a range of Milwaukee Drill Bits and Impact Driver sets.

About the House were guest speakers at our Central Coast Division Information Night on Wednesday 3rd March, where they provided detailed information about their drop-off service and adfa.

They also generously donated a Milwaukee 2 Piece Power Pack for the MBA Roofing Award.

If you did not attend the meeting, you can contact About the House for free over the phone advice and support. Alternatively, information is available on their website www.aboutthehouse.net.au There are lots of places to go for help and advice including the Asbestos Safety & Eradication Agency: www.asbestossafety.gov.au If you would like information on MBA Asbestos Awareness and Removal courses, please contact the Gosford office on 4323 4588.

Major prize winners were: Cert II Carpentry – MASON LAVERY CERT III Carpentry 1ST Year Apprentice – JACOB BRICKWOOD CERT III Carpentry 2ND Year Apprentice – THIBAUT CLARKE CERT III Carpentry 3RD Year Apprentice – LACHLAN LAWRENCE CERT III Stage 1 MID – CHARLIE GLANVILLE CERT III Stage 1-2 MID – LUKE SOUTHON CERT III Stage 2-3 MID – ADAM GOWRIE CERT III Stage 3 MID – RYAN DONNELLY CERT IV Building & Construction – CLINT BOREHAM

A NEW ERA FOR SHOWERS Central Coast Division IN AUSTRALIA THE PRESIDENT’S AWARD 2020

a higher temperature up to 45°C maximum, or rotate the handle in the opposite direction for a cooler shower.

Cool-Touch technology ensures a low surface temperature of the valve, safe to touch or hold while showering. The surface temperature will not exceed 20°C when operating at 38°C.

Thermostatic showers popular Runner – WADE in theupUK and THEIL many European Runner up – MATT REYNOLDS countries for nearly 30 years are now available in Australia through Winner – JOSH SHELTON Therm-Oz Showers Pty Ltd. The Therm-Oz is ideal for families with Australian standard for this type young children, the elderly as well of shower valve (AS4032.4) is as those who require assistive now in the WaterMark scope and care while still giving that desired the AS/NZS3500.4:2018 Plumbing RIGHT: Milwaukee, presenting Josh European styling for family code.Aaron The Lipman, Therm-Oz thermostatic bathrooms and ensuites.

Shelton with his major prize for President’s shower valve is fully WaterMarkAward 2020. approved, Licence WMK26224 This new product is a safer and can be legally installed, with a choice for your home and more five-year guarantee. water efficient, as water is not while manually adjusting WATERPROOFING COURSEwasted A thermostatic shower mixes temperatures. There are no water to a set constantTO THE electrics; it is simply a far more COMING temperature, even if other taps, efficient way of mixing hot and CENTRAL COAST toilets or washing machines are cold water.

Expressions Interest now open for our upcoming in use.

If theofcold-water supply to the shower were to fail, Certificate III Waterproofing Course in Gosford. The Therm-Oz thermostatic theIf shower will instantly shut shower valve is available with you are interested or would like more information, off,please preventing any chance of or without the chrome slide rail, contact Kerrie Bendeich from MBA Gosford scalding. handset, hose and soap dish. on 4323 4588.

There are many choices of shower The shower is turned on with acourse kits and combinations available Certificate III Waterproofing such as overhead rain heads with simple twist of the right handle, a diverter for a handset. using a quarter turn ceramic disc valve. The temperature is For new building projects the controlled by rotating the left thermostatic shower valve is handle and limited to 38°C as a supplied with a fixing bracket safety feature by an override stop that allows the positioning of button. Depressing this safety button allows the user to rotate to the shower on the wall, giving

DATES TO BE CONFIRMED

the correct spacing for pipes.

These are NB-CT100 without slide rail and handset kit, and REGIONAL ROUNDUP NB001 supplied with slide rail and handset kit.

Therm-Oz also offers a Reno Kit that replaces any two-tap manual shower over to thermostatic with no pipework or tiling alterations.

It can be fitted vertically or horizontally and is suitable for all tap spacings between 230mm down to 80mm apart. These are RK-CT100 without slide rail and handset kit, and RK001 supplied with slide rail and handset kit.

Therm-Oz Showers is a WA based company, supplying nationally to the plumbing merchants of Australia. Therm-Oz Showers is a Member of the Master Plumbers Association, Assistive Technology Suppliers Australasia and was a finalist in the HIA Housing awards WA 2018 in the Industry and Product Innovation category.

This is a new era for showers in Australia, whether you are building, reconfiguring or renovating, please visit the ThermOz website.

FURTHER INFORMATION: Phone 0439 196 441 Email info@therm-oz.net.au Website www.therm-oz.net.au Youtube https://youtu.be/ JHYrdbVhO4o

Issue One | January-March 2021 | MBA NSW

59

REGIONAL ROUNDUP

Illawarra Division

New Year, New Home for MBA Wollongong!

I

t’s been almost three years since a fire at the old Unanderra office forced the relocation of the MBA Wollongong Branch. While the temporary office was less than ideal, I’m extremely pleased to announce the new MBA Office, located at 66 Auburn Street, Wollongong, was well worth the wait.

The new office is in a great location, offers exceptional training facilities and office space and has both on site AND on street parking! The building is much larger than our old premises and offers multiple meeting rooms for members and staff.

Our friends from Mend Services have relocated with us to the new premises and we look forward to developing the new office into a hub for Building and Construction related products, services, and advice for our local members.

We look forward to seeing you here soon.

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www.sitebook.com.au | 1300 736 316 | AVAILABLE ON: 60

MBA NSW | Issue One | January-March 2021

REGIONAL ROUNDUP

Port Macquarie

Vital Waterproofing Courses

W

ith social distancing rules in place, our face-to-face training in Port Macquarie has been limited. Thanks to NSW Government Funding, in 2020 we were fortunate to be able to hold a Certificate III in Construction Waterproofing, with limited numbers.

This is a 9-day workshop suitable for those who have industry experience in waterproofing. It is for people who need the qualification to apply for a waterproofing licence, or for builders and renovators who would like to ensure they are providing quality waterproofing to their clients.

In 2021, we are holding the course in Port Macquarie again, starting on April 16.

The course will be held over three 3-day weekends, to limit the impact on your working week. All who attended the course in 2020, were very pleased at how much they learnt, about a subject they thought they knew.

You are most likely aware that, the majority of insurance claims are the result of waterproofing defects. So, if you have previous waterproofing experience and you want to update your skills

and knowledge, or need the qualification to apply for a licence, this course is for you.

Please call 02 6581 033 or visit www.mbansw.asn.au for more information.

Issue One | January-March 2021 | MBA NSW

61

REGIONAL ROUNDUP

Central West Divsion

Central West Division Golf Day in Orange

O

ur Golf Day is in its ninth year and the 2021’s event turned out to be our biggest one yet! Over 135 of the region’s most “illustrious” golfers descended on “The Wenty” in Orange this February to contend the MBA Central West Division Brendan Sturgeon Memorial trophy.

The competition was fierce with overall winners on the day being Dave Corby and Brad Townsend. Michael Paddison came in as the highest ranked MBA member and runner up.

We are extremely proud to say that the proceeds of the day went to two very deserving charities; with a $1000 donation going to Give Me 5 for Kids & $500 to Tradies in Sight.

Of course, the day could not have run without the awesome support of our sponsors, in particular our major sponsors Steeline Bathurst and Kents Hardware Orange.

We would also like to thank the following sponsors; • Buckley’s Carpet Court, • Master Builders Insurance Brokers, • Pigot Miller Wilson, • Concrete World, • Orange Real Estate, • Tilstons Plasterboard, • Bluescope, • Petries Mitre 10, • JT’s Skip Bin Hire, • Kennards Hire, • Caroma Industries,

Shane Collier and Brendan Kent from Kents Hardware Orange.

• Worklocker Orange,

• Rheem Australia,

• Midwestern Minimix,

• The Truss & Frame Factory,

• DTC Electrical,

• Bunnings Trade

• Beaumont Tiles,

• The Door Store,

• DVM Workwear & Embroidery.

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WWW.GRATES2GO.COM.AU admin@grates2go.com.au | (02) 4571 1530

62

MBA NSW | Issue One | January-March 2021

REGIONAL ROUNDUP

Central West Divsion

Matt Locke and Angus Daymond from Steeline Bathurst.

Graham Trevor, Mick Banks, Bruno Efoti from Tradies In Sight, and Dave Dillon.

In foreground: Dave Dillon, Brad Townsend, Dave Corby, Mick Banks.

James Ellis, Mick Banks, Dave Dillon, Matt Rumble.

Issue One | January-March 2021 | MBA NSW

63

WHAT’S NEW

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MBA NSW | Issue One | January-March 2021

DIARY DATES

Diary Dates

Face-to-face events are back for 2021!

Please visit mbansw.asn.au/cpdseries for more information.

Due to the continuing uncertainty around social gatherings, dates and venues may be subject to change.

If changes do occur and we are not able to hold face to face events, we will endeavour to move the Seminars to a Webinar platform.

CPD Seminars Newcastle Castle Hill St George Ballina Wollongong Rosehill Manly Port Macquarie Liverpool Rosehill

Wednesday Wednesday Wednesday Wednesday Wednesday Thursday Tuesday Wednesday Wednesday Wednesday

17 March 2021 28 April 2021 12 May 2021 26 May 2021 2 June 2021 17 June 2021 6 July 2021 11 August 2021 22 September 2021 1 December 2021

Want to promote your business in this magazine?

Contact our Custom Publishing Team Lauren: 07 4690 9360 lauren.alsemgeest@news.com.au

Brittany: 07 4690 9316 brittany.douglas@news.com.au

Kerri: 07 4690 9412 kerri.hooke@news.com.au

Julie: 07 4690 9349 julie.marshall@news.com.au

Issue One | January-March 2021 | MBA NSW

65

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MBA NSW | Issue One | January-March 2021

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THE WAY WE WERE

What the MBA said... DECEMBER 1929

From first year apprentice training through to diplomas in building, Master Builders NSW is proud to play a major role in the training and education of the building industry.

In a 1929 edition of Master Builder Magazine, we wrote about the importance of training the “builders of tomorrow” and encouraging qualified builders to continue their education in other fields such as “book-keeping and costing”.

Scan the QR code below to read the full article online.

Issue One | January-March 2021 | MBA NSW

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