Master Builder - Victoria

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MASTER BUILDERS ASSOCIATION OF VICTORIA FEBRUARY - MARCH 2018 VOLUME 73 ISSUE 01

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FROM THE CEO SKILLS IN THE WORKFORCE: WHERE WE NEED TO INVEST AND WHY: PAGE 10

CLADDING A BUILDER WINS AGAINST DIRECT-TO-FIX INSTRUCTION: PAGE 18

OHS IS WORKSAFE FAILING THE INDUSTRY? PAGE 12

KIDS UNDER COVER

Members meet the 2018 Cubby House Challenge: PAGE 28

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MASTER BUILDERS VICTORIA

03

A WORD FROM THE EDITOR

Smart start to 2018

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epending on where you started reading, you may or may not have detected something new among these pages.

Master Builder is now designed by News Corp Australia’s News Regional Media, our new publishing team, and we’re delighted to be working with them on a slightly refreshed look for this publication, as well as for the annual post-event editions we’ll see later in the year, Winning Homes and Excellence in Construction Awards.

We’ve deliberately avoided making broad changes because the feedback we’ve received is that a complete renovation wasn’t in order.

After all, we do have plenty on our plates already with a new logo, but we do think a new year and publishing partnership warrants a magazine with a slightly smarter, more approachable look for our members.

Skills and education is a hot topic these days, particularly with technological changes developing so rapidly in the building and construction industry, and with Victoria’s population expanding at the fastest pace in the nation.

Who better, we ask, than Victorian Minister for Training and Skills Gayle Tierney to christen this edition with a guest foreword (page 08).

Following on from that, on page 10, CEO Radley de Silva notes that making up for skills shortages needs to be a top priority for our industry - a position strengthened by research undertaken recently on Master Builders’ behalf by Deloitte Access Economics.

Demand for skilled trades people outstrips supply, and the situation will grow worse without action to fix it.

Such fixes could include establishing a building minister for the state, introducing mandatory trades registration, attracting more women to the industry and the inclusion of soft-skills training to help

young builders hone their communication and problem-solving abilities.

There’s already some good news on that front, with Master Builders delivering top-tier training and helping to ensure quality and skills in our industry.

President Melanie Fasham notes the high marks our industry training graduates gave us last year (page 06) and Marc Lyons, General Manager, BLSC, describes the ways the BLSC can help you protect your investment in the skilled staff you already have (page 25).

With the state election in November, we will have more to say leading up to it about the reforms and actions that our government needs to implement to help our industry.

The theme of skills and jobs in our sector will continue to be at the forefront.

Here’s to seeing some of those reforms being achieved in the year ahead.

Peter Sackett Editor

MASTER BUILDERS VICTORIA

Contents FOREWORDS 03

A WORD FROM THE EDITOR

05

PRESIDENT’S FOREWORD

08

GUEST FOREWORD

Hon Gayle Tierney MP Minister for Training and Skills

REGULARS 10

FROM THE CEO

42

SOCIAL PAGES

62

DIRECTORY

FEATURES 12

OHS

14

GREEN LIVING

18

NEWS FEATURE - CLADDINNG

20

FINANCE

22

TRAINING

24

BLSC

28

KIDS UNDER COVER

32

INSURANCE

34

LEGAL

36

NEWS FEATURE

39

NEWS ROUND-UP

MEMBERSHIP 48

MEMBER PROFILE

51

PAZSTONE

54

BENEFITS OF MEMBERSHIP

56

NEW MEMBERS

58

MEMBER MILESTONES

Produced by Newscorp on behalf of Master Builders Victoria.

EDITOR: Peter Sackett EDITORIAL LIASION: Carmen Miller DESIGNER: Marlilze Duggan

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MASTER BUILDERS VICTORIA

PRESIDENT’S FOREWORD

A nice finish to the year gone by

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ou may have welcomed 2018 with fireworks, but leave it to Master Builders to end 2017 with a bang.

Before we set off for the holidays, the National Centre for Vocational Education Research (NCVER) shared the good news that Master Builders has earned exceptionally high marks from students who were graduated from our broad range of training courses.

In 2017, once they had completed their course work and begun their search for employment, 98.6 per cent of them reported success in finding it. 98.6 per cent.

That score, by the way, compares to a national average of 78 per cent.

In other areas, Master Builders likewise scored outstandingly high marks among students for things like ‘training that was relevant to their current job’, ‘achieving their primary reasons for pursuing training’ and for ‘being inclined to recommend Master Builders as a training provider’.

In each of these, Master Builders ranked 95 per cent or higher and consistently outperformed the national average.

These results have been published in their report ‘VET student outcomes: 2017 Master Builders Association of Victoria’, a copy of which is available online at mbavnews.com.au.

When we say Master Builders offers the best industry training available, we can back that up not just with awards (as in the one we picked up in 2016 for Victorian Small Training Provider of the Year), but with testimonials from the student builders themselves—the people in the best position to gauge our success.

Michael Clemenger from Cockram Construction told us his firm relies on Master Builders to train their staff.

"We use Master Builders training quite a lot. Most of our construction staff do the Cert 3 or Cert 4 course, and our first aid courses are done through Master Builders as well," he said.

"I did the Cert 4 course and that was great. It’s an established training provider so you know you’re going to get a quality service. It’s

been a very good performer for us."

There’s good reason for this level of performance and satisfaction.

Master Builders keeps its eye on not just where our industry is today, but where it’s headed, and we choose our trainers accordingly.

All of this, I believe, bodes well for the year ahead—a 2018 that will be good for you as well as for Master Builders.

In order for us to lay claim to the status of industry leader, we must lead on all fronts, and where is leadership most important but in crafting the training that guides this and the next generation of builders?

There is a lot for all of us to watch closely, including our continued push for trade registration and ministerial appointment for building and construction, and, of course, the state election in November.

Here’s to a productive year ahead!

Melanie Fasham President, Master Builders Association of Victoria

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MASTER BUILDERS VICTORIA

GUESTS’ FOREWARD

Skills drive Victoria’s construction

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he Victorian economy went from strength to strength in 2017, driven by a booming construction sector and record investment in infrastructure.

We continue to lead the nation in jobs growth, with construction employment up by 9 per cent last year.

Importantly, it wasn’t just in quantity that our construction sector led the way — it was also quality.

It was great to hear that last year’s Master Builders’ National Excellence in Building and Construction Awards announced Victorian winners in multiple categories following on from the success of Master Builders Association of Victoria at the Victorian Training Awards in 2016, winning the title of Small Training Provider of the Year and also being named as a finalist in the same category at the national level.

Industry RTOs like Master Builders play an important role in developing and honing the skills that are critical to the sustained success and productivity of the building and construction industry.

I am sure the millions of Victorians who enjoyed the new roads, bridges, buildings and facilities your members built last year would join me in congratulating you on your success.

Victoria needs this world-class infrastructure to continue our economic growth and maintain the high quality of life that we enjoy.

Across the state, projects to build the high-quality hospitals, schools and transport infrastructure that our growing state needs are either in planning or underway.

In transport infrastructure alone, we have a massive pipeline awaiting that is set to create another 50,000 jobs.

Victoria also experienced the highest growth in building approvals across the nation.

These projects are driving demand for employees in the construction sector — and providing more work for your members.

To build high-quality infrastructure that will stand the test of time, we need a workforce that has the cutting-edge skills they need to get the job done.

We want to make sure that these jobs are filled by highly skilled, well-trained Victorians.

The Andrews Labor Government has committed to $1.2 billion of targeted investment in the TAFE network to benefit individual students, industry and the economy.

We are building a world-class training sector that connects skills to jobs, and supports apprentices and trainees through their careers.

At the beginning of 2016, we halved the cost of car registration for apprentices in the construction industry.

We also introduced tax relief for businesses that employ displaced apprentices or trainees.

Through the Major Project Skills Guarantee, we have guaranteed our apprentices, trainees and engineering cadets a place in the workforce driving Victoria’s infrastructure boom.

We have invested more than $8 million so that Apprenticeship Support Officers can continue their work, and we are continuing to look at new ways to support apprentices to complete their training.

Each step of the way, we are working closely with industry partners like Masters Builders Association of Victoria to get this right.

Thank you for providing a strong voice for your industry and members.

I look forward to continuing our work together this year.

Hon Gayle Tierney MP Minister for Training and Skills

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MASTER BUILDERS VICTORIA

FROM CEO RADLEY DE SILVA

Heading off a skills shortage an imperative goal over the next four years THE CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY FACES A THREE-PART CHALLENGE WHEN IT COMES TO SOURCING THE SKILLED WORKERS NEEDED TO SUSTAIN A STRONG ECONOMY AND HIGH QUALITY OF LIFE, WRITES CEO RADLEY DE SILVA

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n 2018 we will have an election in Victoria.

And about eight months from now, we will begin to scrutinise the actions taken, or not taken, by our elected government on issues central to the concerns of the building and construction industry.

As we brought 2017 to a close, we focused on identifying precisely what those will be, and I intend on sharing them with Labor, the Coalition and the Greens, who were eager to know what they were as they developed their respective platforms.

To help us quantify what we already know to be true (in the form of feedback from our members), we commissioned Deloitte Access Economics to compile a report with facts and figures that draw a picture of an industry in great demand, and backed by substantial investment, but with too few resources to deliver everything the growing population of Victoria needs.

Deloitte’s report, ‘Construction Workforce in Victoria’, examines the skills shortages within the building and construction industry while we face a rapidly growing demand.

The effect of this shortage, we predict, will be the worsening of housing affordability and rises in construction costs, and that hunch appears to have been borne out by the data we’ve been given.

Talk of rapid population growth in Victoria is something we have become accustomed to over the last year or so as an emblem of Victoria’s success as a great place

to live and do business.

But the predicted rate of that growth is alarming; we expect an average of 1.6 per cent per annum over the previous period, which translates to nearly 1.1 million more people by 2027.

This will mean the need to build an average of 54,000 new homes per year. In this context, Deloitte estimates that total employment in the Victorian construction industry is expected to require an additional 64,177 new entrants over the coming decade.

Based on the figures before us, that means we’ll have a challenge on our hands if we don’t work to prepare for it.

Our industry faces a three-part challenge to having the skilled workers we—indeed all Victorians—need to keep our economy and quality of life high.

First, we are seeing the potential for a serious skills shortage.

The numbers of people completing vocational training in construction trades is dropping, and we have a training system that fails to impart the full range of skills they need to make themselves attractive to employers.

It is interesting to note that, for now, the number of trade graduates tends to remain fairly constant despite an increase in demand for skilled workers.

And many of those who graduate are not being subsequently employed by the builders who need to increase their workforce.

That would appear to indicate a mismatch of skills taught versus skills in demand.

For example, 22 per cent fewer carpenters completed training in 2015 compared to 2013.

That’s quite a difference in the span of only two years.

Likewise, in 2015, only nine people completed the Bachelor of Surveying program in Victoria, and Deloitte has forecast that based on current trends on average only ten building surveyors will graduate each year.

It’s simply not going to be enough.

Problem two: women are grossly under-employed in our industry.

They constitute half of the population, and we are the state’s biggest full-time employer, yet women comprise only 9.5 per cent of the construction workforce here—the lowest of all industries—having dropped nearly 11 per cent over the past decade.

This fact is startling, given that technological advances and automation in building and construction now mean that

MASTER BUILDERS VICTORIA

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FROM CEO RADLEY DE SILVA

opportunities lie more or less within equal reach of men and women.

The playing field has been leveled, and will continue to equalize to a remarkable degree as advances in technology and social attitudes evolve further.

Until women make up a much larger percentage of the workforce, we are missing an immense employment opportunity.

And third, young people remain largely unaware of the opportunities before them in a building career, tending to view them as subordinate to other professional choices and pathways.

The prospects for solid and lasting employment are there, however; the government has pledged 9.6 billion dollars’ worth of work for each of the next four years, but the employment significance of that information just isn’t reaching the ears of the public, and the call for new talent goes largely unanswered.

And so we have some strong recommendations for our elected officials to consider if they want, as we do, to fix the

problem.

The solution, we believe, requires a three-pronged approach.

Soft-skills education needs to be part of the vocational training for the industry to produce strong employees, and this needs to become a central part of every building trade curriculum.

Many builders have shared with us their efforts to recruit young tradespersons and their frustration with the level of professional social skills in areas like attitude, leadership and the work ethic their applicants appear to possess.

Master Builders is well-equipped to help teach those skills with the tailored training resources we offer at the Building Leadership Simulation Centre in South Melbourne.

We need more women to pursue careers in the industry.

In order to do that, we, with the cooperation and support of the government, must make a concentrated effort to attract them to jobs in building and construction, and not let outdated

practices stand in the way of a much-improved workforce.

Finally, we repeat our call for a minister for building and construction to spearhead campaigns to achieve the above.

Issues and activities in building and construction are spread thinly across numerous ministerial portfolios to the point of it being near impossible to make headway on crucial building issues and projects in a timely manner.

A minister dedicated to driving industry interests and projects would be good for everyone in the state, and deliver much-deserved support for the industry that is now the largest full-time employer in Victoria.

I look forward to sharing this research and insight with the major political parties, and hope they are each able to conclude that the health of our sector, which contributes over 40 per cent of the revenue for the state, is too important to Victoria to make a partisan issue of any one facet of it.

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MASTER BUILDERS VICTORIA

OHS

By John Darcy Head of OHS

Is WorkSafe failing the construction industry?

jdarcy@mbav.com.au

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he total number of OHS prosecutions undertaken by WorkSafe Victoria in 2017 outstripped all other OHS regulators across Australia combined.

WorkSafe prosecuted 104 employers across all industries last year. 35 of those prosecutions were related to the construction industry.

Of those 35 construction prosecutions, 12 related to incidents in the commercial sector and 16 in the housing sector.

The average fine levied on construction businesses was in excess of $90,000 for incidents going back as far as 2011.

WorkSafe has acknowledged to industry stakeholders that 80 per cent of their prosecutions over the last five years have been reactive—that is, related to actual workplace accidents and fatalities. In the cause of preventing injury, this is too little too late.

WorkSafe should be focussed more on using their expertise and guidance for prevention than on taking punitive action after the fact.

WorkSafe has suggested that the remaining twenty per cent of those prosecutions has been proactive, but their definition of a ‘proactive’ prosecution is one in which there is no incident or illness, and generally relate to duty holders being caught in the act of working unsafely.

These prosecutions often result in small fines, but , ideally, these breaches should have been addressed through improvement or prohibition notices rather than through prosecution.

In recent years, we have seen a number of the proactive prosecutions related to builders and subcontractors in the Bendigo and Ballarat regions.

Those prosecutions would often make headlines in ‘The Advertiser’ or ‘The Courier’ and would therefore attract considerable local attention, but it would be wrong to suggest that these prosecutions have had an influence on the industry as a whole. The value of these ‘traffic-light’ prosecutions is questionable.

Safe Work Method Statements (SWMS) featured heavily in evidence used in WorkSafe’s construction prosecutions.

Master Builders has been consistent in its criticism that WorkSafe inspectors appear to be reluctant to enforce SWMS in the field, but all too eager to use them to prosecute someone.

WorkSafe has provided Master Builders with a legal opinion that they do not have the capacity to stop work unless there is an immediate risk to safety despite the OHS regulations explicitly stating that high-risk construction work must be performed in accordance with SWMS; and where that does not occur, work must stop.

The laws don’t exist to allow regulators to notch-up easy prosecutions. If the regulator claims they cannot enforce the law, the laws need to change.

WorkSafe is meant to be a ‘constructive’ regulator. WorkSafe characterises its constructive compliance strategy in its Compliance and Enforcement Policy as having four key levers: ● Effective communication and engagement with stakeholders ● The provision of practical and constructive advice and information to workplace parties ● Supporting and involving stakeholders in the provision and promotion of education and training in occupational health and safety ● Financial incentives to workplace parties and their representatives for improved OHS performance.

During 2017 the construction team at WorkSafe ran a number of focus campaigns.

But collation of the data gleaned from these campaigns has been extremely slow and so the learning outcomes remain unknown.

The reality is that only a handful of WorkSafe’s OHS prosecutions make newspaper headlines.

All WorkSafe prosecutions are listed on the WorkSafe website. It has only been in the latter part of 2017 that WorkSafe has started detailing learning outcomes for duty holders as footnotes on these prosecution summaries. OHS practitioners and lawyers are the only people likely to peruse WorkSafe’s list of prosecutions, so to suggest that the placement of cases on the website influences safety outcomes in the community is absurd.

Apart from breakfast information sessions conducted in towns along the NSW/Victorian border in conjunction with Safe Work NSW, WorkSafe’s construction team have delivered no seminars or information sessions in metropolitan areas.

There has been very little in the way of education.

Master Builders considers that WorkSafe is not doing enough to support the industry.

We have repeatedly expressed a desire for WorkSafe to be more proactive in its prosecution activity and less reactive. We have urged WorkSafe to be the constructive regulator they are meant to be by engaging more in education and awareness-raising, especially in relation to the duties under the construction regulations and Safe Work Method Statements.

If builders and subcontractors knew that inspectors would be out in force, tasked with finding specifically targeted strategic prosecutions, the number of reactive prosecutions would likely decrease.

Master Builders would enthusiastically support WorkSafe’s campaigns to get the messages out.

This also means that fewer builders and subcontractors would need to be prosecuted, thereby easing the burden on the regulatory system.

Unfortunately, when WorkSafe boasted they had delivered more prosecutions than all other regulators combined they were also indicating that they wanted to deliver more prosecutions and were pushing for the courts to apportion higher penalties.

As a footnote, at the start of 2018 the level of legal compliance with OHS regulations still remains terribly low in the housing sector.

Housing builders should reflect on the $880,000-prosecution of a small residential builder whose business is now in liquidation after his apprentice died following a structural collapse that occurred in 2015.

We do not want to see any of our members in this situation.

The Master Builders OHS unit urges members to use the services that they pay for and to call the OHS unit for advice whenever necessary on (03) 9411 4555.

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MASTER BUILDERS VICTORIA

GREEN LIVING

Croft Wootton Constructions

MASTER BUILDERS VICTORIA

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GREEN LIVING

By Dr Philip Alviano Sustainable Building Advisor palviano@mbav.com.au

Best Sustainable Home Awards 2017

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hile we have already moved into 2018 I would like to take this opportunity to look back at the winner and entrants from the Best Sustainable Homes category in the 2017 Excellence in Housing Awards.

The achievements are noteworthy.

This year saw an outstanding group on entries for the Best Sustainable Home category.

Each of these entries was of an excellent quality and could easily have been selected as the winner in previous years.

The houses also represented a broad spectrum of housing types, ranging from new builds to renovations.

Each of the entries was an all-electric house and either a positive-energy producer or zero-carbon dwelling, reflecting an interesting and encouraging trend.

Expect to see more of this in 2018.

Winner, Best Sustainable Home – Croft Wootton Construction

While all the entries were excellent this year, this property at Somers was chosen because of a number of achievements, as well as the attention to detail during the construction process.

This house was built using many of the techniques from passive-house constructions.

This enabled it to achieve a 9.1- Star rating; a post-construction blower door test measured the air infiltration rate at 1.6 air changes per

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MASTER BUILDERS VICTORIA

GREEN LIVING

hour when the industry average is 15.

Extra layers of carefully installed insulation, an internal impermeable wall membrane and an external premium moisture barrier contributed to the dwelling’s air-tightness.

Ducted extractor fans and a lack of ceiling penetrations further reduced the opportunity for drafts.

The air-tightness, coupled with quality double-glazed, argon gas-filled uPVC windows, passive solar design and extra insulation means the house will require almost no heating or cooling.

Careful design and wide-opening windows provided the ability to use cross-flow ventilation to cool the house quickly.

This fully electric house uses a highly efficient Sanden heat pump system for hot water.

A photovoltaic system on the roof will produce more energy than the house uses, making it truly zero-carbon.

Finalists

The entry from Working Dog Construction also managed to receive an excellent 8.7-Star rating, and achievement made even more

Working Dog Construction

difficult with construction in a flame zone.

This was also a fully electric house that used a Sanden heat pump to produce hot water.

The larger environmental impact of the house was reduced with the use of recycled bricks, tiles, internal doors, kitchen and light fittings and even the kitchen itself.

Recycled aggregate and fly ash in the slab reduced the embodied energy of the concrete.

Working Dog was also able to recycle 82 per cent of their waste during construction.

Water-based seals and zero-emission paints helped to protect the indoor air quality.

Double-glazed, low-e, argon-filled windows, together with a 3kW photovoltaic system on the roof means the house likely produces more power than it uses.

Previous winner Positive Footprints always produces excellent entries for this category and this year they again ticked all the sustainable construction boxes while completing a renovation.

This careful renovation transformed a drafty, dark, 1930s weatherboard house

MASTER BUILDERS VICTORIA

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GREEN LIVING

Positive Footprints

with a Star rating of about 2 to a comfortable, warm and light-filled home with a Star rating of 7.9.

The all-electric theme continued, with the house incorporating an energy efficient induction cook top, Sanden heat pump and hydronic panel heaters.

The addition of large bi-fold glass doors on the north-facing rear of the house provide an abundance of natural light that warms the concrete slab during winter.

An extendable awning keeps the heat of the sun out in summer.

The renovation provided the opportunity to add insulation when the weatherboards were removed and phase change materials were added to the second floor to simulate thermal mass’ ability to moderate temperatures.

The environmental impact was reduced by maintaining the same footprint on the site and by recycling 90 per cent of waste during construction. A 4.7kW photovoltaic system on the roof will ensure the house produces more energy than its uses and again results in a zero-carbon house.

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MASTER BUILDERS VICTORIA

NEWS FEATURE

By Leanne Edwards General Manager Marketing, Policy and Communications

Builder wins against VBA

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n the context of sweeping cladding audits of buildings across Victoria, the question whether the Victorian Building Authority (VBA) has the power to retrospectively compel builders to rectify completed buildings under section 37B of the Building Act 1993 (the Act), is one of great importance for the industry.

Fires in buildings across the world, like Lacrosse in Victoria and Grenfell in London, have exposed a worldwide problem of non-compliant external cladding being used on buildings.

There is no doubt that practical and pragmatic solutions are necessary to rectify existing buildings for the safety of residents and occupiers.

However, if powers of retrospection were given to the building regulator to compel builders to fix completed projects, this may have wide ranging impacts on the industry in terms of liability, insurance and the viability of the industry going forward.

Recently, LU Simon challenged whether the VBA could issue a direction to fix under section 37B of the Act in respect of six apartment buildings in Melbourne that had already been long completed and issued with occupancy permits.

In a significant decision for builders LU Simon & others v Victorian Building Authority [2017] VSC 805 of 22 December 2017, Justice Cavanough of the Supreme Court of Victoria confirmed that the VBA did not have the power to issue a direction to fix pursuant to Section 37B of the Act in respect

of the six apartment buildings that had been completed and issued with occupancy permits.

The position of the parties

The VBA argued that because the Act was silent as to when the power to issue a direction to fix would end, that it had the power to give such a direction at any time, even 50 or 100 years after the building work in question had been completed and an occupancy permit or certificate of final inspection issued.

Alternatively it argued that it could do so for “a reasonable time” after an occupancy permit or certificate of final inspection had been issued.

LU Simon’s primary arguments why the VBA could not issue a direction to fix building work pursuant to s37B of the Act in relation to the buildings in question were that (a) building work had previously been completed; (b) there was no longer any building permit in place; and (c) occupancy permits had been issued – and that accordingly the VBA had no power to issue a direction under s37B.

The decision

The Court held that the power to give a direction to fix to a builder under s37B is confined to the building stage and accordingly could not be given after a certificate of final inspection or an occupancy permit had been issued.

The Court closely examined the intention of the Act, the general scheme of the Act and where the sections appeared in the Act and concluded that s37B directions to fix were only applicable during the building stage.

Amongst some of the reasons given by the Court were that the Act is arranged in a sequence that broadly matches the stages of a building project with Part 4 (which includes s37B) relating exclusively to the Inspection of building work.

Part 4 of the Act comes between the sections dealing with building and occupancy permits.

His Honour stated that in “that context, it would not be surprising to find that the provisions of Part 4 related principally to inspections and related things falling to be done during the period of, and at the finish of, building work, where the building work was being carried out pursuant to a building permit and where an occupancy permit has not yet been issued for the intended building.”

Justice Cavanough also raised additional legal consequences in the decision that went beyond the statutory interpretation of the Act (although he did not need to rely on these points as he decided it was clear from the interpretation of the Act that directions could only be given during the building stage).

He agreed with LU Simon that the VBA’s retrospective interpretation would put builders in a no-win position because any

MASTER BUILDERS VICTORIA

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NEWS FEATURE attempt for the builder to rectify work which was the subject of the direction from the VBA would require the owner’s consent and might require the owner to obtain a building permit.

LU Simon submitted that once the occupancy permit had been issued, the builder will have completed the contract with its client, departed the scene and relinquished any right to be on the premises – therefore the builder had no legal power to compel the owner to co-operate.

This could put the builder in a position where they couldn’t comply with the direction because the owners’ conduct might prevent them from doing so.

In addition, he also agreed with LU Simon’s submission that on the VBA’s construction, a direction to fix could be issued long after the event to a person who bore no blame for the alleged defect or has lost the ability to enforce any rights of contribution against others.

Where to from here?

Although the decision may still be the subject of an appeal, Master Builders

strongly opposes any legislative response that would act to retrospectively compel builders to rectify buildings – particularly where there is a risk, as was raised in the decision, that builders would be put in a no-win position and could potentially have lost the ability to enforce contribution from other parties.

As the Act stands, there exists a mechanism by which Orders can be issued to owners (usually via the owners corporation) to compel them to vacate or prohibit a person from entering into the building, because of danger to life or property arising out of the condition or use or proposed use of a building.

This may accordingly require urgent rectification work to be arranged by the owners.

Whether the owners have any residual rights against parties such as the builder, architect, building surveyor or others will depend on the circumstances of each case.

Any scheme to rectify buildings across Victoria must be fair, practical and ensure the ongoing viability of the building and construction industry.

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MASTER BUILDERS VICTORIA

FINANCE

By Harry Pontikis Director harry@mbafinance.com.au

Helpful tips for a strong start to 2018

I

f last year proved to be a good one, but you believe there is room for improvement in 2018, I suggest following this short but useful three-tip list that addresses each area of business to help you have a fantastic year.

Finance

● Understand the margins on last year’s jobs, not just the cash flow. ● Access money so that cash flow won’t be a big challenge this year. ● Develop a strategy for increasing your prices and decreasing your costs.

Marketing

● Implement a marketing campaign to attract jobs which offer you high margins ● Set a budget for advertising and link it back to leads you have generated ● Ensure you don’t portray yourself as ‘everything to everyone’ – focus on your target market.

Staff

● Ensure you have processes in place for productivity and outcomes ● Make sure your SWMS and toolbox meetings are effective and up to date ● Focus on training your staff to increase their productivity and happiness.

Finally

● Contact Master Builders Financial Services for assistance with securing finance for your business and personal needs, or contact me directly for assistance with running your business better and taking it to the next level.

I hope you have a great year ahead, and please use your membership to access terrific services not available to others. Use the competitive edge Master Builders helps to give you.

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MASTER BUILDERS VICTORIA

TRAINING

By Corrie Williams Head of Training cwilliams@mbav.com.au

Master Builders recognised as providers of top-shelf teaching and learning

M

aster Builders works hard to provide excellence in a range of industry education areas to ensure excellent results for our students.

Quality teaching and learning can be difficult to define; we all know when we experience it, but it is hard to pin down exactly what it is. In developing our courses, we focus on a suite of requirements that help us create top-shelf courses every time, including teaching materials, trainer currency, physical facilities, student support and behind-the-scenes administration.

The effort we invest has been reflected most recently by the rating we received in our latest NCVER student outcome report, and in being chosen as a Skills First case study by the Victorian Department of Education and Training.

3.4% 1.7%

0.5%

The National Centre for Vocational Education Research (NCVER) has been quantifying achievements in teaching and learning through the use of national surveys of graduate outcomes.

Their report, released in December 2017, looked at the outcomes of graduates who completed their vocational education and training (VET) during 2016, with the data collected in mid-2017.

The results for Master Builders indicate we are successful in meeting our goal of our students graduating with the skills and education they need to find relevant employment.

The data from NCVER shows that among graduates from Master Builders Association of Victoria:

Employment-related — Gain extra skills for current job

5.4% 4.0% 33.3%

Employment-related — It was a requirement of my job Employment-related — To develop or start my own business Employment-related — Other

21.8%

Personal development — to improve my general education skills Employment-related — Get a better job or promotion Other 29.9%

● 98.6 per cent were employed after training (compared to 77.7 per cent for all VET providers in Australia). ● 98.6 per cent were employed or enrolled in further study after training (compared to 86.1 per cent for all VET providers in Australia).

NCVER also measured graduate satisfaction with the training: ● 91.3 per cent of Master Builders graduates were satisfied with the overall quality of their training (compared to a national average of 87.3 per cent) ● 95.7 per cent of graduates would recommend the training (compared to a national average of 91.6 per cent) and 95.5 per cent would recommend us as a training provider (compared to a national average of 89.4 per cent) ● Student responses to the surveys explored the benefits of the training they undertook. Of those employed after training, 94.8 per cent of Master Builders graduates found the training relevant to their current job, compared to a national average of 79.0 per cent.

Of those not employed before training 57.2 per cent of Master Builders graduates had an improved employment status after training, compared to a national average of 56.8 per cent. ● The reasons people study with us are varied, but primarily employment- related (Figure 1: Reasons given by students for studying at Master Builders). ● The Victorian State Government has recognised Master Builders as producing

MASTER BUILDERS VICTORIA

23

TRAINING 100% 90% 80% 70% 60% 50% 40% 30% 20% 10% 0% Graduates Graduates Satisfied with Would Would were were the overall recommend recommend employed employed or quality of the training their training after training enrolled in their training provider further study after training

best practice specific learning and student support programs.

We were featured in the government’s Skills First program for our processes for assisting students who find learning challenging.

Our student support includes a comprehensive pre-training review to identify learning issues and creating support plans

where necessary, and ongoing support for all students throughout their study. â—? We have been also focused on renewing our teaching materials by embracing plain English into their design to help students understand concepts more quickly.

Our rolling program of materials renewal and consultation with members ensures that we are both including the knowledge

Master Builders All VET providers in Australia

and skills required by industry, as well as meeting the compliance requirements of training packages and qualifications.

We are always trying to improve what we do, and welcome your feedback.

Are there courses that you would like us to provide? Please let us know by calling (03) 9411 4555.

Available for delivery mid-January!

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MASTER BUILDERS VICTORIA

BLSC

By Marc Lyons General Manager, BLSC mlyons@mbav.com.au

The big question:

Are we bracing for a skills war?

2

017 was certainly an eventful year, and not just for the BLSC. The accelerating growth of the Victorian construction industry sees all sectors performing at, or near, record levels.

So great is the infrastructure boom in Victoria that we now face a severe shortage of skills and talent as well as significant shortfalls in the supply of basic building materials, such as timber.

Speaking to The Age in an article dated 10 December, Victorian State Treasurer Tim Pallas said: "We've known for a while that the technical and the specialist skills required for transport projects, particularly rail projects, have been hard to get. The more projects you start, the harder it gets.

"We are also hearing of shortages in project management, finishing trades, commercial

‘‘

We are also hearing of shortages in project management, finishing trades, commercial advisory skills, industry analysis, systems engineering and tunneling.

MASTER BUILDERS VICTORIA

25

BLSC

advisory skills, industry analysis, systems engineering and tunneling."

"Only on Friday I was meeting with the extractive industries’ representative body, and everybody around that table was saying there is so much demand for raw materials, quarry materials, cement and sand and so on that suppliers are choosing which jobs they bid on. You've got to expect pressure on price," the Treasurer concluded.

Victoria is projecting $9.6 billion in infrastructure spending each year, NSW $12.1 billion each year and big spending in new infrastructure is forecast for both Queensland and New Zealand.

This raises the bar on interstate competition for resources in skills and their retention...a kind of ’skills war’.

If we do not keep our skilled workforce active they will be poached by another jurisdiction. Remember the skills drain to Western Australia during the mining boom?

The December 2017 Hays Global Skills

Index identified emerging skills shortages across all industry sectors.

Infrastructure

● Design professionals ● Site engineers, project engineers and project managers.

Residential

● Shortage of contract administrators, estimators and project managers.

Commercial construction

● Contract administrators, project managers, site managers, construction managers, projects engineers and quality cadets.

The Hays Report concluded by saying, "Construction management had one of the highest increases across all industries in number of jobs advertised. Presently 59 percent of construction jobs are not filled in Victoria."

The pressure to retain essential talent will face every business involved in the

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BLSC

construction industry from tier-1 builders right through to suppliers of services and raw materials.

The challenge is not just to retain skilled employees, but to fast-track existing skills to meet the needs of 2018 and beyond.

The enterprises that do manage to meet the new demands will be best placed to win lucrative contracts, retain their skill base and maximise opportunities.

The BLSC staff is already working with key parts of the construction industry to develop training for the critical skill gaps, and taking bookings into November 2018!

‘‘

We see 2018 as a critical year for our industry. The best advice we can give is to plan your talent development well ahead.

MASTER BUILDERS VICTORIA

27

BLSC

We see 2018 as a critical year for our industry. The best advice we can give is to plan your talent development well ahead.

One major industry player has already commenced discussions with us about a program which will involve 3000 employees undertaking an intensive skills improvement program over the next three years.

Our unique and proven training courses for site managers, supervisors and graduates includes: ● High-performance Site Management ● Leadership Essentials for Supervisors ● Communication Essentials ● Managing Onsite Safety ● Advanced Negotiation Skills ● Awareness and prevention of Workplace Bullying ● Managing Onsite Safety

● Simplicity in selling – Reload your sales force by going back to basics for improved sales performance ● Advanced selling – Explore the interpersonal and perception skills essential to all successful sales ● Sales leadership – Sales leader skills for the essentials-- leadership, performance, coaching, and recruitment I wish you all well in 2018 and beyond. Please give us a call at the BLSC on (03) 9411 8000 for assistance with planning your training for 2018.

New programs include the Sales Professionals Series, consisting of four levels of sales training capable of addressing the individual and team needs of all staff: ● Essential customer service – Deliver outstanding customer service to your clients and improve the business

BLSC The Building Leadership Simulation Centre (BLSC) represents a quantum leap for training in the building and construction industry. It will help you get the most out of your building team.

Utilising state-of-the-art simulation technology, the BLSC can help you deliver construction projects in a safer, quicker and more cost effective way.

The facility immerses your team in a virtual worksite to target decision-making, problem-solving and leadership skills. Participants confront the challenges faced on a real building site but without the risks of delays, defects, cost blow outs or injuries.

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Phone: (03) 9770 8224 Mobile: 0418 138 820 Fax: (03) 9770 8225 DB-L36395 | CB-L44355 | DB-U44358 Email: admin@harbourconcrete.com.au Website: www.harbourconcrete.com.au

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MASTER BUILDERS VICTORIA

KIDS UNDER COVER

The Dreamcatcher by Figurehead Construction

MASTER BUILDERS VICTORIA

29

KIDS UNDER COVER

By Laura Luvara Strategic Communications Advisor lluvara@mbav.com.au

Master Builders supports Cubby House Challenge for its tenth anniversary

T

hree Master Builders are among the construction teams working feverishly on cubby houses competing in the tenth annual Kids Under Cover Cubby House Challenge.

Master Builders Porter Davis, Figurehead Construction and Becon Constructions have each signed up to build cubby houses that will be auctioned on 22 March at the Melbourne International Flower and Garden Show. A team of auctioneers will be looking to smash last years’ record $92,500 raised for the youth homelessness charity.

As with previous years, Master Builders has also signed up to be a major sponsor of the event. Master Builders CEO Radley de Silva said the charity organisation and event was well aligned with Master Builders.

"Our strong connection with and support of Kids Under Cover and the Cubby House Challenge continues this year with three of our builders getting on board," Mr de Silva said.

"We thoroughly enjoy being a part of this event and supporting the work that Kids Under Cover does to prevent youth homelessness."

Sneak-peek images of this year’s cubbies have been revealed, among them a log cabin, dreamcatcher and a giant, blue ‘head’.

30

MASTER BUILDERS VICTORIA

KIDS UNDER COVER

They are: ● The Dream Catcher by Figurehead Construction in collaboration with architect Bayley Ward and represented by Luke Banitsiotis of Woodards ● Rocky Road by Becon Constructions and Watson Young to be represented by Harry Li of iSell Group ● Heads Up by Buildher Collective, Beirin Projects and Bellemo & Cat to be represented

by Sam Rigopoulos of Jellis Craig ● The Eyrie by Porter Davis to be represented

by Glen Coutinho of RT Edgar ● The Block Party by The District Docklands to be represented by Tom Roberts of Nelson Alexander An expert panel of judges will assess the

cubbies on-site to award them across a range of categories including Best Interior Design, Most Imaginative/Interactive Cubby and Best Architectural Cubby.

This year’s judges include architect and Grand Designs Australia host Peter Maddison, interior designer and The Block judge Shaynna Blaze, Domain editor Emily Power and former Block contestants Ben and Andy.

A group of local school children will also put the cubbies to the test and vote for the Kids’ Choice Award.

Check out this year’s cubbies at the Melbourne International Flower and Garden Show from 21 to 25 March and visit www.cubbyhousechallenge.org.au for more information and to register for the auction.

MASTER BUILDERS VICTORIA

31

KIDS UNDER COVER

The Block Party by the District Docklands

The Eyrie by Porter Davis

Rocky Road by Becon Constructions

Heads Up by BuildHer Collective

32

MASTER BUILDERS VICTORIA

INSURANCE

Professional Indemnity insurance revisited

By Joe Keiper State Manager Victoria, MBAIS jkeiper@mbav.com.au

W

ith many residential builders now involved in sourcing designs, and design and construct contracts becoming increasingly common in the commercial sector, it’s important to understand how this can expose your business to potential losses should you not have the right insurance cover in place.

Historically, Professional Indemnity (PI) insurance was only considered necessary by engineers, architects, or designers and the like.

When directing clients to particular designers, or entering into design and construct contracts, you are likely to legally assume a degree of liability arising out of injury or loss arising out of professional services, even if you’ve outsourced this work to an external company.

What is Professional Indemnity Insurance?

Professional Indemnity Insurance is designed for professionals who provide advice or services to their customers.

It protects your business against legal costs and claims for damages to third parties which may arise out of an act, error, omission or breach of professional duty in the course of your business.

Examples of Professional Indemnity claims: ● A negligently designed slab cracks and needs to be repaired/rectified. ● A balcony collapses due to faulty design. ● A builder installs tiles in a wet area that are not slip-rated to the correct level, resulting in a slip & fall injury which is directed back to the builder. ● A building is constructed per plans but does not comply with building codes/local laws resulting in rectification works in order to comply.

Why you need Professional Indemnity Insurance.

Construction industry professionals such as contractors and builders who provide design, product specification or other professional services in addition to, or as

part of, their construction activities for clients (for example, when entering into design and construct contracts) assume the additional responsibilities and liabilities of a design professional.

Whether or not you provide these professional services in-house or engage an external consultant, you assume liability to your clients or other parties for claims arising out of injury or loss incurred as a result of a breach of professional duty in the provision of these professional services.

What are you being covered for?

Key exposures include design failure, inadequate/incorrect advice, design, or product specification, inappropriate/incorrect certification and poor work documentation.

Who can claim against you?

‘PI’ claims can be made against you by any third party including, but not limited to, clients, regulatory authorities, professional bodies and associations, future property owners and body corporations.

Do I need Professional Indemnity insurance if I outsource all of my designs?

Whether you direct clients to a particular architect or draftsperson, or your clients

provide you with full plans without your input, builders are typically the first port of call for design/product specification losses.

It costs time and money to defend against PI claims, and while you may ultimately be found only 10 to -20 per cent responsible for the loss, the legal defense costs and proportionate liability judgment can result in losses in excess of $100,000.

You may already have a Professional Indemnity policy, but do you have the right cover?

If your business is involved in construction (not exclusively design) you should be insured through a Design and Construct (D and C) PI policy.

Without being insured through a D and C policy, your PI policy may not cover you for jobs that you’ve constructed, even if your advice or product specification on the build was the direct cause of loss.

D and C professional indemnity policies encompass a broad definition of the various professional services involved in designing and building.

A non- D and C professional indemnity policy will require you to specifically list the professional services to be covered, with anything not specifically listed thereby uninsured.

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LEGAL

By Tristan Moseley Senior Counsel tmoseley@mbav.com.au

When can a builder use a cost plus contract for domestic building works?

T

he Domestic Building Contracts Act 1995 (the "Act") [s3, 13 & 13A] and Domestic Building Contracts Regulations 2017 (the "Regulations") [s10], set out what a cost plus contract is and when it can be used for domestic building works.

What is a cost plus contract and why use it?

A cost plus contract, in the practical sense, is a contract where the owner is charged the direct cost of building plus a builder’s margin as a percentage applied to the direct costs or as a fixed builders fee or as a combination of both.

An owner may wish to use a cost plus contract to offer transparency regarding the actual cost of a build.

A builder might wish to use a cost plus to ensure that the builder’s margin is protected if the cost of building work increases from what was estimated.

Section 3 of the Act defines a cost plus contract as a domestic building contract under which the amount the builder is to receive under the contract cannot be determined at the time the contract is made, even if prime cost items and provisional sums are ignored.

When can I use a domestic cost plus?

As stated in the Act and Regulations, a cost plus contract can be used ONLY for domestic building work in the following circumstances: ● When the work to be carried out under the

contract is reasonably estimated to end up costing at least $1,000,000; or ● When the work to be carried out under the contract involves the renovation, restoration or refurbishment of an existing building AND it is not possible to calculate the cost of a substantial part of the work without carrying out some domestic building work first; or ● Domestic buildings contracts for public construction where one of the parties to the contract is the Crown or a public entity.

The penalty for not complying with these requirements is currently over $15,000.

Fair and reasonable estimate

The Act also states in section 13 that a builder must not enter into a cost plus contract that does not contain a fair and reasonable estimate by the builder of the total amount of money the builder is likely to receive under the contract.

The penalty for not complying with this requirement is also currently over $15,000.

As discussed in the case of Charterarm Investments Pty Ltd v Roberts (Domestic Building) [2013] VCAT 205, in determining whether an estimate is fair and reasonable, a court or VCAT might consider, amongst other things: ● A percentage comparison between what a builder had estimated prior to the entering into the relevant contract and what a quantity surveyor has retrospectively priced ● Prices for quantities of work provided by the owner ● Whether the costing method adopted by the builder was reasonable at the relevant

time ● Whether all of the contract documentation was finalised ● Whether the design documentation was finalised ● Whether the builder relied on prices obtained from trades ● Extenuating factors which may have influenced the builder’s reasonable thought process.

Master Builders strongly recommends keeping detailed records of how the fair and reasonable estimate was calculated including the material relied upon such as trade and supplier quotes or a quantity surveyors report.

‘Substantial part of the work’

What does ‘a substantial part of the work’ mean?

Measuring a ‘substantial part’ under section 13 of the Act is like using a ruler where the numbers have been replaced with the words, ‘grey area’.

Unfortunately, ‘a substantial part’ is not defined in the Act. The most direct guidance we have on this section is in Heski Carpenters Pty Ltd v Gaycel Pty Ltd (Building and Property) [2016] VCAT 688 (5 May 2016) which says at paragraph 183, "In my view, the renovation of a 100-year-old block of apartments, as was the case here, falls squarely within the type of work contemplated...".

A renovation being hard to quote or there being a possibility of more work being required once some work is done, for

MASTER BUILDERS VICTORIA

35

LEGAL example, would be unlikely to justify the use of a cost plus for domestic works under $1,000,000.

What happens if a builder doesn’t comply with the requirements?

Notwithstanding the significant hit to a builder’s bank account and possible VBA disciplinary action under Part 11 of the Building Act 1993 (Vic), if a builder fails to comply with the above legislative requirements, the builder cannot enforce the contract against the building owner.

This means as a starting point that the builder will not be entitled to be paid or rely on any of the provisions of the contract.

However, VCAT may award the builder the cost of carrying out the work plus a reasonable profit if VCAT considers that it would not be unfair to the building owner to do so.

Remember, it is still a domestic building contract.

Before signing and using a domestic cost plus contract it’s important to remember, amongst

other things: ● There must be enough information to obtain a building permit ● Foundations data must still be obtained prior to signing ● The scope must be clearly defined ● Whilst there is no fixed price the builder must give a fair and reasonable estimate of the cost including the margin ● Any changes to the scope must be agreed by a variation ● The owners are entitled to see evidence of the costs.

Key message

A cost plus contract is not a shortcut and, in my opinion, will actually require more administrative work both prior to and during the contract than a fixed-price contract.

It is essential that a fair and reasonable estimate is provided. Don’t be tempted to use a cost plus contract unless the estimate is at least one million dollars, or the builder can honestly and reasonably determine that it is not possible to calculate the cost of a substantial part of the work without carrying out work first on an existing building.

36

MASTER BUILDERS VICTORIA

NEWS FEATURE

By Bridie Allanadale Senior Policy Advisor

I

t wouldn’t be surprising if, now that it’s February 2018, you have lost track of the plethora of legislative changes that were introduced over the past couple of years.

Driven by various issues in the industry, such as substandard quality, owner-builder activity, non-conforming products and aluminium cladding, a raft of changes were introduced to the Building Act 1993, and there are more changes to the Act and Regulations slated for the coming year.

Below are some of 2017’s key changes that you should be aware of.

Two new indictable offences, effective from 24 May 2017:

● Two new indictable offences were

2017: the year of legislative reforms introduced that affect people and businesses in the business of building.

This means that any person or business can now be prosecuted for managing, arranging or carrying out building work without a building permit, or not in accordance with the Act, the regulations or the building permit issued in relation to that work. ● These offence provisions apply to members of a partnership even if the member is not a builder themselves.

Changes to scope of work, new offences, five year re-registration, effective 1 July 2017: ● New building regulations were introduced that define the scope of work

authorised under each class of registration for building surveyors, building inspectors and domestic builders.

The regulations also outline the qualifications and experience required for each of the relevant categories and classes of registration. ● A building surveyor must not issue a permit for domestic building work unless the builder name in the permit is registered in a category and class that authorises them to do the proposed work. ● Builders undertaking building work on their own land are now required to obtain a certificate of consent to undertake the work as an owner-builder if their registration does not authorise them to carry out all of the proposed work.

MASTER BUILDERS VICTORIA

37

NEWS FEATURE ● A new offence provision applies for an owner-builder who does not take reasonable steps to ensure they do not enter into a major domestic building contract with someone who is not registered and authorised to do the work. ● Builders undertaking domestic building work must ensure that the names in the building contract and the certificate of insurance are identical or they will not be covered by the insurance. ● Five year re-registration commenced.

Changes to Domestic Building Contracts, effective 1 August 2017:

● The minimum value of a domestic cost-plus contract will increase from $500,000 to $1,000,000 on 1 August 2017. ● The value of the threshold amount for a major domestic building contract will increase from $5000 to $10,000 on 1 August 2017.

Changes to emergency orders, changes to some penalties, effective 16 August 2017:

● Changes to emergency orders, building notices and building orders. ● New penalties for bodies corporate (i.e. companies in the business of building). ● New regulations compelling practitioners to maintain exits as well as safety and emergency services. ● Increased penalties for builders for non-compliance when issued with a direction to fix notice. ● Changes to the requirement for a building owner to ensure essential safety measures. ● Longer statute of limitation period for offence provisions.

On 31 January another round of reforms were introduced. Some of these include:

● Changes to the appointment, transfer and termination of a private building surveyor,

increased rigour around the inspection of building works and tighter requirements around the issuing of building permits. ● Increased inspection powers which are critical to positioning the VBA as a strong and effective regulator as it seeks to monitor and enforce compliance on building projects. ● Increased VBA powers to strengthen compliance around proper conduct and allow disciplinary action or prosecution for offences.

Accompanying these changes is a range of fact sheets and guidance published by the Victorian Building Authority (VBA).

It is important to visit their website to gain a better understanding of the changes and how they affect you.

Visit www.vba.vic.gov.au.

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NEWS

New building legislation takes effect

B

eginning 31 January, Victoria’s building laws changed.

These changes will affect practitioner registration, industry regulation, dispute resolution and disciplinary processes.

Among the changes are: ● Powers of entry, inspection and information gathering.

The VBA now has greater powers of entry to conduct inspections and gather evidence to monitor and enforce compliance with the Building Act 1993 and regulations. ● Transfer of Private Building Surveyor functions– reducing delays to building work if a private building surveyor is unable to execute their job.

Appointment and transfer of functions of a private building surveyor

Changes to the ‘related person’ definition for an appointment of a private building surveyor (PBS) will prevent a PBS from acting in situations where there is a conflict of interest.

This is intended to reinforce the independence of the building surveyor.

Further changes will permit a PBS to transfer their responsibilities to another appropriately registered PBS (with the consent of the person who appointed the transferring PBS and the new relevant building surveyor) and will provide greater assurance that their building work will not suffer delays when a PBS is unable to carry out their functions.

Expanded powers of entry, inspection and information gathering

The VBA now has greater powers of entry to conduct inspections and gather evidence to monitor and enforce compliance with the Building Act 1993 and Regulations.

These new powers apply to land, building sites and businesses, and include a requirement for registered building practitioners and owner-builders to attend inspections in certain circumstances.

Authorised VBA officers who enter buildings or land may examine, take samples or seize any item to monitor and enforce compliance with the Building Act 1993.

Entry powers also enable entry if there is a risk to building occupants, public safety or of damage to property.

We will share further information with our members as it becomes available from the VBA.

40

MASTER BUILDERS VICTORIA

NEWS

McBurney returns to head the ABCC

M

aster Builders welcomes the appointment of Mr Stephen McBurney as the Commissioner of the Australian Building and Construction Commission (ABCC).

Mr McBurney began a five-year term on 6 February 2018.

The appointment of a permanent Commissioner provides a welcome boost to industry confidence as we commence 2018.

Members may recall that Mr McBurney was formerly an Assistant Commissioner at the ABCC from 2006 to 2008, where he had

responsibility for litigation and implementation of compliance powers – and was also one of the AFL’s most experienced and highly regarded umpires.

For the last 9 years, Mr McBurney has been at the Office of Chief Examiner, and was appointed Chief Examiner in October 2015.

The office was created by the Victorian Major Crime (Investigative Powers Act) 2004, to assist Victoria Police in the investigation of organised crime through the use of coercive powers.

Master Builders would also like to

acknowledge and thank Ms Cathy Cato who has been Acting Commissioner of the ABCC, in particular for her tireless work during a period of change involving the Building Code 2016, enabling the ABCC to remain effective and continue to bring about positive cultural change.

Master Builders looks forward to working with Mr McBurney to ensure the rule of law in the building and construction industry is maintained – and that industry participants who refuse to play by the rules are held to account for their unlawful actions.

New tools for maintaining the thermal building envelope

I

nsulation and air tightness are two factors with a large impact on the energy efficiency of a house and the comfort of the people living inside.

To function best, the insulation needs to be installed correctly and the building envelope not compromised.

Most installers of insulation have not had any training that emphasises the benefits of quality installation.

Currently, there is insufficient information for tradespeople, outside of insulation installers, to understand their role in the insulation process.

The quality of insulation installation and, consequently, its performance can also be adversely affected by interference and removal by other tradespeople.

The building envelope is often compromised by tradespeople penetrating walls, floors and ceilings but not sealing

the gaps.

All trades would benefit from having a greater understanding of their role in maintaining the integrity of the building insulation.

To help address this problem, Master Builders Victoria collaborated with CodeSafe, ICANZ, AIVAA, AIRAH, AWCINSW, IA and NECA to create two short videos that highlight good practices in building envelope integrity by insulators and good practices required by third-party trades to ensure the integrity is maintained.

The video is available for viewing on YouTube and also for free download via a free app, making it simple for tradespeople to access vital information on site when needed. The target audience includes construction site and contract coordinators, trades people, structured apprenticeship programs, building product manufacturers,

salespeople and installers.

Video 1: Insulation installation best practice – general, walls, ceilings, under floor Video 2: Penetrations and envelope integrity – seal for AC, ventilation, electrical, plumbing, windows How to access the application: 1. Visit the app store at www.appstore.com.

2. Search ‘CodeSafe/QIN’, the select and download and install the application.

3. Run the CodeSafe/QIN app and select ‘scan now’.

4. When prompted, scan the QR code below.

MASTER BUILDERS VICTORIA

41

NEWS

Victoria takes Hornibrook Cup

M

aster Builders of Australia Golf Association held its 59th National Golf Tournament in Hobart last October.

The event is played among teams representing South Australia, New South Wales, Victoria, Tasmania, Queensland, Newcastle and Gold Coast MBA groups. This year, Tasmania offered spectacular weather and hospitality.

The courses played were Claremont, Tasmania and Royal Hobart.

Victoria has enjoyed great success and, after a hiatus of eight years, the Victorian team prevailed by a small margin over the NSW and Queensland teams.

This was the eighteenth time that Victoria has been inscribed as winners of the prestigious Hornibrook Cup. In 2018, the Queensland MBA Golf Club will host the 60th National Golf Tournament with games at the Wynnum, Gailes and Oxley Golf Clubs.

The Victorian Master Builders Golf Club holds monthly games at various courses in the Melbourne area.

The games are well supported and there is great camaraderie and fellowship amongst all players.

New players are always welcome. Membership is open to both individuals and corporate groups.

Corporate groups play for the Corporate Cup which is keenly contested among groups of builders, suppliers and industry-support companies.

The golf days are centred around RDO days with hit-off at about noon.

The daily prizes are impressive and each par-three hole has a nearest the pin prize generously provided by Trouble Shooters Available.

For more information, contact Secretary Wayne Berger on 0449 141 163

From the regional offices: Gippsland

2

017 finished with a very busy couple of months in October and November.

We conducted our AGM in Traralgon, held a CoInvest Seminar in Warragul, a Sector Breakfast Meeting in Cowes and the Gippsland Golf Day in Traralgon.

The local members have been extremely supportive during 2017 with very strong

attendance at all events.

Our Gippsland Golf Day had a full field, and the AGM had record-setting 39 members attend the new Q&A-style format.

We had a couple of changes to the Gippsland Section Committee this year; Trevor Bowler stepped down as Chair and Michael Ellett took his place, and past

Chairman Peter Lowe made way for a fresh young face, Don Robinson.

Michael Ellett – Chairman Leigh Allchin – Deputy Chairman Wade Bashaw – Secretary/Treasurer Rohan Dare – General Committee Trevor Bowler – General Committee Don Robinson – General Committee Andrew Brady – General Committee The local committee members provide help, support, and feedback to our association which allows us to continue attracting attention to the Master Builders brand throughout Gippsland.

The golf day was graced with perfect weather and not-so-perfect golf swings.

Many thanks go to Dom Butera, Rita Beaini and Blake Raymond for travelling to Traralgon to help run the event.

The picture at left is of Dom congratulating our "VIP" for the day, 50-year member Brett Smart from RL Low Pty Ltd.

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MASTER BUILDERS VICTORIA

SOCIALS

MASTER BUILDERS

OUT & ABOUT MASTER BUILDERS’ EXCELLENCE IN BUILDING AWARDS PROVIDED TWO GREAT NIGHTS OF FUN AND ENTERTAINMENT.

Enoying some pre-function fun.

Our proud sponsors AGL enjoying the evening.

The dance floor pumped well into the evening at the EIHA event.

MASTER BUILDERS VICTORIA

43

SOCIALS

Excellence In Housing Awards enjoyed a full house on the night.

James Brayshaw congratulating the Young Builder of the Year Michael Rapinett, FourSQ Construction at the Excellence in Construction Awards.

Jess and Matt's incredible opening performance wowed on the evening.

MC Matt White welcoming guests.

44

MASTER BUILDERS VICTORIA

SOCIALS

Celebrating in style

Blue Carpet arrivals

MASTER BUILDERS VICTORIA

45

SOCIALS

Australian music icon Joe Camilleri.

All smiles at the MC Labour table, a big thank you to our major sponsor.

46

MASTER BUILDERS VICTORIA

SOCIALS

Radley de Silva, CEO & Melanie Fasham, President welcome The Hon. Daniel Andrews MP, Premier of Victoria.

A guest’s lucky cameo on stage with the Black Sorrows.

Blue carpet host Elise May catching up with the guests.

MASTER BUILDERS VICTORIA

47

FROM OUR ADVERTISERS

48

MASTER BUILDERS VICTORIA

MEMBERSHIP

Davin Bake (right) with a colleague on a worksite.

MASTER BUILDERS VICTORIA

49

MEMBERSHIP

Welcoming Davin Bake DAVIN BAKE BOASTS AN UNWAVERING COMMITMENT TO CUSTOMER SATISFACTION. WITH A PARTICULAR INTEREST IN HISTORICAL ARCHITECTURE, HE IS STAMPING HIS MARK ON THE CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY IN A UNIQUE WAY.

B

endigo-based home builder Davin Bake has had an eventful couple of years. The soft-spoken 43-year-old is one of those trades people who does his work without too much fuss. Has a focus on quality and detail and aims to always keep his client happy.

This was definitely the case when working on a Harcourt extension to an 1861 quarry cottage and archaeological site. The job had a number of heritage overlays, a very particular client and a challenging work environment. It saw him spend most of 2013 on site. The result was a stunning marriage of old and new, a delighted client and an appearance on season six of TV’s Grand Designs.

"That was the first big project I did from start to finish on my own," Davin explains.

"I had to use materials that blended in with a complex environment which was a challenge, but it was good. I came out of it and the client was happy and I was happy."

Davin enjoys working on extensions with a connection to the historical architecture in the Bendigo region. He respects the ‘old way’ of building but has a good understanding of modern techniques.

"I really do enjoy doing extensions and I love working on inner city apartments, investments and developments," he says.

"You learn every day, but I just love working on old buildings; you never know what you’re going to find."

He got his start in Bendigo as a carpentry apprentice with fellow Master Builder Tony Johnson of Johnson Homes.

The pair remains close friends and Davin has been a Master Builder since 2006.

"Tony Johnson was a member and spoke highly of Master Builders," he

explains. "I sat in a few meetings and my interest grew from there. It seemed like something I should do, and [Master Builders sales executive] Lyn Lowndes was a great help. She helped guide me through my registration."

Davin’s father, John, who was an electrician, also inspired his passion for a trade. Up until recently when he retired, John continued to help Davin on many of his work sites.

Davin thrives on the challenge of being his own boss and loves working and playing outdoors. His keys to success are having "a good business plan, communication and having good staff."

"Surround yourself with good people, it’s an important part of building a good business," he says.

Davin likes spending his spare time with his three children Charlize, Samara and Thaine and going fishing, camping and enjoying water sports.

Davin Bake ● Housing member since 2006 ● Appeared on Season six of Grand Designs for Harcourt Quarry House ● Based in Bendigo Houses pictured to the right illustrate his work on a house extension on “Harcourt House”

50

MASTER BUILDERS VICTORIA

MEMBERSHIP

MASTER BUILDERS VICTORIA

51

MEMBERSHIP

Pazstone CELEBRATING AND CONGRATULATING PAZTONE WHO HAS BEEN A MASTER BUILDERS’ MEMBER SINCE 2009

P

azStone is part of the SWC Management Group, representing its residential category. We offer a broad range of products and services and end-to-end service.

PazStone focusses on natural and reconstituted stone for kitchens, bathrooms laundries and outdoor areas; plus glass splash-backs, showers & mirrors nationally.

We take any concept or challenge, design a solution, fabricate and manufacture the products, and complete the installation.

We’re often asked what SWC actually does. Our simple answer is that we are Australia’s largest finishing business.

We work with designers, builders, cabinet makers and property owners to explore their visions, ideas and aspirations for their houses, apartments or offices and find ways to turn those ideas into reality.

There is no project too small, large or complex for us to handle.

PazStone has a network of showrooms across our businesses where we showcase our entire range. The showroom is open to the industry during the week and by appointment on Saturdays.

Market leaders

Our considerable size allows us visit key quarries and plants around the world continually to ensure we have access to all the leading suppliers. It ensures our buying power is strong and we leverage this advantage to make certain our pricing is competitive.

We also visit the world’s leading trade shows and markets to ensure we can stay ahead of trends and the changes in the market. Our substantial investment in the porcelain sheet market offers a good example of this; it helps us to ensure we

have a wide choice of products available and the correct machinery to cut and process it.

Manufacturing capacity and capability

We have state-of-the-art manufacturing facilities in most mainland capital cities and we continue to invest in new machines across all our businesses units to ensure we can meet the growing demand from our customers for quality locally produced product.

Warranties

Because we are local manufacturers, processors and installers, we have the ability to support outstanding warranties for our work and products. This is major reason our customers choose to work with PazStone and other SWC Group companies. Our warranties are supported nationally, and our clients enjoy peace of mind knowing that our more than three decades in business guarantees we will continue to provide and support our market-relevant warranties for all our products and services.

Contact us PazStone

Jeremy Bland, Sales Manager - 0478 908 044 The Edge Glass

Steve Ketzer, Sales Manager - 0402 703 848 Omnifloor

Greg Simon, Sales Director - 0409 557 374 GH Cabinets

Con Nianiakas, Director - 0419 362 129 Baron Forge

Moshraful Chowdhury, Estimating Manager - 03 8354 2103

Which wall has asbestos?

Hard to tell isn’t it?

One of these walls contains asbestos. But how can you be sure which one? Before starting to drill or knock down walls, every tradie - no matter how experienced - should check our website for all the places asbestos can hide and what to look for.

Don’t risk it.

Go to asbestos.vic.gov.au VWA1101_Asbestos Digital_Fullpage.indd 1

1/02/2018 5:30 PM

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MASTER BUILDERS VICTORIA

MEMBERSHIP

The benefits of membership: Online Contracts

An easy way to protect your business

MASTER BUILDERS VICTORIA

55

MEMBERSHIP

By Laura Jubb Reception/Retail Coordinator

T

he Master Builders legal team produces a wide range of contracts suitable for all types of projects that you may complete, from domestic to commercial, new builds to fit-outs and alterations, for head contractors and subcontractors.

Our in-house legal team continuously ensures that all contracts are fully compliant with regulations, as well as fair and accurate for our members.

Because they are approved by Consumer Affairs and so widely recognised within the industry, your clients can have confidence in them, too.

E-contracts: an easier option

We also offer e-contracts online.

There are many benefits to using our online contracts, and some of the main ones include: ● Being able to download and complete them at your convenience, rather than having to purchase them at our office or wait for them to arrive in the post ● The flexibility to email the contract to your client in draft form, and make changes and amendments until both parties are happy ● A one-time purchase regardless of the number of copies required, instead of having to purchase multiple hard copies (e.g. for the client, bank and insurer) . Compatibility with your company logo. Your logo can be added to the template to make it look more professional and personalised ● The ability to make templates or copy from previous contracts, saving you time in completing subsequent contracts.

Value packs/member prices

Special discounts (a savings of $20) are available to members when buying 10-packs of Home Improvements, New Homes, Minor Works, and General Conditions of Contracts.

If you have questions about our e-contract system or hard copy contracts, call us.

Call us on (03) 9411 4555, email mbassist@mbav.com.au or ask at the reception desk the next time you are in the office.

56

MASTER BUILDERS VICTORIA

MEMBERSHIP

MASTER BUILDERS VICTORIA

57

MEMBERSHIP

WELCOME TO OUR

NEWEST MEMBERS MASTER BUILDERS IS PLEASED TO WELCOME THE FOLLOWING NEW MEMBERS WHO JOINED THE ASSOCIATION IN DECEMBER 2017.

CONGRATULATIONS FOR JOINING MASTER BUILDERS ASSOCIATION OF VICTORIA.

Associate

● Australian Property Development Pty Ltd ● M.A.A.C Properties

General Contractor Provisional

● Aspect One Group Pty Ltd ● Moda Projects Fitout Construction

Housing

● J Watson Building & Construction Pty Ltd ● JTX Construction & Development Group PtyLtd ● Kilty Constructions ● Koehler Building & Constructions ● Michael Skerry ● MNK Construct ● Paul Konstantinidis ● Renstruct Building Solutions Pty Ltd ● RNP Homes ● Sage Carpentry ● Sean Clinch ● Sean Richards ● SM Custom Built ● TBK Carpentry ● That Stella Carpentry ● WMK Bricklaying & Construction

● BA Murphy Constructions (Vic) Pty Ltd ● Baybuilt Homes ● Bayside Building & Extensions ● Birr.Ire Pty Ltd ● Built To Last Homes Pty Ltd ● Byscott Construction ● CEQ Builder Pty Ltd ● Evolve Homes (Vic) Pty Ltd ● Fastline Building Pty Ltd ● G & C Carpentry ● Gracedale Homes Pty Ltd ● Grieve Built Pty Ltd ● Horwood Builders ● JJH Builders Pty Ltd ● Melbourne Construction Management ● Prime Builders & Developers ● Raw & Co Projects ● Simply Built Pty Ltd ● Stevens Building Group Pty Ltd

● Design Window Solutions Pty Ltd ● Lixil Australia Pty Ltd ● Stiebel Eltron (Aust) Pty Ltd

Housing Provisional

Specialist Contractor

● Adrian Mazzei ● Blue Home Maintenance ● CCV Australia Pty Ltd ● Colin Stohr ● Construct Melbourne ● Costas Handyman Services ● Elemental Properties Pty Ltd ● Fine Design Projects ● Haartsen Carpentry ● Habib Rofaeel

Housing Sub-Contractor ● Al's Pools & Spa's ● Andrew Warden Carpentry ● Belk Quality Construction ● Flinders Prestige Carpenters ● Neon Pools ● NFM Carpentry

Materials, Manufacturing & Supply

● Flood Restoration Australia ● Melway Reblocking & Underpinning ● Mitchell Higgins ● Onri Built ● Side by Side Scaffolding & Rigging (Aus) Pty Ltd ● SITC Pty Ltd ● Tran Commercial Builder Pty Ltd ● Ultro Group Pty Ltd ● Walker Panels Pty Ltd

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MASTER BUILDERS VICTORIA

MEMBERS MILESTONES

MASTER BUILDERS

MEMBER MILESTONES

MASTER BUILDERS VICTORIA

59

MEMBERS MILESTONES

M

aster Builders values loyalty to our association and awards certificates to members at milestones of 10, 15, 20 and 25 years, and plaques at 30, 40 and 50 years of continuous membership.

We would now like to recognise and thank the following members who have achieved these milestones between 6 September 2017 and 12 January 2018.

We appreciate that many members have continuous years of service that fall between these milestones and hope that you understand that we award certificates and plaques only for the milestones mentioned. If you are a long term member we thank you for your commitment and look forward to recognising your loyalty when you receive your next milestone certificate or plaque.

50 Year Plaque

● A C Young Builders Pty Ltd ● Bell & Fulton Pty Ltd ● McCorkell Constructions Pty Ltd ● R J Low Pty Ltd

40 Year Plaque

● D & L Francis Pty Ltd ● Nicals Constructions Pty Ltd ● Perin Group Pty Ltd

30 Year Plaque

● A K Stevenson ● B C & B J Lee Pty Ltd ● C Di Gregorio ● Cavendish Building Services ● Comdain Homes Pty Ltd ● Crest Building Co ● Ecos Developments ● G H Home Improvements Pty Ltd ● Glenpar Pty Ltd ● Jack Mitchell Pty Ltd ● K L H Constructions ● K1 Constructions Pty Ltd ● M Simic ● Melbourne Building Group ● Proven Constructions ● Rosemount Property Developments Pty Ltd ● Russell Price Building Company ● Stonten Pty Ltd ● T W Corbett Builders ● Waco Kwikform Pty Ltd

25 Year Certificate

● Alphington Builders Pty Ltd ● Con Procopiou ● Concord Pines Pty Ltd ● Eric Leech Constructions Pty Ltd ● L F Jowett

● M P Cordia & Associates P/Ltd ● Soma Building Services ● Strathridge Developments Pty Ltd ● Sunny Constructions Australia Pty Ltd ● Tony Del Giudice ● Watson Constructions Pty Ltd

20 Year Certificate

● A J & J P Hauxwell ● Advanced Precast (Aust) ● Chain Enterprises Pty Ltd ● Con Stefanidis ● Contract Concreting Services Pty Ltd ● Course Constructions ● Crown Shopfitters ● Dewhurst Building Services Pty Ltd ● G K & K Blay Pty Ltd ● George Banjanin Constructions ● Grandville Homes Pty Ltd ● Hickory Constructions Group Pty Ltd ● Holm Park Builders Pty Ltd ● Horfield Group Pty Ltd ● Lowbake Australia Pty Ltd ● Lyndways Pty Ltd ● M D & J A Tuddenham Pty Ltd ● M D Dolder Builders Pty Ltd ● Melbec Construction Group Pty Ltd ● Melbourne Commercial Services Pty Ltd ● Morwell Shopfitters Pty Ltd ● Mosele Constructions ● NHI Shopfitters Pty Ltd ● Sale Shopfitters Pty Ltd ● Surfview Builders

15 Year Certificate

● Accord Builders & Developers Pty Ltd ● ADZ Building Services Pty Ltd ● Chris Andrianopoulos ● COD Build Pty Ltd ● Contour Building Developments ● D A S Constructions Pty Ltd ● Damer Builders ● Devi Developments Pty Ltd ● Dolfin Constructions Pty Ltd ● Expert Constructions Shopfitters Pty Ltd ● Galloway Building & Construction ● Greenleaf Nominees Pty Ltd ● HWM Contractors Pty Ltd ● Mark Harper ● Marradon Constructions Pty Ltd ● One 68 Pty Ltd ● Pana Group Pty Ltd ● Passive House Pty Ltd ● S K S Developments (Vic) Pty Ltd ● Shane Cook Homes ● Signature Homes Geelong ● Tony Miller Builders Pty Ltd ● Wren Demolition & Labour Pty Ltd

● Yarra Valley Shopfitters ● Zagifix Pty Ltd

10 Year Certificate

● Ableway Building & Carpentry ● Adrian Doyle ● AHP Constructions Pty Ltd ● AKA Plus ● Ander Constructions ● Arvan Group Pty Ltd ● Aussie Gutter Protection ● Avenue Constructions ● Bowman Built Pty Ltd ● Branson Property Group Pty Ltd ● Brendon Steel Building ● Built Green Pty Ltd ● Cameron Brydon ● Castle Rock Property Management Pty Ltd ● Citadel Property Services ● D & K Kuhne Building Removalists ● Daniel Miller ● Deltaglow Pty Ltd ● DK & DE O'Brien ● Down Under Earthmoving Pty Ltd ● Dunlore Pty Ltd ● Federation University Australia ● Ficus Constructions Pty Ltd ● Frank Capuzzi ● G & J Pritchard Constructions Pty Ltd ● Giovinazzo Constructions Pty Ltd ● Goapartments.com.au Pty Ltd ● Graham Voigt ● Hillier Constructions ● Idyllic Tiling ● Jardine Homes ● JCL Builders ● Jims Fencing - Hoppers Crossing ● JPT Homes Constructions Pty Ltd ● Kajo Constructions Pty Ltd ● KMT Building Group Pty Ltd ● Maizac Building & Construction Pty Ltd ● Martin Kurzemnieks ● Nick Beardon ● Northwood Builders Pty Ltd ● Olnee Constructions Pty Ltd ● PDV Group Pty Ltd ● Precision Concrete Constructions Pty Ltd ● R F Construction Management Pty Ltd ● Richard Prosenik ● RizKez Construction Pty Ltd ● S & B Weerasinghe Pty Ltd ● T J Greaves ● Thomas O'Brien ● Total Carpentry & Construction Pty Ltd ● Trent Tournier ● Tru Style Constructions Pty Ltd ● True Blue Homes Pty Ltd ● Visioneer Pty Ltd

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MASTER BUILDERS VICTORIA

CALENDAR OF EVENTS

MASTER BUILDERS 2018

EVENTS CALENDAR

MASTER BUILDERS VICTORIA

61

CALENDAR OF EVENTS MARCH

March

May

Industry Conference

Master Builders, East Melbourne

Hotel Mildura, Mildura

March

Metropolis, Southgate

Legal Seminar

APRIL

May

Trade Night – Caulfield

Taylors Lakes Hotel, Taylors Lakes

March

April

Master Builders, East Melbourne

Glen Eira City Council, Caulfield

March

April

Commercial Club, Albury

Frankston

March

April

Bairnsdale

Master Builders, East Melbourne

March

April

Council of Management

Trade Night - Albury

Gippsland Section Meeting

Regional Apprentice Awards – Ballarat

Mornington Group Meeting

Board of Management Meeting

Trade Night - Traralgon Premier Function Centre Traralgon April

March

Brougham Arms Hotel, Bendigo

Bayview Golf Club, Rosebud

MAY

March

Regional Apprentice Awards – North East Raffety’s, Benalla March

Raffety’s, Benalla

Bendigo Section Meeting

Grovedale Hotel

JUNE June

Regional Building Awards (North East) June

PD Workshop Master Builders, East Melbourne

June

Industry Breakfast MCG, Melbourne

May

PD Workshop

Geelong Section Meeting

May

Stawell

March

May

TBC

Inverloch

Quality Resort All Seasons, Bendigo

Master Builders, East Melbourne

Master Builders, East Melbourne

PD Workshop

March

Regional Apprentice Awards – Bendigo

Legal Seminar

June

May

March

May

May

Daylesford

Wimmera Section Meeting

Trade Night - Taylors Lakes

Commercial Club, Albury

Mercure Ballarat Hotel & Convention Centre, Ballarat

Mornington Golf Day

North West Section Meeting

Gippsland Section Meeting

Apprentice of the Year Awards (State)

Ballarat Section Meeting

Regional Building Awards (South West) The Pier, Geelong June

Board of Management Master Builders, East Melbourne June

Mornington Group Meeting

Etihad Stadium

Frankston

May

June

Board of Management Meeting

Gippsland Section Breakfast Meeting

Master Builders, East Melbourne

Trararalgon

May

June

Regional Apprentice Awards - South West

Sebastians, Shepparton

Horsham

The Carmichael, Warrnambool

May

June

March

Melbourne Polytechnic Conference Centre, Preston

Quality Resort All Seasons, Bendigo

Master Builders, East Melbourne March

Regional Apprentice Awards - Geelong Simonds Stadium, Geelong March

Industry Breakfast

MCG, Melbourne March

Members Meeting Wangaratta Club, Wangaratta

Master Builders, East Melbourne

Trade Night - Preston

Wimmera Section Meeting

Regional Building Awards (North West)

May

June

Brougham Arms Hotel, Bendigo

Mulgrave Country Club, Wheelers Hill

Bendigo Section Meeting May

Council of Management Meeting Master Builders, East Melbourne

Trade Night - Rowville

62

MASTER BUILDERS VICTORIA

DIRECTORY

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Head Office 2/117 Dundas Road High Wycombe WA 6057 PO Box 2373 High Wycombe WA 6057

+61 8 9454 7760 (International) sales@beamsbuild.com.au

Register at designbuildexpo.com.au #DB2018

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MASTER BUILDERS VICTORIA

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DIRECTORY

Which brand of window deserves to be in your next Master Build?

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MASTER BUILDERS VICTORIA

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DIRECTORY

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MASTER BUILDERS VICTORIA

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The Bayer Protection Warranty covers homeowners for up to $1 million worth of termite damage due to product failure or any other means of termite entry.

Activate your Bayer Protection Warranty by visiting www.kordonwarrantycentre.com.au For further information on the Kordon Termite Barrier, Bayer Protection Warranty and Frequently Asked Questions visit www.kordonwarrantycentre. com.au or contact the Bayer Protection team on 1800 552 802.

Bayer CropScience Pty. Ltd., Level 1, 8 Redfern Road, Hawthorn East, Vic. 3123 Technical Enquiries: 1800 804 479 environmentalscience.bayer.com.au Kordon® is a Registered Trademark of Bayer © 2016 Page 66

IF ONLY THEY KNEW...

Meet Ed and Sarah. They love their home and recently retiled their balcony. The job was perfect and they were thrilled.

But 1 month later, they started to get leaching so they had their tiles professionally cleaned.

The efflorescence returned so they cleaned it again.

And again, and again.

IF ONLY THEIR BUILDER OR TILER HAD RECOMMENDED EFFLOCK

ENSURE CUSTOMER HAPPINESS FOR ONLY $4/m2* RECOMMEND EFFLOCK

Efflock is an advanced additive that prevents migration of calcium hydroxide and other salts that cause efflorescence.

For stockist or technical enquiries:

It works by impregnating mortar to provide a hydrophobic function that is unaffected by building movement or traffic wear.

When added to screed, tile adhesive and grout, Efflock provides a primary water barrier and is proven to be a reliable solution for preventing efflorescence.

www.efflock.com.au Ideal in brickwork and render to prevent efflorescence, rising damp and salt attack

*AUD based on RRP for a 20 litre drum when used in a 40mm screed, tile adhesive and grout.

New Renault TRAFIC Formula Edition

Track inspired. Tradie approved.

Take pole position with the limited edition Renault Trafic Formula. Built with Formula 1® expertise featuring a powerful, twin-turbo 1.6-litre “Energy” series diesel engine. With its sporty look and fuel-efficient engine, the Renault Trafic Formula Edition is the formula for success.

For more information visit renault.com.au †Warranty and Roadside Assistance valid for 3 years or 200,000km (whichever comes first) for new and demonstrator TRAFIC models. Roadside Assistance terms and conditions apply. Call our Customer Service Team on 1800 009 008 or view the Terms and Conditions statement at www.renault.com.au/drivingpeaceofmind for details. ^First 3 scheduled maintenance services capped at $349 per service on new and demonstrator TRAFIC models based on standard scheduled servicing from new and on normal operating conditions. Scheduled maintenance services required every twelve (12) months or 30,000km (whichever occurs first). If vehicle is not presented within three (3) months of when the scheduled service is required, right to that capped-price service under the program is forfeited.