Edition 3-2014
Excellence in building awards A post awards look at some of the winners
Land & Planning Policy
Master Builders release new policy document
Drugs & Alcohol
building industry shows leadership on workplace safety
skyhire Reaches award winning heights in service
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contents
Editor’s Note
Bright Future for Brad Monkhouse
forewords
MBA Group Training has a proud history that spans 45 years. A history where quality training and the quality of those undertaking the skills development has been regularly recognised through industry award ceremonies. On 22 August, Brad Monkhouse joined the long list of celebrated MBA Group Training apprentices when he shared the top prize, winning ACT apprentice of the year at the annual ACT Regional Construction Industry Training Council Awards, an honour he shared with Sheet Metal apprentice Garry Mills. Brad’s accomplishments are growing, in 2011 he won the regional Worldskills Carpentry competition, and will participate in the national Worldskills competition in Perth next month. Added to his Master Builders 2013 Apprentice of the year award, Brad received the 2013 CITC Meritorious award and 2013 Rotary scholarship award.
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President’s message
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Executive Director’s message Industrial Relations Director’s message
10
WHS Advisor’s message
12
industry information land & planning Policy
14
building information modelling
18
mr fluffy asbestos
21
drug & alcohol testing
26
west belconnen residential Development
30
features skyhire reaches award winning heights
34
building awards wrap
40
RGT - your local aac
54
Well done Brad!
Master Builders Association of the ACT 1 Iron Knob St, Fyshwick ACT 2609 PO Box 1211, Fyshwick ACT 2609 Tel: (02) 6247 2099 Fax: (02) 6249 8374 Email: canberra@mba.org.au Web: www.mba.org.au Advertising enquires Senior Manager - Marketing & Membership Services – David Leitch Tel: (02) 6175 5970 Mob: 0437 379 391 Email: dleitch@mba.org.au
Master Builders Executive Council
Master Builders Management team
President – Valdis Luks
Executive Director – John Miller
Treasurer – Frank Porreca
Deputy Executive Director – Jerry Howard
Commercial Builders Council Chair – Peter Naylor
Director Industrial Relations & In-house Legal Counsel – John Nikolic
Civil Contractors Council Chair – Andy Crompton
Work Health & Safety Advisor – Philip Edwards
Residential Builders Council Chair – Frank Porreca
Senior Management Accountant – Louise MacCallum
Professional Consultants Council Chair – Hans Sommer
Senior Manager – Marketing & Membership Services – David Leitch
Suppliers & Subcontractors Council Chair – Graciete Ferreira
Master Builders Group Training General Manager – Wendy Tengstrom
© This publication is copyright. No part of it may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means including electronic, mechanical photocopy, recording or otherwise without the permission of the Master Builders Association of the ACT. Disclaimer: readers are advised that the Master Builders Association of the ACT cannot be held responsible for the accuracy of statements made in advertising and editorial, nor the quality of the goods or services advertised. Opinions expressed throughout the publication are the contributors own and do not necessarily reflect the views or policy of the Master Builders Association of the ACT.
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foreword
president VALDIS LUKS
President’s Message Over the past twelve months the MBA Executive has looked closely at what members’ concerns are and have taken on board to lobby and advocate for a number of these issues. We looked at the most effective ways to address these and believed the best starting point was to put formal policy papers together highlighting the issues of concern. Five policy papers will be put together covering all of the major concerns raised by members. The five papers will be: • • • • •
Procurement Land and Planning Building Quality Safety, and Training
To date we have released two papers that have been distributed to the ACT Government and a number of its senior staff as well as other industry related associations and leaders. These two papers have been the Procurement Policy and the Land and Planning Policy. The Procurement paper highlighted concerns such as: •
The ACT Government having one centralised agency for the delivery of capital works, thus ensuring a consistent approach to Infrastructure Procurement and Project Management,
•
The setup of a Coordinator General role for Infrastructure and Capital works, having responsibility for oversight of the whole capital works program,
•
Allowances for ACT based SME’s and local content in all tenders,
•
Continuous upskilling of Project Managers / Procurers,
•
Safety in design and safety on the worksite with best performers rewarded.
The Land and Planning paper addressed issues such as: • • • • • • 6
Navigating the relevant approval agencies in a timely and streamlined manner, Government fees and charges, Service provider delays, Commencement / completion charges, Lease variation charges, Holding costs associated with delays in approvals.
Should you wish to view the full documents, the papers can be found at http://www.mba.org.au/media_room/submissions/’. The other three policy papers, Building Quality, Safety and Training are currently being developed and will be released by the end of the year. Another topical subject at the moment is ensuring local builders, contractors and developers are given every opportunity to compete for work within the ACT and local region. In recent times there have been a number of tenders and Expressions of Interest where the weighted criterion either precludes local companies or severely disadvantages them from competing. This is sometimes because of a perceived lack of experience or expertise in certain areas or because of a perception the locally based companies present a greater risk from a financial perspective. The risk is that if we don’t ensure locally based companies are given the opportunity to tender for these projects then these companies will either go elsewhere to look for work or will downsize considerably because of the lack of work available for them to go for. Both of these outcomes are starting to take place at the moment and in some cases have been ongoing for the past few years. There needs to be support for companies that are based here and are committed to this region long term. This has never been more important than now, with the Federal Government announcing with its last Budget that the ACT is now on its own. With large infrastructure projects on the agenda over the next 5 to 10 years it will be important to make sure every dollar we spend in this region stays here. We need to make sure we look after the companies that are committed to the ACT and region, and in turn their workers and families, schools, sporting and community clubs, charities and the like. These opportunities need to cover the five sectors of our Association, being the Commercial, Residential, Civil, Subcontractor and Supplier and Professional Councils. There is ample expertise within the Association and region to handle the vast majority of projects coming up over the next few years and we need to realise that getting “bang for our buck” doesn’t necessarily mean achieving the lowest price up front. Getting bang for our buck is making sure that as taxpayers, what we spend stays in this region to support those committed to the region. I’m pleased to say that we have had a receptive ear from the ACT Government regarding this concern and now need to work together to make sure we achieve beneficial outcomes for our members and our local community.
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foreword
executive director John Miller
Think of Canberra as Spring Just recently my best mate was travelling in the United States. As many of you will know, the US is not always the best place to be flying around. Flights are invariably late; sometimes they don’t even take off. I was once standing in line at LA check-in for over two hours and my flight to Washington took off without me. No pleading got me further up the queue. In the land that is supposed to have perfected the culture of service you often find yourself wondering where it got lost. If your bags arrive at the next airport with you, seriously, you usually think you’ve won the lottery. Well, my mate ended up about a day late into New York, thrown out of his usual comfortable surroundings in business class to boot just to get him to the Big Apple a bit earlier. He was fuming. He needed to be on time to attend some important meetings. Insult to injury, his bags took a different flight and arrived a day later. Via a string of blistering telephone calls, his lovely wife back home in Australia bore the full brunt of his anger and frustration. Her as always calm response to my mate was to stop being angry, think positive thoughts and something good will happen. About an hour after her last therapy session with my mate, he received a knock on the door with a pleasant porter standing there to reunite him with his bags. The world was a good place again and Armageddon has left once more. In a busy, fastpaced and demanding world, why is it that many of us often find ourselves consumed by anger, frustration and sometimes a sense of loss of control. My theory is a severe overdose of negative news; the old self-fulfilling prophecies. We are just not letting enough good news into our every day. We are living in a world choking on bad news. Why is it that most of our conversations either start with doom and gloom or quickly head that way after some polite salutations? Think about it. Have we become so conditioned to bad news that we just can’t bring ourselves to think positively about what a fantastic country and city we live in. Sure, we all want things to be better but are the shortcomings so bad that all we end up with is a constant barrage of negativity. I didn’t see too many drones or missiles overhead when I left home today. Nor did I have to push my way through scores of impoverished street kids begging for a few morsels of food or money. Our police and military weren’t roaming the streets with 8
machine guns. My enemies weren’t waiting around the corner to decapitate me and I have been able to speak up on any number of issues without reprisal. It’s not a matter of out of sight, out of mind. Yes, we need to be aware of what’s happening elsewhere in the world and in our communities and do what can be done but we shouldn’t have our thinking and our actions held to ransom because life’s not perfect. My concern is we are becoming more of the problem without bothering to put our minds into more positive Territory. And I have been guilty! So, enough of the bad news! Springtime is around the corner. That always spells growth, a time of freshness, renewal and a more active and positive lifestyle. Think of Canberra as Spring. This is a city in a growing phase. At the recent launch of the new Brumbies facilities at the University of Canberra you couldn’t help but be impressed, not just by the facility but all of the other plans and the work to follow. The new UC Northside sub-acute hospital is on the way. Casting an eye across the fields and South Lawson is nearing commencement. There are potential on-campus accommodation alternatives and more space for innovation and research to be undertaken at the University. This is all work for our industry and fabric for our community. Just down the road from the University of Canberra, the transformation around Belconnen town centre has been incredible. The place is almost unrecognizable from less than six or seven years ago. Belconnen’s transformation isn’t complete just yet. This was evidenced recently during a very positive presentation at MBA to over 80 industry leaders about the new Riverview project. This project, straddling the Murrumbidgee River on the ACT/NSW border is planned to eventually accommodate 11,500 homes or 30,000 people. Let’s jump across the border across on the other side of town and there is the fantastic CIC Australia and Mirvac Group project at Googong creating homes for thousands of new Googonians. Village Building Company continues its planning and vision ready to deliver on its long term aspirations for South Tralee further adding to the incredible lifestyle choices on offer in this region. As we come back into town we have witnessed the birth of Molonglo with so much still to be done and Woden is continuing its renaissance with the significant input of Hindmarsh offering a range of new product to allow people to ease into a different and exciting new lifestyle as their own circumstances change.
Canberra building news edition 3 - 2011
In the City, we know that Campbell and Constitution Avenue are changing and will be changed. The first visible signs of the rejuvenation of Northbourne Avenue are now evidenced near the Visitor Information Centre. Braddon has burst to life like nothing else and more is coming. Any Saturday or Sunday morning around Braddon is a talisman for a city that is reaching adulthood. And just in case you are in any doubt about Canberra’s maturity and ability to match it with not only the rest of Australia but other places around the world, head off to the iconic Molonglo Group precinct at New Acton. This is seriously classy. Answering the call of the industry, Gungahlin will soon see the new suburb of Moncrieff begin to take shape and soon after adding to the population in one of Australia’s fastest growing centres. As we know, the Gungahlin region is the first to be serviced by the proposed new light rail system, itself designed to add to the city’s transformation. The light rail project is no doubt the very big brother to the Arboretum that the city is very proud of despite its highly controversial beginnings. We can add so much more to the list; a new Supreme Court, world-class Convention Centre, Airport Hotel, Ikea, city football stadium, City to the Lake, Kingston Foreshore’s continued development and dare I say it, Yarralumla brickworks and surrounds. There are others like ABC flats. Sure, we’d like it all tomorrow but that’s not going to happen. As always, patience is needed. What very visionary and energetic people responsible for all of the transformation in recent years do need, and those who will be leading the charge in the years to come need, is the reassurance of Government and others that they will stand alongside them in creating the opportunities and new spaces we all crave. Don’t let them do it in spite of the system, let them do it with the help of the system. So how did I get here from where I started? Ah, yes, bad news, anger and travel. Sometimes we just need to get beyond all the bad news, take a moment to see things for what they are and calm down a bit more. We’ve still got a lot to look forward to even if things aren’t perfect.
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foreword
director industrial relations john nikolic
Royal Commission intro Trade Union Corruption and Governance – a strong sense of déjà vu ‘A strong sense of déjà vu envelopes the latest royal commission on the construction industry’.1 Paul Robinson of The Age made those comments in 2002, about the then Royal Commission into the Building and Construction Industry by Terence Cole. That Commission followed a decade after the 1992 Gyles Royal Commission (into productivity in the NSW building industry) and two decades after the 1982 Winneke Royal Commission (into the Builders Labourers Federation). That déjà vu has now reached levels of dynamic stasis, with the latest Royal Commission into Trade Union Corruption and Governance, headed by ex-High Court judge John Dyson Heydon, well underway. Over the past month, the Commission has focussed on the conduct of the CFMEU, with hearings in Victoria, Queensland and NSW unearthing serious allegations of crime, industrial coercion and construction cartels, as well as alleged links between underworld identities, members of the CFMEU and members of the Australian Labor Party. A summary of key evidence is provided below, along with some of the Commission’s novel legal insights.
Secondary boycotts
In Victoria, Peter Chiavaroli of West Homes alleged to the Commission that, during a dispute at the Pentridge Prison site, Australian Labor Party Melton branch president Ken Hardy told him that ‘if you pay $50,000 to Mick Gatto all of your problems with the CFMEU will go away’. Déjà vu indeed. In the 2002 Cole Royal Commission, Bauldersone Hornibrook was alleged to have indirectly paid Gatto to engineer an agreement with the Electrical Trades Union to buy industrial peace.
Construction cartels
Secret recordings from the Pentridge Prison site were also admitted into evidence, with CFMEU organiser Gerry Benstead recorded as warning Chiavaroli against contacting Australian Building and Construction Commission (established in the wake of the Cole Royal Commission to combat lawlessness in the construction industry) saying that it would be ‘the worst move you’ll ever make’. Benstead instead advised Chiavaroli to ‘forget about the law, alright? I give you a bit, you give me a bit, right? You sort out this problem and you can work…’
Royal Commissioner Heydon has also welcomed what he described as ‘powerful’ testimony from Mike Kane, CEO of Boral, which continues to be black-banned by the CFMEU for providing private developer Grocon with concrete. Grocon was the subject of unlawful blockades organised by the CFMEU in 2013, after it apparently refused to employ a CFMEU-nominated safety advisor. Kane alleged that Setka said to him that the CFMEU was at ‘war’ with Grocon and that the CFMEU’s ban on Boral was a way of ‘cutting supply lines’ to the developer.
If proven, the CFMEU’s actions would potentially breach secondary boycott and anti-cartel provisions under the Competition and Consumer Act 2010 (Cth) and even criminal laws relating to blackmail. Kane has taken aim at the alleged cartels between large commercial builders and ‘union approved’ subcontractors, which arguably perpetuate the union-coordinated secondary boycotts like the one Boral is facing. Kane is not alone in alleging the existence of construction cartels. As Paul Sheehan has recently commented: 3 Anyone who still doesn’t think that collusion has been built into the industrial landscape for decades, at a cost of tens of billions of dollars, should consider the words of Ken Phillips, executive director of the Independent Contractors of Australia [ICA], who told me on Friday: “There is an industrial relations cartel in Australia of big unions and big
The Age, ‘Commission Builds on Previous Inquiries of Similar Construction’, 7 May 2002. The Australian, 30 April 2013. 3 The Canberra Times, ‘Let the Demolition of the CFMEU Begin’, 17 February 2014. 4 ‘Dave Noonan speaks to media after day one Brisbane hearings 4/8/14’, http://www.cfmeu.asn.au/news/dave-noonan-speaks-to-media-after-day-one-brisbanehearings-4814 (accessed 13 August 2014). 1 2
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Victoria’s Industrial Relations Minister, Robert Clark, has commented that John Setka, Secretary of the Victorian CFMEU, ‘heads a union that openly vows to break the law whenever it suits’ and has asked how long the Victorian Labor Party ‘will… continue to tolerate… the CFMEU supplying the funds, supplying the manpower, exercising the influence within the Australian Labor Party.’ Master Builders understands that the CFMEU is the largest donor to the Australian Labor Party. 2
corporations that have been cutting industrial relations deals then passing on the higher costs … The ICA has presented a 10,000-word submission to the Productivity Commission’s inquiry into the construction sector which details our argument that a cartel exists, where major construction companies and unions work to suppress competition in the sector, and we identify cost blowouts of around 20 to 30 percent.” Criminal extortion? One of the most powerful angles that the Royal Commission has probed has been the CFMEU’s alleged abuse of power to exert market dominance. In Queensland, the Commission heard evidence from Albert Smith of Universal Cranes that the CFMEU had allegedly intimidated builders into refraining from using the contractor, following its (initial) refusal to agree to the CFMEU’s pattern enterprise agreement. In Counsel Assisting Jeremy Stoljar’s words, what made the scenario more than ‘just another tale of strong arm industrial tactics in the construction industry’ was that Smith’s objection to the pattern enterprise agreement was on the basis that it required Universal Cranes to utilise a specified redundancy fund and insurance provider, namely the Building Employees Redundancy Trust (BERT) and Construction Income Protection (CIP). It is understood that the CFMEU receives payments from its promotion / sponsorship of BERT and CIP. Stoljar argued that the CFMEU’s coercion was ‘evidence of union officials’ willingness to commit serious crimes and engage in other unlawful conduct in an attempt to strengthen the union’s position (through BERT and CIP) in commercial and insurance marketplaces.’ The Commission suggested that this could amount to criminal extortion, i.e. coercion of a person to procure a service that benefits the coercer. Certainly, if persons were to be intimidated by threats of business disruption to utilise particular insurance providers outside of the context of enterprise bargaining, then it would surely be obvious that such conduct was criminal extortion – a protection racket. Let’s be clear. Under Australia’s current labour laws, forcing an employer to sign an enterprise agreement is a civil offence in breach of freedom of association laws under the Fair Work Act. Proving criminal extortion may be difficult, because the insertion of union business interests into an enterprise agreement muddies the water – making it less clear whether the union is motivated by its own benefit or the benefit of its members. Certainly, the CFMEU has denied that extortion has been proven in the Commission. CFMEU National Secretary Dave Noonan argues that Smith’s ‘evidence does not stack up’ while referring to the many member benefits that employees receive under BERT. In response to the fact that the CFMEU itself financially benefits from BERT, Noonan argued that workers vote for such arrangements and, in what may have been a Freudian slip, stated that ‘this is a body that is working for the good of the union - ah sorry - the industry, and all of the workers in the industry’. The problem is, at the time of voting on such arrangements, most workers are unaware that the CFMEU financially benefits from entities such as BERT and CIP and that, at least for employers (such as Smith) they have no choice in whether to use them.
Our laws have been drafted such that vested interests could capture the enterprise bargaining system. It is now very difficult to tease out where the interests of union members end and the interests of a union begin. For some, those interests may be one and the same thing. But the potential for them to diverge is obvious. What is more concerning is that Australian labour laws arguably diminish what might otherwise be criminal extortion to a mere civil offence of coercion, tacitly endorsing such behaviour with lower penalties. In this manner, pattern enterprise bargaining arguably provides a legal framework or ‘cloak’ for a kind of structural corruption – the more sophisticated cousin of the intimidation alleged at the Pentridge Prison site but one that nevertheless relies upon it. If this view is accepted by the Commission, the question for Royal Commissioner Heydon will be how it might be possible to better ‘corruption-proof’ our industrial system. Another commission? The comet-like repetition of royal commissions over the past four decades points to sustained administrative and political failures to deal with lawlessness in the construction industry. However, that does not detract from the need to expose corruption to sunlight, nor for periodic vigilance about abuses of fundamental freedoms, such as of freedom of association and, more pertinently, freedom of speech. One of the saddest things about lawlessness in the construction industry is that (almost) no-one talks about it. Whether due to complicity, indifference or fear, breaches of freedom of association and other laws are an ‘open secret’ and it is that silence which allows corruption to flourish. With a combined workforce of more than one million workers, the economic cost is obvious. However, what is more costly is the corruption of the individuals involved and the institutions they are entrusted with. The Royal Commission has identified a number of novel legal arguments under existing criminal and consumer laws, which might be used to reassert the rule of law in the construction industry. However, those laws will only be able to be enforced if people begin to rely on them. It is also clear that existing bargaining laws will need to change. The Commission is not due to report its findings and recommendations until December. If people begin to speak up, we dare to hope that this Commission might be the last. It is time that people challenged the convenient assumptions of the status quo in this industry. Providing information to the Commission The Commission is calling for information relating to trade union corruption and governance. If members feel that they should provide information to the Commission, please call Master Builders’ Industrial Relations Department on 02 6247 2099, which can assist in liaising with the Commission. Alternatively, information can be provided directly to the Commission on ph: 1800 221 245; see: http://www. tradeunionroyalcommission.gov.au/Pages/default.aspx
11
foreword
Work Health & Safety advisor Philip Edwards
Safety Information Sheets In September 2012, the ACT Government commissioned an inquiry into compliance with, and application of, work health and safety laws within the ACT’s construction industry. This followed understandable concern about deaths in the ACT construction industry over the past year and what was seen as a high number of other safety incidents. A report (the Briggs/McCabe report) was prepared for the ACT Minister for Workplace Safety and Industrial Relations in November 2012. In response to the Briggs/McCabe report, Master Builders ACT have initiated a number of programs to address the recommendations made in the report; however, continual improvement is still required. An area where continual improvement can be (and should be) applied in the construction industry is with development and use of WHS Management Plans. The Work Health and Safety Act 2011 requires the Principal Contractor (PC) for a construction project (where the cost of the construction work is $250 000 or more) to prepare a written WHS Management Plan (Plan) before work on the project commences. It should outline the PC’s WHS structure, roles, responsibilities and authorities, methods of consultation, induction and training, risk management process, subcontractor management, injury management, and continuous monitoring and review. The plan should also demonstrate the integration of WHS requirements with the project procedures, practices, and health and safety management. The size and complexity of a Plan should be relative to the size and complexity of the project, and the amount of high-risk work being undertaken; however the plan must include as a minimum: • •
•
12
names, positions and WHS responsibilities of all workers whose roles involve specific WHS responsibilities; the arrangements in place between workers at the site for consultation, cooperation and coordination of activities in relation to compliance with their duties under the Work Health and Safety Act and Regulation; the arrangements in place for managing any health and
• •
safety incidents, including reporting and incident notification; any site specific WHS rules and the arrangements for ensuring all workers are informed of those rules; the arrangements to collect and assess, monitor and review Safe Work Method Statements (SWMS).
WorkSafe ACT recommends structuring a Plan around the following headings to ensure the mandatory aspects are documented: 1. project description; 2. WHS responsibilities; 3. consultation induction and training; 4. internal consultation; 5. dissemination of information; 6. decision making; 7. induction and training; 8. identify hazards assess and control risks; 9. SWMS; 10. managing subcontractors; 11. incident management; 12. emergency procedures; 13. First Aid; 14. monitor and review of plan; 15. document control; and 16. keeping a copy Based on WHS Management Plan requirements a series of Safety Sheets (Sheets) are being published to improve the understanding in, and ownership of, WHS Management Plans by ACT’s construction industry. The subject of each Sheet is based on the ‘headings’ in the plan, and will define the minimum requirements under the Work Health and Safety Act and Regulation (and WHS Management Plans handbook) for each section of the plan. The Sheets will be written in simple English and limited to one page, and designed to be easily identifiable and readable. Links to further information and training will be provide on each page.
i The Australian Asbestos Network, “Asbestos at Work”, http://www.australianasbestosnetwork.org. au/Asbestos+Today/Asbestos+at+Work/default.aspx (accessed 7 May 2014).
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The first Sheet, First Aid was published in a Member Alert emailed in early July 2014, and new Sheets published fortnightly thereafter. The final Sheet, SWMS is scheduled to be published in February 2015. On SWMS, the purpose of an SWMS is to allow supervisors, workers and others to understand the requirements developed to carry out high risk construction work in a healthy and safe manner. It is only required for the 18 high risk construction work activities. It sets out the tasks in logical steps, and identifies the hazards and describes the control measures for each step. Its aim is to: • • • •
describe the task being done; identify the resources, manpower and skills required for the task; assess and select control measures, as appropriate; and logically plan the task, so it can be completed efficiently and effectively.
The SWMS must be easy to read by those who need to know what has been planned to manage the risks and apply the control measures, and make sure the work is being carried out in line with it. Those who need to know include: • • •
the supervisor of the high risk construction work; the worker carrying out the high risk construction work; and the principal contractor (for a construction project) or the person who has management and control over the high risk construction work.
WorkSafe ACT states the SWMS should be: • •
based on a risk assessment; and site specific.
Master Builder members can seek further advice on Work Health & Safety matters by contacting Phil Edwards on 02 6175 5905 or e: pedwards@mba.org.au
The aim of this one day course is to provide participants with an awareness of the hazards and health effects of asbestos and its possible location in ACT homes and the community. Under the current Work Health and Safety Act an employer must provide information and training to protect all persons from risks to their health and safety arising from their work. This course provides participants with an ability to identify and understand the dangers of asbestos, an awareness of its possible locations and the procedures followed if presence is detected.
For more information contact MBA Group Training on: T 02 6280 9119 F 02 6280 9118 E canberra@mba.org.au W www.mba.org.au/training
Planning Reforms for CBR’s Future Master Builders ACT has launched a planning policy reform agenda to build a better Canberra of tomorrow in its Land and Planning Policy launched in July. Industry Snapshot Master Builders ACT has serious and well-founded concerns about the future of the building and construction Land and industry in Canberra. Our Planning Policy 2013 survey of members revealed that an alarming 61.4 per cent of respondents had projects that were being delayed or constrained by ACT government policy or by planning obstructions and/or costs. Included in these affected works were nine industrial projects, 40 POLICY DOCUMENT residential projects and 25 commercial projects. Eight projects had an individual value of more than $20 million. The total potential value of delayed or otherwise affected projects in Canberra was more than $282 million.
Of significance, nearly 73 per cent of those surveyed commented that current experiences were influencing their decisions about future investment. This is an unviable and unacceptable economic and social position for any progressive community.
Master Builders ACT
July 2014
Master Builders Association of the ACT 1 Iron Knob St, Fyshwick ACT 2609 PO Box 1211, Fyshwick ACT 2609 T (02) 6280 9119 F (02) 6249 8374 E canberra@mba.org.au W www.mba.org.au
Master Builders Association of the ACT
Building a Better Canberra
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“Good strategic planning is the key to better cities and must be at the heart of enhanced community amenity and lifestyle for all Canberrans,” he said. “Master Builders wants to help build on the good work of the ACT Government in planning the emergence of Canberra as a genuine ‘World City’ while maintaining the amenity and quality of life we have come to cherish,” John Miller said.
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Major issues raised by our members included: • • • • • •
“Building and construction is a crucial industry providing an engine of economic growth and jobs for Canberrans now and in the future. Canberra’s builders are passionate advocates for our city and want to build more liveable and connected communities,” John Miller Executive Director of Master Builders ACT said.
Navigating the relevant approval agencies Government fees and charges Service provider delays Commencement / completion charges Lease variation charges Holding costs associated with delays in approvals
“Our Land and Planning Policy lays the future foundations of a planning regime that can deliver those outcomes,” John Miller said. “We know from the experience of other well planned Australian and international cities that a bold vision is not enough, a city plan must be underpinned by appropriate regulatory processes to see fruition,” he said. “Master Builders Land and Planning Policy addresses Big Picture issues such as the dilemma posed by Canberra’s dual identity,” John Miller said.
Canberra Building News 3-2014
“Canberra’s role as the nation’s capital and our home are complementary. As the capital of a first world nation we have opportunities beyond the reach of a Sydney or Melbourne which we are yet to fully seize,” he said.
by the private building certifiers.
“We must resolve that such opportunities and the amenity of our community life are not mutually exclusive,” John Miller said.
•
The 2012 ACT Planning Strategy for urban infill including the minimum 50 per cent target of urban intensification as a proportion of all new housing delivered
•
The 2007 Affordable Housing Action Plan including assistance for first home buyers
•
Amendments to the Land Rent Scheme and the recent changes to the Development Control Code for Best Practice Waste Management that have taken account of Master Builders ACT concerns and representations
“Just as important is recognition that the efficiency and effectiveness of the planning processes and regulations play a crucial role in Canberra’s future and its resident’s quality of life,” he said. “Building and construction is an industry crucial to the current and future prosperity of Canberra. We are committed to showing leadership and working constructively with the ACT Government and community stakeholders in the evolution of our city and community,” John Miller said. Five years on from the global financial crisis, uncertainty continues to thwart the promise of a sustainable future for Canberra’s building industry. There has been a trend of slow but steady building activity in the Territory, and there was a drop of 2.5 per cent in building approval figures in the final quarter of 2013. This however was met by some modest increases in approvals during the first quarter of 2014. This deceleration in activity is consistent with Master Builders ACT member sentiment. The ACT appears to have weathered the GFC storm but an inflexible and burdensome regulatory and planning environment is demonstrably limiting the capacity of the building industry to thrive. If allowed to continue, this will ultimately and inevitably hamper the sustainable economic future of Canberra.
Master Builders ACT also welcomed the government’s initiatives regarding:
The building industry contributes more than 10 per cent to the ACT Gross State Product and is the largest private sector industry in the Territory. The benefits of a robust building sector flow directly into the Canberra community. Construction generates jobs, it revitalises older urban areas, opens up new development land and creates new homes, and it delivers infrastructure and our schools, hospitals and cultural facilities. The Australian Bureau of Statistics estimates that for every $1 million spent in the construction sector nearly $3 million is generated in the overall economy, creating nine jobs in the building industry and 37 jobs in other sectors. A healthy construction industry builds a stronger and more resilient Canberra – confident, progressive and capable. Foundations for the Future
Canberra is the national capital of Australia and its economy and growth will always be susceptible to some degree to the decisions and actions of the federal government. Recent announcements of targeted reductions in the Australian Public Service have already impacted on consumer confidence in the Territory. Master Builders ACT nevertheless believes that our local and regional economy need not be ‘held hostage’ to the ebb and flow of the public sector. Territory government policy can and must support an independent, vibrant and responsive economy capable of attracting investment and delivering growth. The building industry is poised to play a key role in building a better Canberra – but ACT government policies and services are needed to construct the necessary underpinning and establish sound foundations for the future. Master Builders ACT appreciates the value of a cooperative relationship with government and acknowledges the actions that the Territory Government has taken over the past decade to respond to industry concerns. Our industry has noted and has been heartened by the growing increase in professionalism and an improved cooperative approach applied by some individuals within the ACT Planning and Land Authority. We encourage the ACT Government to ensure that the leadership of ACTPLA will continue this trend apace, leading to agency wide positive behavioural change. The consolidation of the Territory Plan in 2007 was welcomed by our members and has provided a greater level of ease in navigating the document. The ‘exempt’ development approval track has also proved to be beneficial and effective with the majority of single residential developments now being approved
Master Builders Association urges the ACT government to immediately commence groundwork on the following foundations so that a positive and productive future for the Canberra community can be ensured. • •
• • • • • •
• • • •
Achieve one-third englobo, one-third LDA, one third joint venture land release Permit direct industry liaison and negotiation related to Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act requirements Adopt the Australian Government Guide to Regulation for application in the Territory Review existing regulation for effectiveness Require all new legislation, including planning regulation, to be subject to professional regulatory impact assessment Remove the ability to give effect to new regulation retrospectively Establish a requirement to consult prior to any legislative change related to planning Establish a Building Regulatory Advisory Committee to review all regulatory changes that impact on building and the licensing of builders and certifiers Codify agency requirements for development approval Establish a development application inter-agency working group convened by the Coordinator General Consolidate TAMS functions with ESDD Establish ACTPLA as the single point of contact for all DA processes
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Will ‘lock-down’ weekends soon be a thing of the past? Kelly Adamcewicz - Industrial Relations Advisor and Lawyer The Building and Construction General On-Site Award 2010 provides for a standard 38 hour week with 13 flexible rostered days off (RDOs) per year. However, a 36 hour week is commonplace in CFMEU enterprise bargaining agreements (CFMEU EBA) which doubles the RDO entitlement, with employees receiving 26 RDOs per year. The Building and Construction General On-Site Award 2010 provides for a standard 38 hour week with 13 flexible rostered days off (RDOs) per year. However, a 36 hour week is commonplace in CFMEU enterprise bargaining agreements (CFMEU EBA) which doubles the RDO entitlement, with employees receiving 26 RDOs per year. The pattern CFMEU EBA also fixes RDOs on certain dates, namely next to so-called ‘lock-down’ weekends, whereby RDOs are fixed adjacent to some public holiday weekends. The pattern CFMEU EBA prohibits work on lock-down weekends. If there is an emergency or a special client need during a lock down weekend, employers must seek the CFMEU’s permission to perform ‘limited’ work. While the CFMEU EBA states that lock-down weekends give management and employees’ quality paid leisure time, their inflexibility limits the ability of employers to manage their businesses. Productivity is hindered as all employers with CFMEU EBAs are required to close their site over a lock-down weekend This has flow-on effects for employers without CFMEU EBAs, especially subcontractors and suppliers. While employers who don’t have CFMEU EBAs are not required to stop work over a lock-down weekend, often subcontractors who are working on sites which are controlled by principal contractors with CFMEU EBAs are unable to access these sites during lock down weekends. Consequently, most work in the construction industry comes to a halt. However, this productivity black hole may soon be redressed through the introduction of the new Commonwealth procurement
code, the Building and Construction Industry (Fair and Lawful Building Sites) Code 2014 (Code). New procurement code Amongst other things the Code prohibits lock-down weekends in EBAs, due to concerns that it constrains the ability of employers to manage their business and enhance productivity. While the Code is not expected to come into force until September 2014 (due to an uncertainty in the Senate) it will have a retrospective effect in relation to EBAs. The Code specifies that any EBAs made after 23 April 2014, must be Code compliant. Builders and subcontractors must be compliant with the Code in order to perform Commonwealth-funded work. It remains to be seen whether the Code will be passed by the Senate, and, if passed, how the CFMEU will react to the prohibition of lock-down weekends. Members often report abuses of union right of entry and freedom of association laws on lock-down weekends, which may be expected to increase following the likely change in the law. Members are strongly encouraged to bolster their right of entry policies to prepare for the Code’s introduction. The Code also requires that right of entry laws are strictly complied with. Master Builders will be hosting a right of entry seminar on Tuesday 21 October 2014 at 7.30 am, which will be advertised via a Member Alert.
The Master Builders that Built Canberra 100 YEARS OF BUILDING IN THE NATION’S CAPITAL
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the master Builders that Built CanBerra is available from the master builders association of the act 1 iron knob street, fyshwick or online at www.mba.org.au If you wish to inquire about this publication, or would like to order a copy please contact: David Leitch Senior Manager - Marketing & Membership Services t 02 6175 5970 f 02 6249 8374 e dleitch@mba.org.au
There will be a Building Information Modeling Information Session at the MBA When: Thursday, 25 September, 7.30am - 9.30am Where: Master Builders Skills Centre, Fyshwick Contact: David Leitch on (02) 6175 5970
Fig 4: Trimble Robotic Total Station for Layout
The ‘B’ in B.I.M is really for BANG for your BUCK! Christopher James Mouflard Let’s imagine two scenarios. To paint the picture of the first scene you are catching up with your friend (and competitor) who has just delivered a project for a client. Adam is ranting about how he beat the budget, his schedule, improve the quality AND all his sub-contractors can’t wait to work with him again. What is more is that the client has already hired him for the next job. A little envious and very curious you ask Adam how he did it. Adam responds simply “well I used BIM.” Now consider our second scene. A completely different set of events is about to transpire. Now you are walking up to a podium at a prestigious Construction awards ceremony. You are about to receive an innovation in construction award for your new project. You stand up, pull the mic close to your lips, thank your team and family and announce that you utilised “3D BIM on this project to drive better collaboration – while the initial investment from our team might be viewed as untraditional, the result means we are now winning more work by using BIM than ever before.” It will be very hard to forget that win.
Fig 1: Case study project savings from BIM process versus traditional process
What is hitting home is that now we are placing ourselves in the driver’s seat. The only difference to our traditional process is that we are using Virtual Construction or BIM as part of our project delivery system. Think about it: Since in our jobs we build 3D things – houses, offices, restaurants, pergolas – doesn’t it make sense that we manage what we make our dollars from in the same way? This is the entry point to BIM. It doesn’t stand alone, but rather it is a methodology of managing what we might build. Hindmarsh Construction have innovated the South Australian construction industry by using 3D BIM to create comprehensive delivery systems on their projects.
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Fig 2. Consider a different way to invest or ‘de-risk’ your projects.
Canberra Building News 3-2014
Just ask them how they make more dollars. By using 3D models they can undertake a more rigorous design checking, review and analysis process – from the very beginning of the project they have already reduced their risk profile. Remember in 3D we can actually see where that duct is hanging in relation to that king stud. Check out the results in the figure 1 hospital case study comparing BIM to 2D. In turn this reduces the numbers of admins they need on a job because it reduces the total number of RFI’s; they provide better design feedback to architects, so they get better drawings to site for construction; they improve project team collaboration because we see in 3D; a better product for the client; AND they improve safety. We have all been waiting for the ‘BUT’, so here it is. Check out figure 2 – line 4 vs 3. In order to increase profit we must consider a different way to invest or “de-risk” our projects. In this way we will be facing some investment costs early in the project that we did not have before. For example the cost of developing a 3D model [or use a free product like www.SketchUp.com] to undertake a more detailed review of what we are about to build. The estimated ROI on a well for construction 3D model can be as high as ~10 times! This is real dollars. Plus you have probably solved approximately 50% of the RFIs and you haven’t even dug a hole (figure 3). It’s a no brainer. Jan Goetze, from Hindmarsh, says “we are the only industry in the world that builds the real life model and the prototype at the same time”. I love this quote because it is incredible to think of all the potential waste! Wasted time, trashed materials, poor workmanship.
Fig 3: Vico Office Document Controller for Manager 2D and 3D design
The buck doesn’t stop there. 3D not only opens you to more innovative ways to use robotic total stations for layout (improving set time productivity up to 200%; and reducing errors up to 95%*). It also helps automate quantity takeoff and costing (known as 5D BIM, reducing estimate time by nearly 8hrs/estimate*). BIM also enables the creation of construction schedules and simulations (known as 4D BIM – which can save 7-12% in overall planned construction time). The reality is that BIM is here to stay. So, we invite you to join us along this BIM path – because when we break it down, it’s all about the dollars and sense. For more information visit www.trimble.com
(*Case Study by Klorman Construction)
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Building certification deficiencies need urgent action Inadequate regulation and poor quality third party private building certification remain a major concern for Master Builders ACT – and for ACT property owners more broadly.
Master Builders ACT has raised its concerns about poor regulation of private building certification and its impact on building quality in the ACT several times with the ACT Government, most recently in its Land and Planning Policy published in July. The policy calls for the ACT Government to establish a Building Regulatory Advisory Committee to review all regulatory changes that impact on building and the licensing of builders and certifiers by April 2015. The policy noted that “Third party certification was intended to streamline development and building approval processes for the benefit of all stakeholders and to protect the public. Unfortunately, the role of the private certifier has never been adequately defined for the community and the government has failed to use disciplinary processes to manage the few non-performing certifiers. “The upshot has been a growing lack of confidence by the public in the professionalism of certifiers and a perception that they act in the interests of the builder and not the consumer. One regrettable outcome has been a perception by the public that our building stock is less than best quality - an unwarranted slight on the building industry. “The knee-jerk government reaction to this appears to be more red tape with new and unreasonable minimum documentation standards for building approval. A better approach would be to remedy the way in which government manages and promotes private certification with the establishment of a Building Regulatory Advisory Committee as advocated by MBA-ACT.” Concerns about the quality of building certification in the ACT and of its regulation were fuelled by an Auditor-General’s report into the issue in 2013. The Auditor-General cleared planning authorities of improper influence in development approval for a senior public servant’s Deakin house, but raised concerns about the transparency and adequacy of the building certification process. Auditor-General Maxine Cooper found major weaknesses in the work of some private building certifiers and said two of the seven homes she considered for the report should not have been approved. 20
Dr Cooper recommended closer controls, saying monitoring of certifiers was inadequate. She also recommended changes to the way planning applications were handled and complaints were monitored by directorate officers. In two cases, certifiers had incorrectly assessed developments as exempt. In three cases, the certifier was being investigated, with “varying levels of disciplinary action” taken by the department. She also recommended a review of penalties for certifiers, which she said were small, with a maximum fine of $8400. In the other five cases, a development application was lodged only after the houses were built, indicating the cases had been exempted from a development application but later found to need one. The report said a senior member of the Environment and Sustainable Development directorate had suggested “potentially improper” relationships between builders and certifiers, a view that three building inspectors shared. The directorate had identified four certifiers who “require additional management”. Dr Cooper also referred to a briefing to then Sustainable Development Minister Simon Corbell in January 2013 that noted a sharp rise in the number of complaints about multi-unit buildings. Of the 12 examples given, five related to one certification firm, and three of those to one certifier, who was also involved in the wrongful exemption of a Harrison home. The certifier was being monitored, the report said. Dr Cooper recommended better training for certifiers, and a requirement for them to supply better documentation. Then Planning Minister Simon Corbell welcomed the report’s findings and said the government agreed with all its recommendations. He said Directorate staff had been given instructions to implement changes immediately. However the MBA remains concerned as the building quality report was released in 2010 and to date not a lot of progress has been made in addressing the issues raised in the report.
MBA to play role in Mr Fluffy response Master Builders Executive Director John Miller has been appointed to the Chief Minister’s Asbestos Response Taskforce, as it appears increasingly likely the Government will opt to demolish many of the ‘Mr Fluffy’ asbestos contaminated houses. Mr Miller has also been appointed a member of the Government’s Mr Fluffy Community and Expert Reference Group (CERG). The Asbestos Response Taskforce was established by the ACT Government to provide a coordinated response and provide assistance and support to the many Canberrans impacted by loose-fill asbestos insulation. Chief Minister Katy Gallagher said (4 August), “The advice that I’m getting from my experts at the moment is that it is looking like demolition will be what is recommended.” Ms Gallagher said a final decision has not been taken, and it was too early to say who would pay for the houses to be demolished and how the program would be managed. Several Mr Fluffy houses have already been demolished.
•
Advise any tradesperson working on your home that you may have loose-fill asbestos.
•
If you have an asbestos assessment report, provide a copy of this to your tradesperson.
The Taskforce has advised that any tradesperson undertaking work on a house affected by loose-fill asbestos insulation must be accompanied by Licensed Asbestos Assessor. Master Builders members who can help with home maintenance and wish the MBA to register their details with the Asbestos Response Taskforce should contact David Leitch on 02 6175 5970. To be registered members must as a minimum have completed the asbestos awareness training – see http:// www.mba.org.au/training/industry-based-short-courses/ asbestosawareness/
The Chief Minister said, “The CERG has been formed to provide an important link to those affected by loose-fill asbestos, allowing the Taskforce to explore issues with direct input from those most impacted, and I expect the CERG will be an invaluable sounding board for the Taskforce.”
The Taskforce is currently building a team that has the appropriate skills to respond to the diverse range of issues and needs of affected individuals, households and businesses.
It is expected that the first meeting of the CERG will occur within the next couple of weeks.
Ms Gallagher said the ACT Government expected to receive advice from the Taskforce later this month on what to do with affected houses, and remained committed to providing long-term support to homeowners.
The Taskforce will provide a single point of contact for those in the community affected by, or have concerns about loose-fill asbestos. To assist with this the Taskforce has established a register to record those affected by, or who have concerns about loose-fill insulation in Canberra homes. Owners of ‘Mr Fluffy ‘ houses have been advised by the Asbestos Response Taskforce not to access roof spaces, sub-floor areas and not to undertake repairs and/or maintenance to their homes. In July the Asbestos Response Taskforce contacted Master Builders ACT hoping to find members willing to undertake routine maintenance on the ‘Mr Fluffy’ houses. So far 17 members, with a wide variety of skills have added their names to the maintenance register. Some owners have expressed difficulty finding tradespeople to work on their homes. The Asbestos Response Taskforce advice to owners of “Mr Fluffy” houses is that if you live in, or are a landlord of a home that is affected by loose-fill asbestos, you need to take certain precautions before undertaking any renovations, repairs, or even simple maintenance on your home: •
Do not enter the roof space or sub-floor area of your home.
•
Do not undertake ‘do-it-yourself’ projects that involve accessing wall-cavities, roof spaces or sub-floor areas
The ACT Government has also decided that the Asbestos Response Taskforce should oversee the assessment of affected homes and will meet the costs of those assessments. “The number of asbestos assessors in the ACT is limited and we are concerned about possible long wait times for households to obtain an assessment. To overcome this, the Asbestos Response Taskforce is negotiating with industry to procure these assessments on behalf of householders. “The government will reimburse those who have undertaken an assessment since 18 February 2014.” WorkSafe ACT has eased lockdown restrictions on former Mr Fluffy homes where asbestos fibres were found to encourage more people to have their houses checked and repaired. WorkSafe commissioner Mark McCabe said an unfortunate side effect of the prohibition notices had been the reluctance of some households to have asbestos assessments. Mr McCabe said the new policy was to work with the homeowners to help them understand the best way to respond to asbestos assessment reports. “I think awareness has grown and we are getting a high level of cooperation,” he said. 21
ACT to get larger Legislative Assembly The size of the ACT Legislative Assembly will be increased from 17 to 25 members at the next election in 2016, the first increase since self-government. The increase follows the recent expansion of the ministry with the addition of a sixth minister, Mick Gentleman, who took over planning, industrial relations and workplace safety. The MBA welcomed the expansion of the ministry and expects the increase in the Assembly will have similar positive effects. MBA Executive Director John Miller said “Master Builders looks forward to working closely with the new ministry.” He said, “The reshuffle brings together complementary portfolios and will enhance the implementation of the Government’s residential building and community infrastructure strategy. “Housing policy sits well with Land Development, will benefit from the fresh focus Andrew Barr will bring to the portfolio and ideally positions the Deputy Chief Minister to drive the delivery of major projects such as the redevelopment of Northbourne Avenue and the City to the Lake.
party and the percentage of seats they end up with. The five member electorates are likely to favour the two major parties and disadvantage the Greens, with a quota of 16.7 per cent required to elect a member in the five-member electorates compared to 12.5 per cent currently required in the seven-member electorate of Molonglo. The ACT Greens supported the increase, while vehemently opposing a move to five member electorates which they described as an “electoral stitch-up”. Greens minister Shane Rattenbury said the smaller electorates would make it harder for independents and minor party candidates to win. Electoral Commissioner Phil Green said work to redraw electoral boundaries would begin in October. The major parties said they expected influx of candidates for the 2016 election.
“For anyone who’s aspired to time in the ACT Assembly as a politician, this will be the election to do it, so I think there’ll be a lot of interest” - ACT Chief Minster Katy Gallagher MLA “Master Builders also congratulates Mick Gentlemen on his appointment to the Ministry. Workplace safety, industrial relations and planning are central to the productivity of the building and construction industry and we look forward to working closely with the new Minister in pursuit of positive outcomes for the industry and our community,” he said. “The new ministerial arrangements also recognise the importance of the Capital Metro light rail project by freeing up Simon Corbell to give more of his time to its successful delivery.” The expansion of the Assembly was agreed unanimously by the existing Assembly after the Federal Parliament passed legislation in March 2013 empowering the ACT Legislative Assembly to set its own size. The power had previously been retained by the Federal Government when self-government was granted in 1989. Under the changes, any increase needs to be approved by a twothirds majority of the Assembly. The expanded Assembly and larger ministry could result in better quality legislation, a stronger committee system and improved scrutiny of Government agencies.
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Labor and the Liberals agreed that the existing two electorates of five members and one of seven members will be replaced by five electorates of five members each. A review headed by ACT Electoral Commissioner Phil Green had recommended seven member electorates, which are more proportional: producing a closer alignment between the percentage of the vote for each
Chief Minister Katy Gallagher said she expected many people would seize the opportunity to stand for election without the concern of defeating an existing candidate. “For anyone who’s aspired to time in the ACT Assembly as a politician, this will be the election to do it, so I think there’ll be a lot of interest,” she said. Opposition Leader Jeremy Hanson said the Liberal Party was already talking with potential candidates. He said there needed to be more diversity in the Assembly. “It would be great to see women put their hand up, I think it would be great to see people who are Indigenous put their hand up, people with ethnic backgrounds,” he said. He said all eight current Liberal MLA’s would run in the 2016 election. Ms Gallagher said the expansion was required because of significant population growth since the Assembly was first established. She said a ministry of eight or nine members could be required and that a working group would be established inside the Assembly to consider administrative arrangements, including required changes to ministerial office accommodation to allow for a larger backbench contingent. Temporary office space may be required, while taxpayers will spend well over $6 million extra each year for the expanded chamber. The cost for staffing and salaries of backbenchers totals more than $410,000, while ministers cost more than $1million each annually.
Wendy Tengstrom and Malcolm Beer present Jono from Total Tools with a Certificate of Appreciation for his support of the MBA Apprentices. Total Tools are great supporters of our tradies and Milwaukee’s current Apprentice promotion offers a free heated Hoodie.
Total Tools steps in to help apprentices Theft of tools and equipment has a devastating effect on building industry tradespeople – but none more so than the theft of tools from apprentices. According to an Institute of Criminology study 39 percent of residential builders in Australia suffered theft or vandalism and a substantial proportion of builders were repeat victims (65 per cent of theft victims and 66 per cent of vandalism victims). On average, both theft victims and vandalism victims experienced two incidents of theft or two incidents of vandalism in a year. Master Builders ACT works with local suppliers on a range of initiatives and is grateful for the support and assistance it has received from Total Tools in Fyshwick following recent thefts from apprentices.
The apprentices were devastated by the thefts and considerably disadvantaged, with no tools to use. The MBA contacted Total Tools and along with one of their key suppliers, Milwaukee who were eager to work together with the MBA and help the guys get back on their feet.
Contact Total Tools today 103 Gladstone St, Fyshwick ACT 2609 Ph: (02) 6140 8444
www.totaltools.com.au
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MBA Apprentice building a new business Working for Box It Canberra, MBA Group Training apprentice Liam Muckle is uniquely place in the construction world. His role manufacturing the storage containers for Box It has offered him the opportunity to learn new skills and have involvement in refining the construction process. Box It launched in 2014 and is a mobile self-storage company where they bring the storage boxes to the customer and when filled return them to the Mitchell warehouse. Each box is 2.4m deep x 2.2m high x 1.5m wide and the boxes are made from a galvanised steel frame with high quality plywood which has proven to be a stable and durable material to transport and store the customer’s belongings. Box It host Tom Paton praised Liam for offering different solutions and refining the work-flow of the container manufacture, that included his re-design of the box panel templates. With 650 Box It boxes still to be constructed Liam has plenty of work ahead. www.boxitcanberra.com.au P: 1300 4 BOX IT
Top: The Box It warehouse in Mitchell. Above: Liam Muckle (middle) with Paul Smales and Tom Paton at the Box It warehouse in Mitchell.
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The Master Builders is responding to alcohol and other drugs in the workplace The increasingly high level of drug use in Australia means there is an urgent need for the building industry to show leadership and ensure staff are provided with drug-safe worksites, according to drug testing expert Michael White.
The prevalence of drugs in the workplace is often not fully appreciated. A recent poll of 1000 Victorian employees for the Australian Drug Foundation found that 10 per cent of the employees had either taken a day off and/or gone to work feeling the effects of their drug use. A recent United Nations report on worldwide drug use showed that, per capita, Australia has the highest rates of dangerous and illicit drug use in the world. In effect, Australians are the world’s highest users of ecstasy, ice and cannabis, and many of those drug-using Australians work in the construction industry. The potentially dangerous nature of many building sites is of significant concern to Michael White, who says that the construction industry needs to get serious about drugs in the workplace, and develop procedures and protocols to ensure building sites are drug-safe. “Builders and other contractors who are using power tools, lifting heavy materials, operating machinery, driving utes, trucks or diggers, navigating their way around a busy building site, and who are intoxicated or impaired by drugs are not only putting themselves at risk, but are also seriously endangering their coworkers around them,” Mr White said. Many builders are already working towards creating drug-safe worksites based on education and workplace screening. MBA is anxious to encourage these builders to maintain and increase their efforts and ensure that the whole industry commits to a safe drug and alcohol-free workplace. According to Mr White:
• • • •
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25 per cent of workplace accidents are drug related; 10 per cent of workplace deaths are drug related; Almost 70 per cent of drug users are in full time employment; and 80 per cent of workplace drug-related injuries involve coworkers or bystanders not drug users.
The use of drugs, even in small amounts can impair performance, judgment, coordination concentration and alertness. On a building site this can result in mistakes, accidents and injuries, damage to workplace equipment, deterioration in workplace relationships, increased absenteeism and decreased productivity.
The law Under ACT and Federal Work Health and Safety laws all employers have a duty of care to their employees. The legislation varies from state to state but the principles remain the same: an employer must provide and maintain a working environment that is safe without risks to health and safety, as well as monitor the health and safety of all employees. This means that employers can introduce testing of workers for drugs and alcohol. However, due to consultation obligations under modern awards, testing can only be introduced after consultation with employees – i.e. putting proposals to employees and asking for their feedback before the employer makes a final decision. Employees who refuse testing may be performance managed and (once they have been afforded an opportunity to explain themselves) potentially dismissed. Employees who undertake testing and test positive should ideally be offered rehabilitation and counselling as a first option. If they refuse rehabilitation, or are obviously impaired at work, then they can also be performance managed and potentially dismissed. Under the same legislation employees must take reasonable care for their own health and safety and that of others. In effect, that means both employers and employees should not be affected by drugs or alcohol in a way that puts others at risk. Drugs on a building site Drugs that are consumed recreationally, often at weekends or after work, are more often than not transported to the workplace, not always knowingly. Many people think that consuming alcohol or using drugs out of work hours is their private business. This is not correct, says Mr White, when the effects can have profound ramifications on workplace safety. “Many illicit drugs have effects that can last for many hours, even days and although workers can be using alcohol or drugs in private, many are still turning up to work many hours later impaired by hangovers or with drugs in their system,” Mr White said.
Canberra Building News 3-2014
Common substances The most commonly used of all illicit drugs and subsequently the most commonly found in work place drug testing is marijuana or cannabis. Today’s high powered cannabis is so strong it can cause psychotic conditions such as paranoid schizophrenia. With effects lasting in the body up to six hours, cannabis presents a real danger in the workplace, with a greater risk of accident and injury, particularly if the employee is operating heavy machinery or driving a vehicle. Cannabis use also results in loss of energy and interest in employee tasks and overall poor performance.
Train WHS managers or supervisors to conduct alcohol and drug tests as part of a return to work process for those employees who may have been identified as drug users and need to take some time off to clean out their systems.
Ecstasy is growing in popularity, as it’s reasonably easy to produce, cheap to buy and widely available. Ecstasy is an amphetamine based stimulant or ‘upper’ that works within the user’s central nervous system. Ecstasy users will feel more energetic and alert, have increased confidence, reduced appetite and tend to lower their inhibitions or drop their guard. In some people amphetamines will cause irritability, anxiety, depressive, hostile and aggressive behaviour. Panic attacks can also occur. Coming down from an amphetamine high can involve violent behaviour, tension, radical mood swings, depression and total exhaustion. Often the user will display shaking, sweating and feelings of nausea.
Review reports and manage the program over time to ensure the original objectives are being achieved.
Methamphetamine or Ice has become the biggest concern for the Australian police forces nationwide. Ice stimulates the senses, increases the libido, overheats the body, removes any sense of conscience or responsibility, and makes the user believe that they have super strength. Add in paranoia and a tendency towards extreme violence and it becomes one of the most dangerous drugs available. The most dangerous effect is that ice keeps users in this state for three or four days followed by the worst hangover imaginable. A builder or tradesperson on a building site using ice is an extreme danger to themselves and those working with them. Alcohol is the most widely used psychoactive or mood changing recreational drug in Australia, and when mixed with other illicit drugs the results can be disastrous. Alcohol is a central nervous system depressant, not a stimulant as commonly thought. Depending on various circumstances including the amount of consumed, alcohol can have some seriously debilitating effects including increased confusion, reduced coordination, slurred speech, poor muscle control, blurred vision. Heavy consumption of alcohol over time can cause permanent damage to many parts of the body including impairment of brain and liver functions. Simple steps to creating a drug-safe workplace: Engage a NATA (National Association of Testing Authorities) accredited, on-site organisation that can assist you with a full spectrum of options and solutions. Ensure you have a good and legally robust alcohol and other drugs policy that spells out the details in easy to comprehend language. Conduct alcohol and other drug education and awareness workshops where you can introduce the policies as part of the discussion process. Introduce a new staff and contractor drug-safe induction process to ensure that no bad habits can be recruited into the organisation going forward.
Conduct a blanket screen of all employees to establish a baseline to measure performance and identify hot-spots that need focus. This allows an affordable sensible random screening schedule that concentrates on the areas of highest risk.
MBA Alcohol and Other Drugs Policy nears completion Master Builders ACT is developing its own Alcohol and Other Drugs Policy for its employees, apprentices and trainees, in response to mounting evidence and concern about the effect of alcohol and others drugs on construction industry members and workplace safety. The policy will recognise that the Master Builders Association of the ACT, MBA Group Training Limited and all other related entities are committed to creating an alcohol and other drugs free workplace to safely achieve its objectives. This commitment:
• • • • •
promotes workers’ wellbeing, health and safety; creates a work environment where workers and others feel safe; improves performance including management of risk; and supports the requirements to comply with this policy. will ensure the policy will apply to all MBA workers, including apprentices and sub-contractors.
The MBA will support its workers in achieving this goal through the following initiatives:
• • • • •
education and training pre-employment testing post-incident testing reasonable cause testing random testing
If workers are observed taking, selling, supplying or being in the possession of alcohol and/or other drugs at work they will be disciplined according to the MBA’s disciplinary procedures. Workers refusing to consent to undertake alcohol and/or other drugs testing will also be disciplined. Under the Policy the MBA may assist with an alcohol and other drugs rehabilitation program for workers either voluntarily asking for assistance or testing positive for alcohol and/or other drugs. Michael White is Managing Director at Frontline Diagnostics which offers businesses across Australia, complete solutions to drug and alcohol-related issues in the workplace.
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Cbus Self Managed super fund
The growing popularity of self-managed super funds (SMSFs) reflects an increasing appetite for a ‘hands on’ approach to investing. Those people commencing a SMSF usually do so because they’re seeking greater investment choice and more control over how their super savings are invested. Given that for most of us super is one of our most significant investments, it’s not surprising the more investment savvy of us are looking to take matters into our own hands.
Cbus’ Trustee: United Super Pty Ltd ABN 46 006 261 623 AFSL 233792 Cbus ABN 75 493 363 262. Read the relevant Cbus Product Disclosure Statement to decide whether Cbus is right for you. Contact 1300 361 784 or visit www.cbussuper.com.au for a copy. Cbus Annual Member Briefing Hear from the people who work for you.
There are some benefits to a self-managed approach, including greater flexibility and control. However, many people who opt for a SMSF end up paying an accountant or financial adviser to manage their investments and to meet the complex and time-consuming audit and compliance requirements involved. Also, when choosing to invest in a SMSF you may lose out on the benefits offered by super funds, such as group insurance rates, financial advice and account administration. It raises a conundrum – how can you gain more control over your super without having to delve into fund administration and auditing? Cbus has provided a solution for its members with the upcoming launch of a new investment option – Cbus Self Managed. Cbus Self Managed provides many of the features of a SMSF – including the ability to invest directly in key asset classes – without the ongoing administration and compliance burden. From 8 September 2014, eligible Cbus members will be able to invest a significant portion of their super directly in a range of Australian shares, Exchange Traded Funds and term deposits. Members can choose to build a portfolio of investments, or to invest only a small amount to complement their standard Cbus investment options, or anything in between. The choice is entirely theirs. Cbus has developed Cbus Self Managed for people who are comfortable taking an active role and have the skill, time and desire to take control of their super’s investment strategy and portfolio construction. If you’re a Cbus member interested in taking a more hands on role with your super, visit www.cbussuper.com.au/morecontrol and find out more about Cbus Self Managed.
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The Cbus Annual Member Briefing (AMB) will be held on Tuesday 28 October at the MCG in Melbourne. The event will give Cbus members the opportunity to hear how the Fund is performing and find out about its future plans. Cbus Chair, Steve Bracks and CEO, David Atkin and will present at this event. Members attending in person can also meet representatives from ME Bank and Cbus Co-ordinators. Financial planners will also be in attendance. This is a special event for Cbus, and we look forward to meeting you. Cbus members unable to make it to Melbourne or attend the event in person will be able to view the presentation live, via an online web cast. Whether attending in person or online, members must register for the Annual Member Briefing by the closing date of Friday 24 October 2014. To register your interest now, go to amb.cbussuper.com.au Cbus’ Trustee: United Super Pty Ltd ABN 46 006 261 623 AFSL 233792 Cbus ABN 75 493 363 262. Read the relevant Cbus Product Disclosure Statement to decide whether Cbus is right for you. Call our Service Centre on 1300 361 784 or visit www.cbussuper.com.au for a copy.
LENNOCK volkswagen phillip SUPPORTS MBA MEMBERS For over 50 years Lennock Motors has built a reputation for award winning service to the Tradies of Canberra and Queanbeyan, with a range of commercial vehicles and a professional sales and service team, second to none. Peter Munday, dealer principal of Lennock Volkswagen is committed to supporting MBA members with sponsorship of the Master Builders Association and genuine discounts and bonuses to members. Lennock Volkswagen was voted Volkswagen Metro dealer of the year, largely due to their ongoing service to local businesses. With one of the most impressive ranges of new, used and demonstrator Volkswagen commercial vehicles around, Lennock can find the exact vehicle for your business, and back the deal with a capped price, service and after sale plan to ensure you get uninterrupted value for years to come. Peter Munday and his team know that a reliable, economical work vehicle is essential to running a business, and will match your needs and your budget with the right vehicle. As an MBA member you will qualify for additional bonuses each month, if you simply show your MBA membership. Every business has different transport needs. That’s why as well as the award winning range of hardworking Amarok utes and cab chassis, Lennock Volkswagen has a range of Single and Dual Cab options available in their Volkswagen Transporter models. The tough chassis of the Transporter is an ideal blank canvas to start
with. The generous wheelbase length and heavy duty GVM rating mean you can customise the back to suit your farm needs. The Single Cab Chassis is equipped with a double bench seat and separate driver seat as standard allowing for three people. The Dual Cab Chassis has two seats in the front and adds a rear bench seat for three providing ample room to take a team of five (or six with the optional front passenger bench seat). The Single and Dual Cab Transporter with dropside tray is equally popular. With a full size tray on the Dual Cab option, it’s one of the most impressive work utes. The addition of 4MOTION will provide your Volkswagen Transporter with sure footed agility in the most trying of surface conditions and can take you further off the beaten track. If you need to carry people as well as cargo, Crafter Dual Cab fits the bill. The brilliantly designed cab offers plenty of space for up to seven people Crafter is the biggest van in the Volkswagen Commercial Vehicle range and one of the largest and most versatile light commercial vehicles in Australia. But it’s also one of the most economical, powerful and reliable vans around, offering genuine versatility and functionality for businesses. Transporter and Crafter are just two examples of the versatile hardworking range of Volkswagens available from Lennock Volkswagen. The hardworking, tough and reliable Amarok ute has become an icon in the building industry, for value and reliability. For more information about the Volkswagen model that’s right for you, call into Lennock Volkswagen Phillip and arrange a test drive. 150 Melrose Dr, Phillip ACT 2606 P (02) 6282 2022 www.lennockvolkswagen.com.au 29
Major new cross-border urban development in the ACT and NSW The West Belconnen project offers significant land and building opportunities “We are seeking recognition as a world-class Green Star rated sustainability community,” Riverview Senior Consultant Tony Carey said. “The West Belconnen project is a registered Green Star Communities PILOT project.” Affordability is also a focus of the proposed master plan, encouraging diversity and innovation on housing for the region. A core aim of the developer’s vision is that innovative technologies and modern infrastructure will provide the framework for a resilient, self-reliant community to evolve over time and ensure better utilisation of resources. Riverview Projects’ (ACT) presentation to a large audience at the Master Builders Skills Centre.
West Belconnen is the working title for a proposed major new crossborder residential development in Canberra and the Yass Valley. Acting on behalf of the Land Development Agency for the ACT land, and for various landowners in NSW, Project Managers Riverview Projects (ACT) Pty Limited (Riverview) held an ‘Overview and Opportunities’ breakfast and briefing in Canberra on August 14 for members of the Master Builders Association. Riverview director David Maxwell said that West Belconnen will be a major project over 30 years, ultimately delivering about 11,500 homes for 30,000 people. “The vision is for a sustainable, inspiring and vibrant community of international significance in the nation’s capital,” Mr Maxwell said. “It will provide a choice of diverse housing types that will facilitate a broad range of lifestyles for individuals and families.” The land proposed for development covers 1600 hectares bordered by the Murrumbidgee River and Ginninderra Creek, with the Brindabella Mountains as a dramatic backdrop.
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The project seeks to be a national leader in delivery of extremely livable and attractive new communities for the 21st century.
Rodney Latimer of Orima Research said that their consumer studies showed downsizing to be a significant trend. “There is a move to apartments, townhouses and terraces,” he said. “Buyers’ openness to different types of properties and dwellings is increasing steadily.” Niva Pryor of Potent Marketing said that West Belconnen will suit people at all stages of their lives. ‘With its natural beauty, level of amenity and proximity to thriving Belconnen, it will inspire and enrich people’s lives.” “The project is now at a stage where we can engage with builders,” David Maxwell said. “Subject to the required environmental and planning approvals, construction is scheduled to commence by November 2015, and the first blocks are due for completion around May / June 2016.” He emphasised that apart from providing project information to builders, Riverview were also keen to hear builder’s ideas and opinions. “The concept continues to evolve and a range of opportunities will be investigated,” he said. “Block specifications and housing types are still being considered and formulated, so expert opinion and input from builders is welcome and highly valued”. “At the end of the day, this is urban development on a major scale. Ideas from members of the Master Builders Association will help inspire innovative design and construction, ultimately resulting in a better development plan, producing better land and building opportunities.”
Strong business foundations are built on quality insurance advice As the preferred broker of the Master Builders Association, let Austbrokers Canberra provide your business with specialist advice and local knowledge for all your insurance needs. Austbrokers
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Free assistance to improve your business Finding the time and having the expertise to work on your business, rather than in your business, can be a major challenge for a busy business but the rewards for doing so can be huge in terms of achieving growth and improving competitiveness. The Australian Government, through AusIndustry’s new $484.2 million Entrepreneurs’ Infrastructure Programme, is providing practical support to businesses by providing free of charge Business Evaluations undertaken by industry experienced business advisers. Additionally, to accelerate implementation of business improvement opportunities, the programme offers Business Growth grants to help cover the cost of hiring external resources to put in place the agreed recommended changes.
Programme Eligibility
These services are offered under the Business Management stream of the Entrepreneurs’ Infrastructure Programme, which aims to improve the capabilities of small-to-medium enterprises by helping them become more competitive and to grow business opportunities.
To apply for a Business Evaluation, a business must possess an Australian Company Number (ACN), be solvent, meet minimum turnover thresholds, have traded for more than three consecutive years, and operate in the specified industry sectors. Businesses in remote locations of Australia need at least an ABN. Building and construction companies whose revenue meets the relevant eligibility threshold from the supply of goods, services or technologies, into commercial, industrial or infrastructure-related construction are eligible for the Business Evaluation service. These include businesses in Construction ANZIC Division E, Subdivision 302 Non-Residential Building Construction and Subdivision 310 Heavy and Civil Construction.
Business Evaluations
Introducing your ACT and region Business Advisers
Business Evaluations are delivered at no charge to your business. Business Advisers with a wealth of industrial experience visit businesses to understand and review how the business operates. Through customer engagement, analysis, benchmarking and close consultation, areas of improvement are identified. After the Business Evaluation is completed, an evaluation report with recommendations on how to improve business operations will be delivered to the business owner for their consideration. Follow up support is provided to assist the business to achieve its agreed objectives.
Liz Kobold is an AusIndustry Business Adviser for the ACT and region. For the past 16 years she has worked with a range of organisations, from start-ups to mature businesses across many industries. She has been responsible for supporting businesses by providing advice on financial restructure, strategy, performance improvement and expansion.
To apply, complete the online Business Evaluation application form at http://www.business.gov.au/advice-and-support/EIP/ Pages/Business-Evaluation.aspx
Liz Kobold Business Adviser - ACT & the Capital Region AusIndustry – Entrepreneur Development 216 Northbourne Ave Braddon ACT 2612 Mobile: 0417 266 738 www.business.gov.au
Business Growth grants If a business is interested in implementing the recommendations and would like some financial help, they can apply for a Business Growth grant. The grant reimburses businesses for some of the cost of hiring external resources that can assist with implementation of the recommended improvements. To apply for a Business Growth grant, a business must have undertaken a Business Evaluation and the proposed project must be a recommendation of the applicant’s business evaluation report.
Robert McMenemy is a Wollongong-based AusIndustry Business Adviser, who also services the ACT and surrounding region. Robert has extensive private sector experience in managing the development of high growth small-to-medium enterprises in the open cut coal mining and seismic/mineral exploration industries. Robert McMenemy Business Adviser AusIndustry – Entrepreneur Development Level 1, 166 Keira Street, Wollongong NSW 2500 Phone: 02 4254 2500 Mobile: 0419 266 460 www.business.gov.au
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“
ENVISIA® Concrete is an exciting product innovation helping us achieve our vision for Barangaroo South. Lend Lease is committed to delivering a climate positive and lower carbon outcome for the entire Barangaroo precinct, pioneering a new era in sustainability and setting new engineering benchmarks for others to follow. - Tom Waters, Lend Lease Construction Manager T2
Boral’s ENVISIA® game changing concrete wins the prestigious ccaa nsw environmental innovation award Boral Construction Materials & Cement division is proud to announce that their ENVISIA® concrete has won a 2014 CCAA Environmental, Health and Safety Award for ENVIRONMENTAL INNOVATION.
Boral has recently launched into the NSW market, a ground-breaking lower carbon concrete product that uses world-class technology developed in Australia.
“ENVISIA® was developed to provide a lower carbon concrete that didn’t require customers to make a trade-off in performance characteristics.” “This is a game changer for the industry: it’s the most significant change to Australian cement technology in the last 40 years,” Mr Thomas said.
The new product, known as ENVISIA® uses innovative ZEP® technology, developed by Boral in Australia, which allows less Portland cement to be used in the concrete manufacturing process without reducing performance.
“Boral is passionate about sustainability and innovation, and we’re focused on improving in these areas to make the most difference to our shareholders, our customers, our communities, our employees and the environment.”
The result is a lower carbon concrete with excellent performance benefits and plastic, placement and finishing properties similar to conventional concretes. Further, laboratory and in-field trial results have shown ENVISIA® offers up to a 50% reduction in shrinkage compared to conventional concrete AND can reduce creep strain by 40% over conventional concrete of similar characteristic strength and modulus of elasticity. Boral Concrete Chief Engineer, Tony Thomas, said
Boral is working in close co-operation with Lend Lease on International Towers Sydney within the Barangaroo South project in NSW. Where, ENVISIA® has been used in parts of the tower’s construction and within a prototype structure at Ropes Crossing, Sydney.
About Envisia®
For more information on Boral’s exciting range of concrete please visit www.boral.com.au/concrete
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Feature article
Photos: (clockwise from top left) Part of the Skyhire team in Coombs, On the Majura Parkway, Lifting Wind Turbines, Lifting dinosaurs at the Dinosaur Museum.
SKYHIRE reaches AWARDWINNING HEIGHTS in service A trusted provider of Telehandler hire equipment (Manitou hire) in the ACT and Queanbeyan since 2004. Skyhire is 100% Australian owned and specialise in providing lifting services for multi-storey building projects. They have made a strong name for themselves amongst the many clients who have come to rely on the competitive advantages, Skyhire offers through their provision of quality products and services.
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These include reduced scheduled times for trades, increased site safety, reduced project costs and improved quality of construction practices – all huge advantages for Skyhire’s clients and also a huge part of the reason why Skyhire won the Master Builders ACT’s Supplier of Year Award 2014.
service that meets our industry’s high standards and demands for products and services of the highest calibre,” John Miller continued. “Skyhire’s commitment to constantly striving to invest and innovate ensures their customers have a true competitive advantage.”
“This award is a well-deserved recognition of Skyhire’s high level professional and service standards”, Executive Director Master Builders ACT, John Miller, said.
Skyhire Manager Robert Sutherland said “The awards night was fantastic and I was speechless”. For the builders that we look after to have that faith and give us such a high accolade within the construction industry – it really gave me a sense of pride”.
“Skyhire are a committed group of professionals who blend an experienced management team with a strong focus on safety and service, providing a hire
“We routinely lift bricks, blocks, frames, flooring, T-bars, trusses, roofing and plasterboard. We’ve lifted a helicopter out of the Brindabella Mountains after it crashed, a couple of Rhinos for Canberra Zoo & Aquarium, dinosaurs for the Dinosaur Museum and also moved 5 metre high glass panels into place for Canberra International Airport”, Mr Sutherland revealed. Skyhire has been an integral part of some of Canberra’s most significant builds, including the National Arboretum, Bimberi Youth Justice Centre, Gungahlin College, Harrison Primary School, Isabella Retirement Village, John Paul College and the Majura Parkway, just to name a few.
“By using Skyhire you don’t have to purchase or dryhire a machine, we can provide you with a machine, driver & dogman at a price all inclusive (full road registration, insurance, fuel, maintenance, lifting equipment and attachments) without any safety risk to you. Saving you on labour time, payments, interest and trade-in deprecation”, Robert explained. Skyhire is very lucky to be working with clients such as Antalija, Art Homes, Banyan, Blackett Property Group, Bloc, Capezio, Construction Control, Core, Delnas Metal Roofing, Geocon, Hindmarsh, Leightons, Manteena, Moraschi Roofing, Narona Homes, Project Coordination, Rawson Homes, Shaw Living and Village Building, along with many other local Canberra builders, and gave special mention to its strongest supporter, Warren and Tim of PBS Building, for their years of support. Skyhire combines the experience and vigour of a committed group of professional operators with the support of an experienced management team with an emphasis on safety and service and neither will be compromised for cost or convenience. Making safety a valueadded service that the company provides to its customers, this means always having the best and most efficient facilities, processes, and people. To achieve this, Skyhire invests in ways that pay off in competitive advantages for its customers. Skyhire is committed to ensuring that the vehicles they use on customers job sites are safe and approved by the Occupational Health and Safety Act. Accident prevention is the cornerstone of Skyhire’s safety commitment. The company strives to eliminate foreseeable hazards, which could result in personal injury or illness. Skyhire’s biggest priority is the health and safety of their employees and customer site workers. Skyhire has made safety its number one concern and has recognised the need to keep taking steps to develop a comprehensive infrastructure, designed to make them not just a company with a safety policy, but also a “safe company”.
Here’s what some of Skyhire’s clients have to say. GEOCON – DAMON SMITH We have used the services of Skyhire for the past few years and Alex and Rob have built a strong relationship with all our site teams. The guys at Skyhire are never too busy to help out on site; they are experienced and have the latest machines and a wide range of fittings to achieve any type of lift. Skyhire are competitively priced and always work in a safe manner sure to observe and follow all site safety rules. FULTON HOGAN – WILSON HUYNH Skyhire has constantly gone above and beyond to deliver Fulton Hogan excellent service. Not only do they show outstanding ingenuity and a flexible 24-hour service, they are also very attentive to the task at hand with regards to not only quality but also safety. Without the experience and effort of Rob and the Skyhire team, the Majura Parkway project would not have run as smoothly as it has. BLOC - JACK HERMES Rob and the team provide excellent service and a major plus is that machines are kept in A1 condition. This means that all paperwork
required for compliance is always up to date and on hand when required. They are prompt and efficient and a pleasure to work with. CAPEZIO & CO - MARC RAUCINELLO Robert and his co-workers are always very responsive and willing to go to extra mile to get the job done on time. ART HOMES PTY LTD – STEVE KEOGH Skyhire has worked for us for many years, we have always found them to be reliable, safe, efficient and professional in all dealings. We would recommend them to other builders and will be hiring Skyhire in the future.
PO Box 710 Gungahlin ACT 2912 M: 0417 042 571 E: robertsutherland@bigpond.com
www.skyhire.com.au Winner - Supplier of the Year 2014 Master Builders & Cbus Excellence in Building Awards
Photos: (clockwise from top left) Lifting the pod playground into place at the National Arboretum. Robert Sutherland, placing barriers on the Majura Parkway.
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Silver Lining in the Cloud
Two Canberra businessmen have teamed up to create a new software program that may be the simple answer to what’s troubling subcontractors in the Australian construction industry. It’s fair to say that many involved in the Australian construction industry are currently doing it tough. The last few years have witnessed the collapse of a record number of construction businesses. The slowdown has clearly shown that some companies nationwide are struggling under the burden of an increasing administrative workload, difficulties in estimating project budgets/construction programs, and complexities in resolving contractual disputes. Commercial subcontractors need a product to better manage their businesses and construction sites. Trade-Up is a unique software program developed in the ACT which allows subcontractors to manage the key factor that makes or breaks a business - track the productivity of groups of workers on construction sites.
Utilising the rapid advances in mobile and cloud technology, Trade-Up will allow on-site foremen and tradespeople to access and enter information on each of their construction sites using the phone in their pocket. The program takes information directly from the ‘coal face’ of a project. The amount of work completed in a day and the manhours spent produces an innovative productivity score to track whether a project will be delivered on-time and within budget.
Jesse Ahern sums up Trade-Up using a cricket analogy. ‘Similar to cricket where you can estimate a team’s total and how quickly they might reach it by looking at the runrate, Trade-Up allows users to predict how many men will be needed at the current pace to finish on time and on budget.’ ‘Trade-Up is next generation business software that has been developed from within the industry in response to an actual need, which means it is what subcontractors actually want.’ Trade-Up uses the productivity score taken on site to make tendering, variations, and labour costing faster and more accurate. Trade-Up can also be used as a tool in dispute resolution and regulation compliance all while reducing the administrative burden.
“Trade-Up stands out from other project management systems because it is simple, and focuses on a productivity measurement system that is trade specific” The co-founders of Trade-Up are Canberra based Trent O’Sullivan and Jesse Ahern. Trent is a well-established local subcontractor, having operated a major bricklaying company for over 20 years, and employing hundreds of locals in the process. Jesse began his career in the industry with Lend Lease and has a strong background in computing and software-based management. According to Trent O’Sullivan; ‘Trade-Up stands out from other project management systems because it is simple, and focuses on a productivity system that is trade specific. All work, on each section of the site, has key performance indicators so the workers on site know what they need to achieve each day and receive instant feedback’. Trade-Up is designed to be simple and intuitive even for those who don’t regularly use technology. The program generates easy to read graphs and statistics. These statistics allow the user to track productivity and trends in workflows on a daily basis, making it easier to identify issues before they turn into a dispute.
This next generation business software has been developed from within the industry in response to an actual need, which means it is what subcontractors actually want. Trade-Up has also been developed in close consultation with peak industry bodies. It has been endorsed by us at the Master Builders Association of the ACT, as well as the Masonry Contractors Association, and the Australian Brick and Block Training Foundation. The first release of Trade-Up is tailored for brick and blockwork subcontractors. Development is well underway to extend the product to other trades. The Masonry version is undergoing Beta Testing and is anticipated for release in early November 2013.
For more information contact Trade-Up via email at admin@Trade-Up.com.au, or visit the Trade-Up website at www.Trade-Up.com.au 36
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CTR Pacific’s planning, and construction experience spans various types of building works: • • • • • •
Office blocks National headquarters Car dealerships Hostels & aged care facilities Factories Refurbishment works and the like
6280 7881 U28 / 105 Newcastle St, Fyshwick
www.ctrpacific.com.au
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cbus Well done, from all of
At Cbus, we understand the hard work, effort and skill required in all areas of building and construction.
That’s why Cbus would like to congratulate all the winners of the 2014 Master Builders and Cbus Excellence in Building awards. A job well done.
2014 Master Builders and Cbus Excellence in Building Awards Call Cbus on 1300 361 784 or visit www.cbussuper.com.au Cbus’ Trustee: United Super Pty Ltd ABN 46 006 261 623 AFSL 233792 Cbus ABN 75 493 363 262. Read the relevant Cbus Product Disclosure Statement to decide whether Cbus is right for you. Contact 1300 361 784 or visit www.cbussuper.com.au for a copy.
Shower screens Glass Splashbacks Mirrors cut to size Glass replacement Security doors & screens Sliding wardrobe doors & internals Crimsafe doors & screens
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39
Awards Feature
2014 master builders & cbus Excellence in
Building Awards. friday 27 June, National Convention Centre, Canberra
a night of gatsby glitz and glamour Friday 27 June saw the 24th Annual Master Builders & Cbus Excellence in Building Awards held at the National Convention Centre in Canberra. The theme for the evening was ‘Gatsby’ inspired and the room looked the part thanks to BDW Secial Events Management.
The 2014 Master Builders Association of the ACT Excellence in Building Awards truly exceeded all expectations and has set the standard extremely high for 2015, which will be the 25th anniversary of the awards in ACT. Civil, Commercial, Residential and Subcontractor sectors all had a strong representation with a high level of quality and artistry. This year’s awards recognised significant contributions to the Canberra community with projects including the Cotter Dam Project, the Louisa Lawson Building, the stunning Garangula Gallery and the National Arboretum Pod Playground, to name a few. With nationals just around the corner, it is time for the ACT industry to encourage and support our 36 finalists as they enter the national arena. In 2013 the Canberra Airport took out the top award of National Project of the Year. In the same year we also received another seven national awards making 2013 one of our most successful years on record.
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We are quietly confident that 2014 will reap the same reward with finalists including; Build Professional, Mayfair Homes, Geocon, Manteena, Bulk Water Alliance and J&J Interiors to name a few. Principal awards partner, Cbus, make a vital contribution to Canberra and the region. Their contribution to the industry and the lives of people reaches right across Australia as one of this country’s leading industry superannuation funds. Cbus and the Master Builders Association of the ACT congratulate all winners and finalists once again and wish our national finalist the best of luck. Thank you for your ongoing dedication and commitment to our community.
Guests were treated to some fantastic entertainment by the voice’s steve clisby and mitch anderson, along with a brilliant performance by one of australia’s favourite comedians, kitty flanagan.
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Awards Feature
Below: Master Builders ACT President Valdis Luks addresses the audience.
The Master Builders Excellent in Building Awards is an opportunity to celebrate the outstanding work of the ACT finalists and winners, as well as those who have been successful in progressing on as a National finalist. It is important to acknowledge the contribution made by so many in shaping the beautiful city in which we live. This incredible infrastructure contributes to the city and region’s growth and development. The innovation and high quality of work being delivered is proof of our industry’s resilience despite constant external pressures. We must express great appreciation and thanks to our valuable sponsors of their continued support. The awards are possible due to sponsorship support from organisations such as Cbus, the Master Builders Fidelity
The spotlight is never far from the industry with the vast majority expecting and delivering upon the high standard we hold each other accountable to. Fund and Lennock VW Commercial Vehicles. Boral’s long and highly valued association with Master Builders ACT continues along with other long term major sponsors, St George and ActewAGL. The spotlight is never far from the industry with the vast majority expecting and delivering upon the high standard we hold each other accountable to. The benchmark continues to be raised and the constant pursuit of excellence creates excitement around the industry and what can be achieve in the coming years. Working collaboratively with the government and the bureaucracy in fundamental for our members to achieve a successful operating environment with strong forward momentum. Confidence in the future of the industry can be drawn from the vital information transfer and training of the up and coming generation of tradespeople. With the fast paced technological advancements being introduced to the industry there are extremely exciting times ahead. 2015 will be the 25th anniversary of the ACT Excellence in Building Awards which is expected to deliver a highly competitive arena for the judging teams to tackle and a spectacular awards night to celebrate the past 25 years of an industry we have all contributed to. John Miller Executive Director
Hilarious: Kitty Flanagan had the crowd in stitches with her amazing comedy performance.
Canberra Building News 3-2014
manteena win project of the year with the amazing garangula gallery ›› “We see ourselves as there in the service of our clients and not necessarily as just a commercial transaction,” Project Director Rod Mitton said. “My love for the industry comes from the people that you work with and the people you meet who are really committed and really skilled, and so working together with the architects, clients, tradespeople and our own staff to develop a project and deliver it makes all the hard work worth it.” Manteena won both the Commercial Buildings $20,000,000-$50,000,000 category as well as the prestigious Project of the Year 2014. “We felt that there was very good competition and so when I heard we had won I was very relieved,” Mr Mitton said. The winning project, Garangula Gallery is situated in rural New South Wales, houses an extensive collection of Aboriginal art and provides facilities to cater functions for more than 100 guests. It sits comfortably within the natural topography of the landscape and is both beautiful and functional in scale and form – a brief met seamlessly by Manteena. On arrival to the building, visitors enter via a long walkway running parallel to a water tunnel and a nominating stone wall which accentuates the northsouth axis of the building, and are then greeted by natural textures and the rural and indigenous influences that echo throughout. “In a lot of ways the gallery has been constructed from elements from within the environment. For example the rammed earth construction and stone work which was quarried adjacent to the site and the timber is reminiscent to the boxed woodlands that are in the area,” Mr Mitton said. Manteena has renowned experience working with cultural institutions with this being the second Project of the Year Award that Manteena has won in three years, the first being for the National Gallery of Australia’s Indigenous Gallery extension. “We are also working on the National Library of Australia at the moment on a new project so there is a capability within our business to work on projects with a cultural
background,” he said. Mr Mitton and Manteena would like to express special gratitude to all those involved in the development of the gallery. “The staff that worked on the project, for a large part lived onsite or nearby and had to spend long periods of time away from their family and friends,” he said. “They stuck to that from day one right through to the end so I would like to thank them for all their commitment and effort.” Manteena project director Rod Mitton pinpoints the company’s collaborative approach as a key element of the business that he is most proud of. Manteena is a deserving national finalist competing for two titles this year; National Commercial/Industrial Construction Award – $20 million to $50 million and National Commercial Master Builder of the Year.
Above: The House of the Year was a joint effort by Papas Property Group, Architects Ring & Associates, Archertec Interiors.
house of the year a team effort ›› Timeless design has been captured perfectly by the builder and architect in this project. Upon arrival, it was self-evident the judges were in for a special experience. The streetscape of the house shows respect both for the neighbouring homes and for the existing landscape of the site. Initial visual impact established anticipation that this was of a very high standard throughout. From all living areas, including the master bedroom, the spectacular pool is inviting, as the outdoors flows in, relating back to the surrounding landscape. Full advantage is taken of the solar gains from the site, and the narrow footprint allows for natural cross ventilation. The judges were impressed with both the connectivity and flow between the dining room, kitchen and family room. A separate wing houses the bedrooms while the formal wing is open to the house, allowing for a direct relationship with the pool, garden and “borrowed views”. The design of the kitchen and family room enables penetration of eastern and northern sun with great prospects of solar gains all day throughout winter, yet allowing for shading in summer. The lower level provided another level of excitement for the judges, with a garage, theatre room, cellar and pool equipment storage room.
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Painting is of a high quality throughout, and materials used included Alucobond cladding, stone feature walls, glazing and double glazed windows. Essential to the design brief of this house was transparency to the pool views while still maintaining a sense of privacy and security for the family, and although these areas were difficult to create, this lavish home displays true excellence in construction. Precise attention to detail and the highly finished product are directly attributable to the passion and dedication of all involved. Given this is the second home the client and architect have designed together, it is clear they have established an exceptional working relationship and developed a mutual understanding of expectations and as a result they have created a masterpiece as well as an authentic home.
Duncan Contractors is the trusted name for construction in the ACT. We strive to provide the highest quality workmanship to the ACT’s top builders. We also support and train MBA apprentices. From slab preparation, frames and trusses, to fix outs and fit offs, we offer all aspects of carpentry for both residential and commercial projects. We are local and understand the Canberra market, and we support local business. Time is money. We have extensive building experience, so we understand the need for quality workers who are able to solve problems promptly.
M P E
0406 218 273 PO Box 779 Mitchell ACT 2911 will@duncancontractors.com.au
duncancontractors.com.au Winner - 2014 Excellence in Building Awards.
ACN : 152270310 ACT Builders License: 20111269 NSW Builders License: 2264870
Awards Feature
Below: - Will Duncan from Duncan Contractors.
Will Duncan awarded for contribution to training ››
chase building group win award for the louisa lawson building ››
Apprenticeships give young builders the opportunity to work for a real employer, earn a real salary and accomplish a real qualification while gaining valuable workplace skills and experience. This year the Youth Participant and Training Award recognised the work of Duncan Contractors in helping Canberra’s budding builders find their feet.
Chase Building Group in conjunction with Amalgamated Property Group has recently completed the Louisa Lawson Development in Greenway. The project was delivered with a focus on clean construction and finishes with an emphasis on the visual quality of the building. The Louisa Lawson project, which won the categories of Commercial Building more than $50m and Refit more than $5m, is a substantial building constructed in a very short time frame and yet the quality of the fit out is most impressive. The high quality joinery, the careful detailing of the removable partitions and the high quality floor finishes provide the users with a level of ambience which is rare for leased Government offices. Clearly the team at Chase spent a great deal of time ensuring that there was the highest level of finish throughout the building.
But for Duncan Contractors director Will Duncan, who has employed, developed and helped many apprentices grow in his time, the rewards are not just one-sided. “Sometimes you filter through apprentices until you find a good one. So when you do you want to make sure you hold on to them,” Mr Duncan laughed. “With my apprentices I like to think of it as an investment in my company. I want to teach the boys my way of doing things and hopefully they want to stick with me too.
This project was very carefully detailed by the Design Team, and the Builders have reflected this attention to detail in the finished product. The expertise of the construction team was clearly demonstrated, not just in the quality of the finishes, but also in the “back of house” facilities such as plant rooms and basements.
“I was once an MBA apprentice too. I’ve come through the system and finished my time so I try and teach all the boys skills that they don’t necessarily learn in their apprenticeship about running a business and the building industry, and give the best advice that I can.” Duncan Contractors employs a lot of MBA apprentices, as well as a few private apprentices, and Will said all the apprentices that he currently has are all from the MBA. Not only does Duncan Contractors offer lots of opportunities to train youths and develop skills, it also builds relationships and opens up a range of career pathways and future employment opportunities.
Above: - The award winning Louisa Lawson Building by Chase Building Group. 46
www.chasegroupact.com.au Unit 5/2 Yallourn St Fyshwick ACT 2609 | PO Box 464 Fyshwick ACT 2609 | P 02 6239 1288 | F 02 6239 1122 | E info@chasegroupact.com.au Lic No: 20131004 ACN: 165180432 47
Awards Feature
Ross greenup of shaw building wins project manager of the year for work on intensive care unit ›› Ross Greenup had total responsibility for the construction of the extension to the ICU at the Canberra Hospital. This extremely complex project was built over a site with unbelievable constraints including major in-ground services (which couldn’t be disturbed), and an access roadway that couldn’t be closed. Additionally, an intensive care unit simply cannot be shut down. Here we see the reality of the extremely difficult task Ross and his team faced. Reports from hospital staff on the level of care, forward planning, sensitivity to the patients and the staff again emphasised the skills Ross demonstrated in the execution of this project. The logistics of providing a major new building within an existing hospital, without interruption to services, is an achievement in itself. This was constructed over an existing high voltage power line, fire mains, water mains and gas mains, which couldn’t be disturbed, yet the new building had to be founded on reinforced concrete piers around these services. During construction, the existing service road to the main communication room/server room and the Building 1 plant room, which ran under the new building, had to be maintained. As an ICU is the most sensitive area as far as reliability of services, medical gases etc., and yet extensions had to be undertaken without any disruption to these vital areas. From accolades provided by hospital staff, Shaw Building clearly achieved high levels of satisfaction and this is testament to the degree of dedication provided by the site staff and contractors on the project.
Below: - The Intensive Care Unit at the Canberra Hospital.
subcontractor of the year j&J interiors ›› The anodised aluminium panels used extensively throughout the interior of the ANU Chemical Sciences Building provided a unique modernistic finish to this cutting edge facility. The design patterning resulted in a wide range of angular shapes requiring the contractor to “design and construct” the variable panels to meet the Architect’s expectation. Many of the panels were applied to raked, flat and bevelled ceilings including to the three-storey high entry ceiling, and required extremely careful survey, detailed shop drawing and fabrication to achieve the high quality end product.
Above: - The award winning Chemical Sciences Building at the Australian National University.
Below: - The winning kitchen by Simplicity Kitchens & Reliabuilt.
Simplicity Kitchens and reliabuilt take out kitchens award ››
Classic Constructions and melinda boag design win for “the glebe” ››
With 11 finalists in the Kitchen Design & Construction over $30,000.00 category, Simplicity Kitchens and Reliabuilt can be very proud of their winning project in Nicholls.
Clever and compact, “The Glebe” maximises space, with multiple indoor and outdoor living spaces, flexible bedroom layout, double-height lounge room, and demonstrates how intelligent design can do much with a minimum. The north-facing alfresco area – with an outdoor kitchen and automatic retractable awning roof – provides year-round dining and living, while the south-facing summer courtyard offers an additional connection with the outdoors. A cantilevered deck at the front of the home adds aesthetic appeal and another striking outdoor space. A “deceptive” street appeal of a two-storey home but is only one and a well constructional home with high attention to detail impressed judges.
The striking lines and neutral colours help to enhance the look and feel of this stunning kitchen. The design is simple, sleek and modern whilst highly functional and visually enticing. The use of mirror glass as a splash back and mirror laminate in the feature boxing deliver an air of elegance. Herra pinned LED lights help showcase the feature display boxes. The Hafele pocket doors cleverly hid a neat study nook. This kitchen from Simplicity Kitchens and Reliabuilt have, without a doubt, filled the client’s brief of an aesthetically pleasing and practical space.
“The Glebe”: - This project was a stand-out in its category and a deserving winner. 49
Awards Feature
Pod Playground at the national arboretum by design landscapes ››
Cord civil Win Roadworks category for work on Transit Way ››
Design Landscapes can be extremely proud of their contribution to the National Arboretum. The Pod Playground perfectly complements the surrounding site and blends in with the mountainous background with a sophisticated subtlety. Duncan James, Project Manager with Design Landscapes said “The Pod Playground is a perfect example of the results that can be achieved when the design, client and contractor teams come together in a collaborative environment and work together to achieve a special outcome. Located at the peak of the National Arboretum, the Pod Playground offers a unique opportunity for children to creatively engage in a variety of play activities in a natural environment, all with a view that is second to none”.
The project required construction of additional traffic lanes, bus lanes, a drop-off area for Radford College, new traffic signals and multiple bus stops. All this was constructed under live traffic conditions, while maintaining constant flows without delays.
Mr James continued to detail “The themed design creates a fantasy world of exaggerated scales, giant acorns floating in the sky and enormous Banksia cones nestled on the forest floor all of which provides endless opportunity for challenging play across multiple age groups”. Based around the seed pods of the Banksia tree (steel, cement render and fiberglass construction) and the Oak tree (steel and timber construction) the playground’s main elements are linked by integrally coloured exposed concrete paths which feature tight organic curves and various level changes. The climbing/blackboard wall has a steel cage construction which not only facilitates the curves on plan but also allows for the forward and backward leaning faces. The wall is faced with integrally coloured carved plaster and finished with coloured stain highlights. At one entrance to the playground there is a large rope net climbing structure and throughout the playground there are special suprises such as the timber bridge with deck bells, climbing walls, dry river beds, woven steel entry portals and fences crafted from reinforcing rod and air horns hidden in the banksias. (www.designls.com).
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Below: - The Pod Playground at the National Arboretum by Design Landscapes.
Cord Civil’s WHS & E policies permitted a strategic plan which maximised recycling and they also organised the sites to ensure minimal impact on the project surroundings. Purchasing materials in this fashion also allowed Cord to minimise an untidy site by controlling the location of material stockpile sites. Cord Civil effectively structured works to enable access to all roads was kept in a safe and workable manner at all times.
Transit Way: - Cord Civil achieved a fantastic result with this project
Thank you to our sponsors A big thank you must go to all the valued sponsors of this year’s awards. Without their generous and continued support this event would not be possible.
Naming RIGHTS sponsor
major sponsors
Lennock
associate sponsors
E ST. 1986
Canberra
supporting sponsors
GOODMAN LAW
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Do you know who you’re dealing with? A free smartphone app developed by the Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC) will help MBA members undertake important checks before they enter into business transactions with other organisations.
Feel secure knowing that you have the best Working at heights training. Working at Heights
‘What you see on the surface, isn’t always what you get’, said ASIC Commissioner Greg Tanzer. ‘Due diligence needs to start the moment you’re thinking about starting a relationship with a business, not after you find out you’re chasing money from a business that doesn’t exist. ‘ASIC’s Business Checks app provides some general guidance on the steps small businesses can take to reduce the risk of being swindled by unreliable operators and fly-bynight businesses’, Mr Tanzer said. Available for smartphones and tablets, ASIC Business Checks encourages business owners to:
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Ask the right questions about the company, business and individuals they’re dealing with;
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Check ASIC’s registers and verify that the information they’ve been given is accurate;
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Seek ASIC’s help if they need more information or the support of a professional business adviser; and
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Report suspected misconduct to ASIC if they believe a company, business or individual is acting unlawfully.
ASIC Business Checks is available now. Visit iTunes or Google Play to download. http://www.asic.gov.au/asic/asic.nsf/byheadline/ Small+business 52
The aim of this course is to provide participants with information, tuition and activities that will enable them to identify, assess and safely work above 1.5 metres with fall protection where required. course Objectives • Identify work area requirements ; and • Follow OH&S Policies & Procedures and identify relevant OH&S legislation, regulations and standards covering fall protection equipment; • Identify approved methods of moving tools and equipment to minimise potential to falling objects.
For more information contact MBA Group Training on: T 02 6280 9119 F 02 6280 9118 E canberra@mba.org.au W www.mba.org.au/training
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AUSTRALIAN APPRENTICESHIPS. RGT – Your local Australian Apprenticeships Centre servicing MBA Members Regional Group Training Australian Apprenticeships Centre (RGT AAC) is a committed local leader in the delivery of quality apprenticeship services. Our mission remains of a pivotal focus “to provide a centre of excellence in the promotion of vocational educational and training through our apprenticeship services by promoting and developing an educated, skilled and flexible workforce”. We achieve this by being responsive, market focused and committed to our client’s needs. Regional Group Training Australian Apprenticeships Centre (RGT AAC) is a committed local leader in the delivery of quality apprenticeship services. Our mission remains of a pivotal focus “to provide a centre of excellence in the promotion of vocational educational and training through our apprenticeship services by promoting and developing an educated, skilled and flexible workforce”. We achieve this by being responsive, market focused and committed to our client’s needs. RGT AAC commenced operation in 1999 and today is the largest local Australian Apprenticeships Centre in Canberra. RGT AAC is contracted by the Australian Government to provide advice on Australian Apprenticeships and Federal and Local government initiatives and incentives. This is a free service to employers and Australian Apprentices. RGT AAC encompasses all apprenticeships and traineeships. Australian Apprenticeships have been identified as the best way to combine training and employment and they can lead to the obtainment of a nationally recognised qualification. Australian Apprenticeships are
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available to anyone of working age and do not require any entry qualifications. You can be a school-leaver, re-entering the workforce or simply wishing to change careers. We assist with the signing of training contracts and also, assess, approve and process the payment of Australian Government incentives to eligible employers, and personal benefits to eligible Australian Apprentices specifically to assist them in the early years of their Australian Apprenticeship when their wages are generally at their lowest. RGT AAC assist apprentices throughout their apprenticeship by providing support and mentoring via our unique C.A.R.E Program. At RGT AAC we are committed to knowing our clients and meeting their business expectations and needs. We aim to provide our clients with personalised, seamless experience that makes it easier for you to manage your business and apprenticeship process. We acknowledge this commitment in by rewarding and recognising employers each month who have exhibited outstanding commitment to apprentices through on the job training and have shown support to RGT AAC. So we welcome all employers to partake in this.
Australian Apprenticeships offer •
A great way to get a head start in a chosen career.
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Paid work and structured training that can be on-the-job, offthe-job or a combination of both.
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‘Competency based’ which means you can complete your training faster if you reach the required skills level.
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Existing skills and prior experience are recognised and course credit granted, potentially reducing formal training time. Apprenticeships can be undertaken on a full-time or part-time basis. School –based Apprenticeships are only on a part-time basis.
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Leads to nationally recognised qualifications and skills which provide the basis for further education and training over the course of your working life.
“RGT AAC encompasses all apprenticeships and traineeships. Australian Apprenticeships have been identified as the best way to combine training and employment and they can lead to the obtainment of a nationally recognised qualification.”
Contact RGT Today You can call us on 1800 891 117 or
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A pathway from school to work.
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Opportunities for financial assistance through Trade Support Loans, Living Away From Home Allowance, Support for Adult Apprentices and Disability Australian Wage Support.
www.rgt.com.au twitter.com Facebook “f ” Logo
CMYK / .eps
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facebook.com
If you have Australian Apprentices or looking to engage an Australian Apprentice let your local AAC assist you. 55
Master Builders annual charity golf day Raising funds for the Apprentice House The Master Builders Association of the ACT’s Annual Golf Day is our major social sporting event, designed to reach a broad spectrum of the building and construction industry; including the residential and commercial building sectors, subcontractors, suppliers, civil contractors, professionals and representatives from the Government sectors. This Golf Day provides excellent networking and sponsorship opportunities. The day will consist of a round of golf where a full field of participants is expected, a BBQ lunch and dinner at the Federal Golf Club. Trophies will be presented during the dinner, followed by a presentation by Former Australian fast bowler Rodney Hogg (pictured) and finally a charity auction to support the Apprentice House.
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When: Monday 17 November
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Where: Federal Golf Club, Red Hill
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Cost: $125.00 per person for full round of golf. (Includes BBQ lunch and dinner) or $90.00 for golf only (includes BBQ Lunch)
Master Builders Annual dinner This year’s Annual Dinner will be held at the National Museum of Australia in Acton. John MacKay AM will be this year’s guest speaker, with the night to be mc’d by comic Cal Wilson. John Mackay AM has been a prominent member of the Canberra business community for nearly 20 years. During this time he has had a major impact on several businesses, charities and community organisations. He had an unusual childhood and a very interesting career in the federal government prior to joining ACTEW as CEO in 1998. His story will soon be released in a book written by Graham Downie a former Canberra Times journalist. John will preview some of the more interesting and entertaining elements of the book at the Master Builders Annual Dinner. John is Chairman of the Strategic Advisory Board of the National Arboretum Canberra. He has been associated with the Arboretum since its inception following the Canberra bush fires in 2003 and is also Chancellor of the University of Canberra. He is a Director on the boards of the Canberra Investment Corporation Limited, Little Company of Mary Healthcare, Speedcast, DataPod and the Canberra Raiders.
Cal Wilson is a stand-up comedian and radio and television personality. Cal came across the Tasman in 2003 and has gone on to become one of our most popular comedians, a perennial favourite on television shows such as Spicks and Specks, Good News Week and Thank God You’re Here. Her stand up shows are as engaging as they are hilarious, often bringing the audience’s stories to life alongside her own.
When:
Thursday 16 October 6.30pm for 7.00pm
Where:
National Museum of Australia, Acton
Cost:
$180.00 (early bird, booked by 12 September)
$195.00 (member) & $210.00 (non-member)
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Master Builders
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Procurement to Completion - Managing Project Safety. A high impact construction safety workshop not to be missed!
Wednesday 22 October 2014 Canberra Rex Hotel, 150 Northbourne Avenue, ACT Are you and your organisation at risk?
2014 has seen the first WHS prosecution of an organisation and an officer for allegedly failing to exercise due diligence, to provide safe work systems and a safe work environment without risks to health and safety under the Work Health and Safety Act. The ACT has also had several high profile construction-related death cases currently the subject of legal proceedings. Procurement has an enormous influence on managing project safety and Federal Construction Management has brought together a panel of experts in procurement, WHS and project delivery for a 1-day high impact workshop to give attendees: 1. An awareness of the importance of procurement in realising safer project outcomes.
• • •
Tests for as “far as reasonably practical” Appropriate levels of supervision and what needs to be done Competency required by workers to perform their tasks safely
Furthermore experts will deliver sessions on: • • • • •
Incidents & consequences for stakeholders Safety in procurement best practice — case study Electrical Services, Investigating incidents — plant, people and work systems, Project case studies: separating plant and people, Practical plant safety management, Leadership skills to improve WHS outcomes
This will be followed a series of small interactive WHS case studies/ workshops that will see delegates work through safety issues with workshop findings shared with the the panel. A Q&A session will round off the workshop.
2. The knowledge of best practice in delivery of safe projects 3. An understanding of due diligence and how to meet key WHS obligations Managing project safety will be covered from all perspectives - the client’s, superintendents, principal contractor, service providers, subcontractors and suppliers across Commonwealth, State/Territory and Local Government construction and maintenance works.
The workshop is not be for the faint hearted, it will be frank and hard hitting with key WHS experts delivering important messages which will make a difference to how you and your organisation operate. Who should attend?
WHS experts will deliver presentations as well as take questions from delegates on issues including:
Those in construction in ACT, NSW and Commonwealth Industry Stakeholders, Client Bodies, Procurement Agencies, Company Officers and Senior Managers, Risk Managers, Training Organisations, WHS Auditors, Superintendent’s Representatives, Construction Company’s key personnel (on and off site) responsible for managing safety including, Foreman/Supervisors, WHS Advisors, Site Managers, Engineers, Contract Administrators, Project Managers, WHS Managers, Operations/ Construction, Managers, Estimators, Purchasing Officers and Human Resource Managers, Senior Managers, Company Directors, Legal Practitioners, Insurance Representatives, Plant Hire and Suppliers.
•
For More information
This workshop brings key industry stakeholders together to facilitate a clearer understanding of individual and interrelated safety roles from procurement through to project delivery: as well as best practice knowledge this workshop also brings buyers and builders together.
• • •
Clarification of Important WHS issues and understanding your obligations Due diligence for company officers WHS duties of workers Acceptable safe systems of work
Contact Graham Coyle on 02 6251 3295
www federalcm.com.au
CONSTRUCTION
TO COMPLETION SAFETY PROCUREMENT Managing Project Safety
WORKSHOP
RKING FREE PA
Wednesday, 22 October 2014 Canberra Rex Hotel, 150 Northbourne Avenue, ACT For more information or to register, visit
www.federalcm.com.au FCM Safety Workshop proudly sponsored by
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federal construction management
EVEN BIGGER BANG FOR BUCK WITH YOUR CALTEX STARCARD Master Builders’ members can now save 3.5¢ p/ltr off unleaded fuel and 4¢ p/ltr off diesel fuel with their Caltex StarCard. Further benets include: • Reduced paperwork with easy to read ATO approved invoices
• Online tracking of vehicle spending and maintenance
• Access to over 2,000 participating fuel outlets Australia-wide
• PIN security and odometer reading on every card
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• Access to Caltex Customer Support Centre for lost/stolen cards • Option for roadside assistance • Direct debit payments and 51 days interest-free credit Cards start at just $2.20 each per month.
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National update
A Snapshot of industry news from around the country
New Housing Demand Stays Strong
Master Builders’ eight point Affordability Agenda includes:
“The solid 2.2 per cent seasonally adjusted rise in finance commitments for new housing will inspire continuing confidence in the residential building sector,” Peter Jones Chief Economist at Master Builders Australia said.
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National competition style payments to local councils that improve supply of adequate releasable land (both greenfield and brown field’) and implement more efficient building and planning approvals.
“The latest housing finance data for June also means that the rate of growth is up 10 per cent seasonally adjusted through the year,” he said.
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Agreed ‘master plans’ to deliver positive housing outcomes that cover urban consolidation and urban and regional infrastructure plans to deliver a housing mix to meet the needs of different demographics.
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All local councils to develop Land Release Plans which identify and provide an indicative forward schedule of ‘greenfield’ and ‘brownfield’ land over a rolling 10 year horizon which could be made available for housing development.
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Make state and territory infrastructure charges subject to a housing affordability assessment to ensure that the supply of adequate housing stock is not being undermined. The Commonwealth should penalise states and territories which impose excessive developer charges through a reduction in transfer payments.
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An online ‘InfoHub’ should be established by the Federal Government which compares and contrasts the developer charges, land release schedules and the efficiency of planning processes of the states and territories and local councils.
“First home buyer commitments rose for the second consecutive month, a positive sign for the industry that may herald a continuing return of first home buyers to the market,” Peter Jones said. “The result supports the RBA’s decision earlier this week to keep rates on hold. It also reinforces the importance of the Government and the Parliament working to resolve uncertainty around the Budget structural repair measures to ensure that homebuyer and investor confidence is not dented,” Peter Jones said.
Boosting Housing Supply The Key To Affordability Master Builders Australia has told the Senate Inquiry into affordable housing that urgent reform to boost the national housing supply is the key to housing affordability. “Reducing the massive shortfall in new housing is the major challenge the nation faces in maintaining home ownership as a realistic aspiration rather than an unaffordable dream,” Wilhelm Harnisch CEO of Master Builders Australia said. “Supply side reforms must include measures to generate appropriate funding for social housing,” he said. “Master Builders eight point Affordability Agenda addressing the structural barriers to increasing the housing supply are set out in our submission to the Inquiry chaired by Senator Sam Dastyari,” Wilhelm Harnisch said. “The plan calls for a commitment to a national housing affordability agenda to be agreed by federal, state and local governments through a reinvigorated COAG,” Wilhelm Harnisch said.
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Union Right Of Entry Abuse Demands Reform Master Builders Australia has called for urgent reforms to stop the abuse of right of entry laws. The proposed reforms are set out in Master Builders submission to Safe Work Australia ahead of the national safety regulator’s review of model workplace health and safety (WHS) laws. “Master Builders is concerned that building unions are undermining the improving safety culture of the construction industry by abusing right of entry on spurious safety grounds,” Wilhelm Harnisch CEO of Master Builders Australia said.
Evidence emerging from Fair Work Building and Construction (FWBC) investigations and testimony before the Royal Commission into Trade Union Governance and Corruption indicates that building union officials are using contrived safety concerns to gain access to construction sites in pursuit of industrial agendas unrelated to safety.
Updated Cost Plus Building Contract Released
“The increasing industrial thuggery of building union officials is disqualifying them from gaining right of entry permits from the Fair Work Commission (FWC) because they will fail even the current, inadequate fit and proper person test,” Wilhelm Harnisch said.
The cost plus contract for commercial use replaces an outmoded contract (FFC/cost plus).
“Master Builders is concerned that union officials without valid right of entry permits issued by the FWC are hijacking WHS right of entry to overcome federal workplace laws to campaign on issues that in reality have nothing to do with safety,” he said. “Safety is paramount and must not be undermined by the hijacking of workplace safety by building unions in pursuit of unrelated industrial agendas,” Wilhelm Harnisch said. Master Builders has made fourteen recommendations for changes to the WHS laws to ensure right of entry operates fairly. “For example, union officials exercising right of entry powers for WHS reasons should also be required to hold approved nationally recognised WHS qualifications under the Australian Qualifications Framework System such as Certificate IV in Workplace Health and Safety,” he said.
A new Australian Building and Construction industry (ABIC) form of contract has been launched today by Master Builders Australia and the Australian Institute of Architects.
The new contract merges the two forms of cost plus commonly used: the commission contract where the contractor is paid the cost of the work plus a margin or a percentage of the cost of doing the work and a fixed fee contract where the contractor is paid a fixed fee as well as the cost of doing the work. Both of these options are catered for in the one form. The fixed fee is able to be increased where there is a change to the works. Cost plus contracts are used where at the commencement of the works the cost of the works and the date for completion is not certain, for example, for heritage buildings that are to be restored but where the lack of documents about the nature of the structure can only be confirmed as work progresses. The contract can be ordered by contacting Master Builders in each state and territory at www.masterbuilders.com.au or from the Australian Institute of Architects at www.architext.com.au.
“Master Builders also recommends that model WHS laws should be amended in all jurisdictions to require all WHS right of entry permit holders to give at least 24 hours’ notice before entering a worksite to inquire into a suspected safety breach,” Wilhelm Harnisch said. “The experience in Queensland where this reform was introduced earlier this year has helped to curb abuse of WHS right of entry by unions,” he said. “Safe Work Australia’s Work-Related Traumatic Fatalities, Australia 2014 Report shows significant safety improvements have been achieved in the construction industry,” Wilhelm Harnisch said. “These important gains and the safety of workers and contractors should not be compromised by union officials using safety as an industrial weapon,” Wilhelm Harnisch said.
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Research on Construction and Engineering Materials: Reduce, Reuse and Recycle: Risk, Opportunity and Strategy for the Residential Building Sector in the Capital Master Builders ACT, the Canberra Business Council, and the South East Regional Organisation of Councils plus a number of government agencies and industry organisations/companies have engaged the University of Canberra to undertake research into residential construction, renovation and demolition waste and recycling activity. The research team, led by University of Canberra Professor Patrick Zou and Adjunct Professor Robyn Hardy, includes national and international collaborations from UNSW, RMIT and UK Loughborough University. The aim of the research is to: 1. Identify types and scale of reusable and recyclable materials generated in residential construction, renovation and demolition; 2. Identify possible reuse and recycling methods; 3. Identify barriers, risks and opportunities (such as cost-benefit, time pressure, product quality, demand, acceptability and incentives) in the recycling/reuse process; 4. Investigate strategies that may facilitate material reuse and recycling from stakeholder perspectives. Where possible, foster the establishment of new or expanding enterprises utilising the results of this research project and build the results of this research project into ACT and NSW regional relevant strategy documents and ongoing strategic implementation processes. 62
Baseline data for the research project will come from a series of workshops held during August and September and an online survey distributed to members via email that closes on 15 September. At the Master Builders ACT workshop held on 19 August members reported issues that hamper, restrict or make recycling unattractive including;
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cost of sorting and transport, recycling is not easy, limited space to segregate on small blocks, limited recycling facilities, only small amounts of material to recycle from renovations unreliable pallet collection, over-ordering of materials, and Lack of market demand
The discussion floated ideas that could help the industry recycle more or more effectively with education and training on design for sustainable building, a tablet or smart phone app showing the recycling locations and the possibility of a trial project where an estate or sub-division includes a recycling hub for builders to take their sorted recycled material, enhancing regulations but at the same time making recycling easy and convenient, increase purchase of recycled products and overcome the costs issues. The full report will be available later this year. If you wish to participate in the survey or provide feedback please contact David Leitch on 02 6175 5970 or dleitch@mba.org.au
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“We’d like to develop partnerships that are mutually beneficial and deliver something greater than the sum of their parts” - UC Vice Chancelor Stephen Parker
Master Builders ACT sponsors session on the University of Canberra’s Master Plan At the Australian Property Institute’s 4.00pm Forum, presented by Master Builders ACT, Vice Chancellor Stephen Parker, Project Consultant David Lamont and UC Union CEO Joe Roff briefed the attendees on the growth strategy and campus planning, current projects, the estate management, commercial partnerships and support of University of Canberra Union. Vice Chancellor Stephen Parker said “We’d like to develop partnerships that are mutually beneficial and deliver something greater than the sum of their parts. We are particularly interested in hearing from highly experienced and well-credentialed organisations”. The function was held at the recently completed Stage 1 of the University of Canberra Sports Common. The $16million building, constructed by Shaw Building Group is home to ninety Brumbies’ staff and players and four other tenants including ACTsport and the Special Olympics offices.
Top: Project Consultant David Lamont shows attendees through the facility Above: Vice Chancellor Stephen Parker Right: UC Union CEO Joe Roff 64
FreeFall
This image explores the way the sculpture sits within the Pin Oak forest and yet boldly intervenes in the landscape.
National competition selects Cochlear inspired design to celebrate contribution of engineers
1. FreeFall sculpture 2. New linking mown path to FreeFall 3. Existing mown path to Dairy Farmers Hill 4. Existing swale (to be improved with exemplar planting) 5. Existing culvert (to be improved with rock pitching) 6. Gallery of Gardens 7. Level paved meeting place with firepit 8. Ramp to spiral core 9. Key sighting lines 10. Current indicative future circuit terrace (to be modified to suit FreeFall) 11. Low height stone wall 12. Access through FreeFall for circuit terrace 13. Seat
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3. flowing sculpture of stainless steel and rock that moves through the trees, terminating as a spiral. The shape is derived from the cochlear implant – a truly world renown Australian engineering feat. The installation includes an interactive system that senses it surrounding and interacts with visitors to the site. The collaborative team was led by structural engineer, Rod Bligh and included two artists and an architect. Photos and description of the design is attached.
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ACT Minister for the Environment, Simon Corbell, MLA has 11. announced that Queensland firm, Bligh Tanner had been 10. selected as the winners of the Freefall Experience Design Ideas Competition from a nationwide field of design and engineering firms. A
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The Engineers Australia Freefall Experience Design Ideas 10. Competition invited engineers, designers and other creative 7. 4. professionals to design a showcase installation for the Engineers Australia Freefall Pin Oak Forest at the National Arboretum Canberra. 8.
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This image explores the way the sculpture sits within the Pin Oak forest and yet boldly intervenes in the landscape.
Mr Rolfe Hartley, past National President of Engineers Australia and Chairman of the Honorary Competition Jury said B ‘The aspiration and design parameters for the competition ION VAT 9. ELE (LOOP ROAD) resulted in a wide range of exceptional entries, which was a demonstration of the talent and innovative spirit and capability of the engineering profession.’
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Tuesday 27 May Sponsored by Colliers International
Paul Powderly Ross Barrett OAM Valdis Luks
Colliers International Land Development Agency Master Builders ACT
Thursday 3 July Sponsored by Village Building
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Tuesday 22 July Sponsored by Boral
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Master Builders ACT Roads ACT Boral Construction Materials Tuesday 5 August Sponsored by Colliers International
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The Master Builders Fidelity Fund was established in 2002 to protect the interests of both consumers and builders in the ACT. For Builders, the Master Builders Fidelity Fund provides financial certainty as money held by the Fund remains in the ACT. It is securely invested and used for the betterment of the ACT builders and consumers and is therefore not subjected to the vagaries of international markets and events. The Fidelity Fund issues Fidelity Certificates which provide consumer protection for owners of new homes and those making significant changes to homes. The Certificates protect the owner during construction and for up to six years from the date of practical completion. Master Builders members receive reduced premium rates and we also offer special discounts for volume users of the Fidelity Fund. For more information contact the Master Builders Fidelity Fund.
Go online and find the cover that is right for you. www.mba.org.au/fidelity_fund
Master Builders Fidelity Fund 1 Iron Knob St, Fyshwick ACT 2609 | PO Box 1211, Fyshwick ACT 2609 Tel: (02) 6175 5995 Fax: (02) 6257 8349 Email: mbff@mba.org.au Web: www.mba.org.au
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You’re invited to join Master Builders from around Australia to be part of the most exciting and rewarding building Industry Event in 2015! The Master Builders biennial National Conference will be held 12-14 November 2015 at Jupiters Hotel Convention Centre Broadbeach Gold Coast, a fully appointed one stop conference venue with over 540 superbly appointed accommodation rooms with easy access to beaches, restaurants, shopping centres, Theme Parks and attractions. The National Conference ‘Building Australia’ will deliver a comprehensive program of high profile speakers that will examine the building industry outlook and topics relevant to today’s building and construction industry. The conference includes a fully incorporated partners program, an exhibition and an exciting social program.
Register your interest online at www.masterbuilders.com.au
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