Canberra Builder Edition 1/2020

EDITION 1 / 2020 Master Builders Association of the ACT and Region Magazine

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CONTENTS

MASTER BUILDERS EXECUTIVE COUNCIL President Graciete Ferreira Treasurer Frank Porreca Commercial Builders Sector Chair Matthew Rayment Civil Contractors Council Chair Nick Zardo Residential Builders Council Chair Bryan Leeming Professional Consultants Council Chair John Nikolic Subcontractors & Suppliers Council Chair Karen Porter MBA National Representative Simon Butt

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CEO Michael Hopkins

GWA

Master Builders Association of the ACT 1 Iron Knob St, Fyshwick ACT 2609 PO Box 1211, Fyshwick ACT 2609 Tel: (02) 6175 5900 Fax: (02) 6280 9118 Email: canberra@mba.org.au Web: www.mba.org.au

Supplying the region with the latest and greatest bathroom, laundry and kitchen products

Magazine Editor Zoe Middleton Tel: (02) 6175 5969 Email: zmiddleton@mba.org.au

FOREWORDS A message from the President

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Gracie Ferreira welcomes the industry back as we prepare for an eventful 2020

Advertising enquiries Trisha Moore Tel: (02) 6175 5977

A message from the CEO

Creative Consultant Pamela Slocum Mob: 0411 759 989 Web: pspamelaslocum.com

A message from the Commercial Director

Cover image supplied by GWA

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Michael Hopkins provides an overview of how the MBA will be representing its members at the 2020 ACT election

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Liz Nair discusses the importance of skillsets in the industry

A message from Member Services Director

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Ashlee Berry looks at the new services being offered by Master Builders ACT

NEWS & EVENTS

OF INTEREST © 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.

Training Fund Authority

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Celebrate 20 years of operation

Women in Construction Group

30

Meet the women behind the Ginninderry Display Village

MMM Interiors Celebrate 25 years of MBA membership, meet the Director, Mimmi Freebody

Master Builders and Asset Construction Hire Excellence Awards

20

Take a look at the key dates and categories for the awards

MBA Australia national president election 35 58

Manteena’s Managing Director, Simon Butt elected National President of MBA

Want to know what’s coming up in 2020? 55 Flip to our event calendar

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Our time will be focused in advocating for the interests of our members, the community and all stakeholders.

A MESSAGE FROM PRESIDENT, GRACIE FERREIRA

2020 shaping up to be a busy year for the industry Here we are in 2020 and what a horrible end it was to 2019.

My thoughts go out to all those affected by the fires and my thanks to all the volunteers who gave up their time to help minimise the enormity of the impact. My family and I were overseas for the break and everywhere we went people would ask where we were from, as soon as Australia was mentioned the first words that came out of their mouths were to express their commiserations about the fires. As difficult as these disasters may be, they bring out the best in people and bring communities together.

2020 is shaping up to be a very busy year for the MBA. Soon we will be releasing our election priorities. Our time will be focused in advocating for the interests of our members, the community and all stakeholders. Locally the construction industry employs around 20,000 people and the strength of our industry is vital to the state of the economy in the ACT. Governments, current and future, need to engage with local industry in order to implement achievable policies that safeguard the consumer.

Last year, building quality was frequently in the headlines and I have no doubt it will continue to be a reoccurring theme throughout this year. It is good to see the NSW Government taking a lead on this with their Six Pillars of Reform - a rating system to help the building regulator determine who the risky players are in the industry and prevent dodgy apartments from being sold to unexpecting buyers. The aim of the system is to improve building quality and weed out those that are doing the wrong thing. Because of our proximity to the NSW border and given that many of our members work in both jurisdictions MBA ACT would welcome the introduction of the system locally.

Over the coming 12 months we have many engaging and informative member events focused on work health and safety, industrial relations and legislation information sessions. Many of these sessions will be of great benefit to you and your company, find out more about these sessions on our website.

Later in the year, we will be holding elections for Chairs of the five sector councils (Civil, Subcontractors and Suppliers, Professional, Residential and Commercial). I encourage you to get involved in your respective council. By participating, you will be aware of updates in the industry, meet great people, and share advice. Your attendance and participation can also help guide the MBA’s policies and direction.

I would also like to remind everyone about our annual Master Builders and Asset Construction Hire Excellence Awards. The awards will be held on Friday the 26th of June at the National Convention Centre so I would urge you all to submit your entries as soon as possible and reserve your tables, as you don’t want to miss out on the most exciting night for the local construction industry.

I take this opportunity to welcome our new apprentices and congratulate them for joining the industry that literally builds the nation. I trust you will find the strength and courage to work through the hardships that come your way so you can enjoy the spoils of your endeavours. Stay safe, work hard, have fun and enjoy the journey!

A very happy and prosperous 2020 for all!

MASTER BUILDERS ASSOCIATION NEWS EDITION 1 2020

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In the lead-up to the 2020 ACT election, the MBA will develop a set of policies which support ACT construction businesses.

A MESSAGE FROM CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER, MICHAEL HOPKINS

MBA ACT preparing to represent views of members at the 2020 ACT election in October Welcome to the first edition of Canberra Builder for 2020.

>> Not introducing new regulatory barriers

From the first day of 2020 Canberra has been blanketed in smoke as fires surrounded the ACT. I would like to acknowledge and pay our respects to those affected by the devastating bushfires which have impacted communities across Australia. In particular, I would like to thank our emergency service workers and many of our members, as well as their family and friends who volunteered to help during this crisis.

>> Using their government procurement power to support local businesses

Master Builders Australia and all State and Territory MBA’s teamed up during the fires. We have offered support and advice to the Federal and ACT Governments and have made a financial contribution to help with the short-term impacts.

As the immediate threat from the fires lessens, focus will turn to policy responses, including climate change adaption, bushfire building standards, and infrastructure resilience.

Master Builders will seek to work closely and collaboratively with policy makers to represent our industry as these discussions progress.

Later this year there will be elections in the Northern Territory, Queensland, and of course the Australian Capital Territory.

Something common to all the 2020 elections will be the Master Builders commitment to represent our members’ views to the respective candidates and political parties.

Across Australia the building and construction industry comprises many small and family businesses. Our members want their State or Territory Government to make running a business easier, which can be achieved by:

>> Engaging closely with our industry when developing policy and introducing new laws.

In the lead-up to the 2020 ACT election, the MBA will develop a set of policies which support ACT construction businesses.

We will advocate strongly on behalf of our members to seek all candidates support for our policies.

A key policy area will be training and education. MBA Group Training welcomed a new intake of construction apprentices on 17 January. Students met MBA staff and trainers, became familiar with the MBA workshop, received safety training and were fitted with PPE. It is pleasing to see so many young people show strong interest in the construction industry as a career of choice, because we need many more. Based on figures released in December by the Department of Employment the demand for construction trade workers is anticipated to increase to over 445,000 nationwide by May 2024. This is a 9.2% increase on previous estimates.

Considering the number of construction trades workers that will retire or leave the industry over the next five years, the required intake of new construction trades workers is massive.

We wish all MBA Group Training students well with their studies in 2020.

MASTER BUILDERS ASSOCIATION NEWS EDITION 1 2020

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The increase in enrolment numbers demonstrates the strong need to further support the development of skill sets.

A MESSAGE FROM THE COMMERCIAL DIRECTOR, LIZ NAIR

How skill sets are leading the way in employment Over the past few editions of Canberra Builder, I have been writing about preparing for the future of work and the demands on employers to attract employees with skills required for today’s workforce. To meet these ongoing demands, training to skill our future workforce has had to shift to be more responsive to the new ways of work.

This paradigm has placed a greater emphasis on short, sharp training to upskill, retrain or learn a skill, to meet the new ways of work. Skill sets, referred to as ‘a single unit of competency or combination of units of competency from a training package which link to a licensing or regulatory requirement, or a defined industry need,’ (Australian Skills Quality Authority 2015) are leading the way as a priority training product for individuals, business and industry sectors.

Skill sets have been part of the training products offered by training providers for many years, however, greater demand driven by technological changes, legislation and licensing requirements has escalated this need further. The ‘way we do things’ needs to be quickly transmitted across industries and around workplaces to meet our fast-moving world. We will need flexible and applied ways of learning, so people can lay strong foundations for their careers and then build further skills and knowledge in order to participate in new and changing industries.

Number of enrolments

Increase in the enrolment uptake over past years (see table below).

80 000

85 931

88 570

96 155

2. The large number skill sets that remain unfunded and require a fee for service model represented as the main source of funding (no government funding). Many states and territories have a policy of funding full qualifications rather than skill sets.

On 28 November 2018, the Prime Minister announced an independent review of Australia’s vocational education and training (VET) sector to examine ways to deliver skilled workers for a stronger economy. The review was led by the Honourable Steven Joyce, a former New Zealand Minister for Tertiary Education, Skills and Employment. The report was complete in March 2019 and identified, a six point plan for change and a roadmap for achieving it: 1. Strengthening Quality Assurance 2. Speeding up qualification development 3. Simpler funding and skills matching 5. Clearer secondary school pathways 6. Greater access for disadvantaged Australians

60 000 58 055

20 000 0

1. The disparate number of training package led skill sets between occupations. A greater emphasis is required on combinations of units of competency that meet the needs of individuals, enterprises and industry sectors.

4. Better careers information

100 000

40 000

The increase in enrolment numbers demonstrates the strong need to further support the development of skill sets, however, the current challenges for business and training providers are:

2015

2016

2017

2018

Contact MBA Group Training and talk to the team on skill set training including customisation of short course training to meet the demands of your business.

Source: National Provider Collection – Total VET Activity.

MASTER BUILDERS ASSOCIATION NEWS EDITION 1 2020

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I encourage you to reach out to the Member Services Team when you need assistance, either by email or phone to ensure that you are getting the most out of your MBA membership.

A MESSAGE FROM MEMBER SERVICES DIRECTOR, ASHLEE BERRY

MBA ACT expands range of services offered to members in 2020 The start of 2020 has been intense, tragic and traumatic for most Canberrans and Australians.

For Master Builders ACT, 2020 is about continuing to offer the same core and essential services that our members regularly rely on and are the key reasons for joining as a member.1 These services – industrial relations advice, health and safety advice and guidance, technical building services, and training – will continue to be available to our members throughout 2020, whilst we continue to expand what is on offer to our members.

In January, we launched our electronic document system, “eDocs”. eDocs is a member only platform that allows you to generate an MBA ACT Residential Building Contract electronically, send a draft to your client for review, and sign it all with the click(s) of a few buttons. Over the coming months, we will be introducing other contracts to the eDocs platform, including our Minor Works Contract, a Subcontract Agreement and we are in the final stages of producing an ACT Commercial Building Contract. If you have been using the eDocs platform, please provide us with any feedback you may have.

Increasing the number of events for our members, and in particular our member workshops, has been a focus for the beginning of 2020. Our calendar of events is now available on our website and workshops have been designed to cater for all members and interests; from security of payment to the National Construction Code, health and safety legislation

to your obligations as an employer, digital marketing to a run-down on the PPSR (Personal Property Securities Register). We are also keen to invest in a program that will allow us to offer these important member workshops via webinar so that our members can access this expertise as and when it suits them.

Our Women in Construction group remains strong (turn to page 30 for more information) and this year we are proud to be hosting our first International Women’s Day Lunch on 17 March at Pialligo Estate. This event is certainly not exclusive to women, and we encourage all genders to attend and hear from V8 racing driver, Emily Duggan!

2020 will also be a big year for policy and advocating on behalf of our members, as we look forward to the ACT Election on 17 October.

I would like to personally encourage all our members to attend their relevant sector council meeting, as they are a valuable opportunity not only to receive information from us at the MBA and the guest speakers, but also to provide us with timely and crucial feedback about our services, your business and the industry at large. Our sector council dates are available on our website, www.mba.org.au.

Finally, I encourage you to reach out to the Member Services Team when you need assistance, either by email or phone to ensure that you are getting the most out of your MBA membership.

According to research conducted between November 2018 and January 2019 by Footprints Market Research

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MASTER BUILDERS ASSOCIATION NEWS EDITION 1 2020

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Insight

The Insight you need for the communities that you love Adding value has always been central to everything we do. That’s why we’ve recently created an online property research tool that gives you access to our comprehensive series of insights and resources. Insight is the culmination of more than 30 years’ experience and active involvement in creating connected, sustainable and

vibrant communities that add genuine and lasting value to the people who live within them.

By sharing our insights, we hope to contribute towards a better future for all Australians wanting to fulfil their dream of owning a quality home within a connected community.

Visit villagebuilding.com.au/insight to explore our comprehensive online property research tool.

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24/1/20 4:36 pm

CEO OF VILLAGE BUILDING CO, TRAVIS DOHERTY

Shining the spotlight on Canberra’s quality builders, projects and developers

Master Builders ACT, Property Council of Australia and Canberra Business Chamber jointly launched the Our Place campaign in December 2019.

Our Place focuses on the stories of Canberra’s developers, builders, architects, planners, engineers, local businesses and those who inhabit the spaces and places we call ‘ours’.

Master Builders ACT CEO Michael Hopkins said, “The launch of Our Place is particularly important at a time when our industry has felt the need to respond to the negative media that has flooded our local papers, social media, TV and radio about building quality.”

“We must showcase the buildings, people and companies who contribute so greatly to this city to produce quality projects,” Mr Hopkins said.

L-R: CHAIR OF CANBERRA BUSINESS CHAMBER ARCHIE TSIRIMOKOS, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE PROPERTY COUNCIL AUSTRALIA ACT DIVISION ADINA CIRSON, CANBERRA BUSINESS CHAMBER CEO DR MICHAEL SCHAPER AND MASTER BUILDERS ACT CEO MICHAEL HOPKINS

18,600 jobs created

3rd largest employment sector

Contributes $3.2 Billion to ACT’s GDP

Master Builders ACT was joined by Executive Director of the Property Council Australia ACT division, Adina Cirson who highlighted the crucial importance of the sector to the economy, “Our sector is critical to the diversity of the economy and contributes almost 60% of all government revenue - more than any other industry, which funds our schools, hospitals, municipal, community and government services.”

In 2020, Our Place will expand to showcase even more stories from across the Territory. Do you have an amazing story we should know about? Contact Master Builders ACT today (02) 6175 5900.

Go to ourplacecbr.com.au to view the website

MASTER BUILDERS ASSOCIATION NEWS EDITION 1 2020

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L-R: MASTER BUILDERS ACT CEO MICHAEL HOPKINS, AUTHORITY CHAIRMAN JAMES SERVICE AND AUTHORITY CEO GLENN CARTER.

20 YEAR MILESTONE For the ACT Building and Construction Industry Training Fund Authority The ACT Building and Construction Industry Training Fund Authority (TFA) invited key stakeholders from within the sector to help celebrate 20 years of the ‘Authority’. The event was held at Old Parliament House, on November 20th, 2019.

The guests learned that despite representing both sides of the ACT political spectrum, Mr. Bill Stefaniak and Mr. Wayne Berry collaborated to gazette legislation of the Building and Construction Industry Training Levy Act 1999. Since being established, the levy has funded $27m to train existing workers and almost $20m for entry level training in the ACT. As an example of the strength of the Authority, in the 2005 financial year the levy raised $2.2m and funded 5,300 places.

By 2019 this figure had risen to $5.1m funding an additional 14,800 places.

The Authority’s Chairman, Mr. James Service welcomed guests to Old Parliament House and spoke about the immense value the Authority had brought to the sector over

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MASTER BUILDERS ASSOCIATION NEWS EDITION 1 2020

the last 20 years. “The Authority should be seen as a true success of government facilitation, where success is not always typically achieved.” Mr Service added that as the Authority was governed by a concise legislative framework there was no room for interpretation, ensuring genuine independence from Government.

Mr Service went on to say that the authority’s board members, made up of employee and employer representatives have discharged their duties on behalf of the building and construction industry in an exemplary fashion.

“The board is passionate about identifying opportunities and is united in its goal of improving training outcomes and developing greater skills in order to create a safer working environment, higher quality construction and enhanced employment prospects,” Mr Service said.

CEO Mr Glenn Carter acknowledges and appreciates the advice and contributions from industry stakeholders

In 2020, the Authority will continue to provide funding for training in the same key areas and had budgeted $3.759M.

including employers, employees, industry training advisory bodies, trades groups, registered training organisation’s (RTOs), government agencies and industry associations such as Master Builders ACT. The 2020 Annual Training Plan will continue to provide a policy framework for funding training in a wide range of occupations.

The Authority allocates funding according to the programs within the Annual Training plan; entry level training, existing worker training/professional development and three special programs. Promotion, marketing and sponsorship, research and development, access and equity also receive funding. $3.759m has been budgeted for these key areas in 2020.

If you would like to know if you qualify for funding through TFA, email Industry Liaison Officer Mr. Mick Doyle via email mdoyle@trainingfund.com.au or phone the office during business hours 62625630

KEY DATES Entries open 8am Monday 13 January Entries close 5pm Friday 13 March Awards Ceremony 6:30pm Friday 26 June

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MASTER BUILDERS ASSOCIATION NEWS EDITION 1 2020

EXCELLENCE AWARD CATEGORIES

Individual/Company Awards

Residential Project Awards

1. Onsite Construction Manager of the Year

1. Apartments and Units up to 3 storeys

2. Project Manager of the Year

2. Apartments and Units 4 storeys and above

3. Emerging Residential Builder of the Year

3. Apartments and Units Highrise Living

4. Supplier of the Year

4. Custom Built/Project Home less than $350,000

5. Subcontractor of the Year

5. Custom Built/Project Home $350,000 to $500,000

6. Professional of the Year

6. Custom Built/Project Home $500,000 to $750,000 7. Custom Built/Project Home $750,000 to $1million 8. Custom Built/Project Home $1million to $2million 9. Custom Built/Project Home more than $2million 10. Display Home less than $500,000

Commercial Project Awards 1. Commercial or Retail Fitout, Refurbishment or Alteration less than $1million 2. Commercial or Retail Fitout, Refurbishment or Alteration $1million to $5million

12. Medium Density Dual Occupancy/Habitable Suite

3. Commercial or Retail Fitout, Refurbishment or Alteration more than $5million

13. Medium Density Townhouses and Villas

4. Commercial Building less than $5million

14. Renovation/Extension less than $250,000

5. Commercial Building $5million to $20million

15. Renovation/Extension $250,000 to $450,000

6. Commercial Building $20million to $50million

16. Renovation/Extension $450,000 to $1million

7. Commercial Building more than $50million

17. Renovation/Extension more than $1million

8. Project Displaying Technical Difficulty or Innovation

11. Display Home more than $500,000

18. Special Purpose/Adaptable Dwelling

Subcontractor Project Awards

Civil Project Awards

1. Bathroom Project less than $30,000

1. Civil Bridgeworks

2. Bathroom Project more than $30,000

2. Civil Hydraulic

3. Best use of Material in a Commercial Project

3. Civil Subdivision

4. Best use of Material in a Residential Project

4. Civil Roadworks

5. Kitchen Project less than $50,000

5. Civil Other

6. Kitchen Project more than $50,000 7. Landscape Design and Construction Commercial

Sustainable Construction Awards

8. Landscape Design and Construction Residential

1. Sustainable Civil Project 2. Sustainable Commercial Project

Top Awards

3. Sustainable Residential Project

1. 2020 House of the Year* 2. 2020 Project of the Year*

Work Health & Safety Awards 1. WH&S Targeted Risk Management System 2. WH&S Commercial 3. WH&S Residential

* These categories are not open for direct nomination.

Go to www.mba.org.au to find out how to enter and purchase your tickets to the awards night now!

MASTER BUILDERS ASSOCIATION NEWS EDITION 1 2020

21

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Master Builders ACT Welcomes New Apprentices in 2020 On Friday January 17, Master Builders ACT welcomed 21 new MBA employed apprentices who, over the coming years, will undertake training in various trades including carpentry, plumbing and civil operations. During their first day, apprentices were fitted with PPE gear, introduced to Trainers, Sam, Malcolm and Ben and Field Service Manager, Geoff as well as Field Officer, Scott.

Meet the new MBA employed apprentices for 2020 John Bates Daniel Bourke Holly Donlan Joshua Guthrie Ameen Hamdan Clayton Hawke Jesse Hewson Bailey McCready Dominic Pazdzierski William Petricevic Logan Powell

Harrison Smith Sean Weatherby James Warren Tyson Gibb Maggie Alexander Yaw Obeng [Jerry] Amoo-Appau Gabriel Andriolo Frazer Burns Jake Kourpanidis Maddison Cox

Do you need an apprentice onsite?

MBA is currently recruiting host employers across residential and commercial sectors to support work placements of MBA apprentices in carpentry.

APPRENTICE CLASS OF 2020

Hosting an MBA apprentice on your worksite is a great way to invest in the future of the building and construction industry and support peak workload without a long-term commitment.

The benefits of employing an MBA apprentice are: >> Support from the MBA, including Field Services Manager, Geoff Wood and Field Officer, Scott Bird who regularly visit Host Employers onsite. >> Apprentices who already have the necessary PPE gear to undertake the work required. >> Flexibility – do you need an apprentice onsite over the coming months but you’re unsure of the length of time you will require them? Hosting an MBA apprentice provides you with the flexibility to choose when you require an apprentice and you’ll only be invoiced for the hours they work onsite.

Contact Master Builders ACT today on (02) 6175 5900 to find out more about becoming a Host Employer.

Women in Civil Construction Information Session Thursday 2nd April 2020 10.30am–12.30pm Uniting Care Kippax (Cnr Luke St and Hardwick Cres Holt) It is mandatory that all individuals seeking to participate in this program attend this session.

This is a two-part session broken into: 1. An information presentation followed by; 2. A selection session for eligible individuals.

To book a place and check your eligibility, please contact Ashleigh at Ginninderry on 1800 316 900 or ashleigh@ginninderry.com

Costs This project receives funding support from the ACT and Australian Governments through the Future Skills for Future Jobs Grants Program, under the National Partnership on the Skilling Australia Fund.

Master Builders ACT together with SPARK and our partners are proud to launch this innovative training program to encourage more women to consider a career in the civil construction industry. Civil construction is an exciting part of the sector with interesting roles across the planning, design and creation of major infrastructure projects and this program will provide participants with specialised accredited training and employment pathways.

The information session will provide individuals with advice on eligibility criteria, program content and the commitment that is required to be selected as a participant on this program.

Industry partners

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Protect the environment and reduce building costs A new, easy to use version of the Environment Protection Guidelines for Construction and Land Development in the ACT (Guidelines) is out for consultation.

These draft Guidelines provide clear guidance and practical advice to builders and land developers on their legal obligations to protect the environment when undertaking construction and land development work.

Taking measures to protect the environment during construction and land development is vital to prevent environmental degradation and preserve the ACT’s important ecosystems and landscapes.

Environment protection is also important for developers and builders. Development without adequate controls can increase costs (e.g. stockpiles washed away and needing replacement and clean-up costs on damaged sites) and incur fines. If environment protection measures are regularly not in place it can also impact business reputation.

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MASTER BUILDERS ASSOCIATION NEWS EDITION 1 2020

The Guidelines focus on how to address erosion, sediment control and other environmental issues including noise, air emissions, waste management, land contamination, biodiversity and climate change.

If environment protection measures are regularly not in place it can also impact business reputation.

The draft Guidelines are available for comment at www.environment.act.gov.au/epguidelines and feedback can be sent to environnmentprotectionpolicy@act.gov.au

ACT Building Regulatory Reforms Update Building quality is an ongoing high priority for the ACT Government and 2020 will see the completion of its comprehensive Building Regulatory Reform program announced in 2016, after consultation with industry and the community. The reforms are designed to improve practices in the building industry and compliance with building standards, resulting in an overall improvement in building quality.

Here’s a snapshot of the latest building reforms delivered and the final reforms underway.

Latest building reforms delivered >> New minimum documentation and information guideline for building approval applications for new or substantially altered apartment and commercial buildings. This outlines the obligations of applicants and people designing buildings to provide sufficient information on the proposed building to determine compliance with the Building Act and code. >> A new code of practice for building surveyors that clarifies the expectations for minimum standards of practice for licensable work, including the general obligation to act in the public interest and specific requirements in relation to stage inspections. >> Pre-licence assessment for building surveyors licence applicants. While applicants are required to have existing qualifications and experience, these new measures will further demonstrate their knowledge and ability to interpret ACT building laws and standards. >> Builders licence exams for class A, B and C builder new licence applicants and certain licence renewals to make sure that only people with the skills and knowledge to be licensees are given a licence. >> A new guide for nominees of corporate and partnership licences to help them understand their role and obligations, as well as the responsibilities of the corporation or partnership. >> A new requirement that for any agreement for a builder to act as the landowner’s agent to appoint the building certifier and apply for approvals for certain residential building work, must be separate to a building contract. This helps clarify for landowners that they have the right to choose the building certifier and make a more informed decision if they want to assign that right to someone else.

The Bill introduces new powers to make company directors liable for overdue debts incurred as a result of regulatory action owed by their licensed corporation, and to issue rectification orders to directors of licensed corporations where appropriate, including where the corporation closes after an order is made.

The Bill also provides greater safeguards for the community by expanding the powers of government building inspectors in line with powers already in place for other inspectors, and by allowing the Construction Occupations Registrar to publish information about stop notices if necessary or desirable to protect the public.

Other changes include new eligibility requirements for corporate and partnership licensees to have a written record of policies and procedures for effectively managing and supervising their nominees. This includes arrangements for communicating regularly with the nominee in relation to the construction services provided under the licence. These requirements will commence on 10 June 2020 and further information will be provided in early 2020.

For more information on the changes see the ACT Legislation Register at https://www.legislation.act.gov.au/b/db_61176/.

BUILDING REFORMS UNDERWAY >> Completion of a new Builders Code of Practice that outlines the builder’s responsibilities when engaging or contracting people to carry out building work; levels of supervision; critical stages to check that work is compliant with codes and standards; a process for handling client complaints; and record keeping requirements. >> Alternative dispute resolution models for disputes about residential building work. >> Licensing and accountability measures for people designing and building, as well as people contracting for off-the-plan sales. >> Consultation on insurance and other protections for clients and building owners, as well as security of payment issues.

For more information on building reforms and status updates visit www.act.gov.au/buildbuyrenovate

The Government has also made legislative amendments through the Building and Construction Legislation Amendment 2019 that was passed by the Legislative Assembly in November 2019.

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Servicing Canberra & Queanbeyan

Reliable & Professional Cleaning Services at Competitive Prices!

• Offices • Medical Centres • Clubs/Hotels • Builders Clean • End of Lease • Shop Fitouts • Real Estate Agents • Retail/Showrooms • Site Amenities

Contact us to discuss all your cleaning needs: Call: 0458 584 910 (Melissa) or 0427 044 836 (Alan) Unit 10, 5 Gregg Place, Queanbeyan NSW 2620 Opening hours: Monday to Sunday, including public holidays 24/7 by appointment

www.ritewaycleaningcanberra.com.au

Bink Cement Products believe in sustainable

business practices which is why our raw materials are sourced locally and we manufacture locally.

Bink Cement has the ability to supply all scale of projects from large commercial to smaller residential. We supply the building market, sand and soil yards as well as South-East NSW with our superior products.

Specialists in

• BESSER BLOCKS • SMALL AND LARGE FORMAT PAVERS • STEP TREADS • CONCRETE CURBS • FENCE POSTS • SPLIT FACE DRY STACK BLOCKS • COMMERCIAL PROJECTS • RESIDENTIAL PROJECTS • SMALL AND LARGE JOBS

www.binkcement.com.au

Supplying products for many MBA winning projects | Architects requests are welcome | Quality service 40 Dacre St Mitchell ACT 2911 P 02 6242 7033 F 02 6242 7040 E binkmit@bigpond.net.au

“Let us be an asset to your business”

NEW SKID STEER LOADERS & EXCAVATORS SKID STEERS! S650 Power: 74hp Tipping Load: 2440kg S70 Power: 23.5hp Tipping Load: 686kg

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www.assethire.com.au

office@assethire.com.au

Ph: 1300 361 383

2018 AIPP Australian Commercial Photographer of the Year CONGRATULATIONS TO ALL THE MBA AWARD WINNERS AND FINALISTS

Geo ff

Award winning photography for award winning builders www.geoffcomfort.com P 02 6286 1688 / M 0411 268 146 / E geoff@geoffcomfort.com

SELECT ELECTRICAL AND SOLAR SOLUTIONS

...we have consistently strived to think of new and innovative ways to deliver enduring benefits to the Canberra community and its businesses.

Select Electrical and Solar Solutions is a local Electrical company that has extensive experience in the renewable sector.

We provide financial solutions, technical feasibility, due diligence assessments, design, engineering expertise, along with the construction and servicing of our products and services.

In the three years Select Electrical and Solar Solutions has been in business we have consistently strived to think of new and innovative ways to deliver enduring benefits to the Canberra community and its businesses.

Whether it be through expanding the local labour force, helping build and improve the education and trade sector or developing research partnerships that develop the capacity and recognition of our tertiaries institutions through innovative programs like our Renewables Pre-apprenticeship Program.

In our short three years in business, we are well on our way to growing our regional footprint while also assisting in the growth and development of national and international government bodies, local charities, and other businesses.

Contact: Phone: (02) 6103 0505 Web: selectelectricalonline.com.au Email: admin@selectelectricalonline.com.au

MASTER BUILDERS ASSOCIATION NEWS EDITION 1 2020

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MEET SOME OF THE WOMEN behind the GX Display Village at Ginninderry

NIVA PRYOR Marketing and Communications Manager – Ginninderry

What features of the GX Display Village do you like most?

What is the GX Display Village app?

NP: I really like that we’ve been able to push the boundaries about what’s possible in a display village and create a destination where the latest home designs, sustainability initiatives and the arts have been brought together. One of my favourite places within GX, would have to be our Tiny House – Mini-G block where people can grab a coffee and a bite to eat, enjoy some music while the kids play with games on the grass area.

NP: GX is supported by an app GX – Ginninderry Experience that guides visitors through the village, providing extra information and insights while removing the traditional deluge of printed handouts. An Australian first, the GX App is designed to enhance the visitor’s experience, providing a full catalogue of display homes, sustainability features and an arts trail, supported by more than 150 scannable markers in the village. This information can be accessed before, during the visit and later at home.

How has the GX Display Village helped to bring the suburb to life?

NP: We set ourselves a challenge to deliver a place that inspires visitors when it comes to sustainability, modern design and smart planning. GX showcases a broad range of homes with the latest sustainability initiatives, a local arts trail, turf and environmental displays, the “Mini-G” tiny house, 15 cutting-edge display homes, and an integrated mobile app to further enhance the visitor experience. Soon the GX display village will be further extended and enhanced by the addition of 4 of the Ginninderry JV’s very own affordable Flexi Living series homes. It is a tangible demonstration of Ginninderry’s commitment to inspiring a new way of living and promoting housing diversity and affordability.

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MASTER BUILDERS ASSOCIATION NEWS EDITION 1 2020

How is the GX Display Village demonstrating its commitment to sustainable living?

NP: GX display homes achieve a minimum energy rating of 7 stars and showcase the latest sustainability features including smart energy management systems, electric vehicle infrastructure, low energy lighting solutions, a grass driveway, double glazing and much more. As the capital region’s only six-star Green Star community, the project’s commitment to sustainability also extends beyond the homes where on display is a ‘turf trial’ with seven different types of irrigated and nonirrigated turfs to see how turfs respond to different conditions.

MICHELE ELWORD

SARAH FLANAGAN

Director / Office Manager – Ideal Building Solutions

Account Manager – Harvey Norman Commercial

I DE AL BU I L D I N G SOL U T I O N S

PTY LTD

What are you particularly proud of about the home that your team created in the GX Display Village?

What were some of the main products / services you supplied to homes in the village?

ME: As a team, we created The Ainslie at the Ginninderry GX display village and are thrilled with the energy rating of 8.1 stars that we achieved, we were also really excited too when we had the “Air Leakage Testing” done at completion of the build that our reading was 5.4 air changes per hour - which is a really good reading. The industry standard is 10 – 11 air changes per hour. I guess you might ask what this all means to the average person? Well it means the Ainslie is a highly sustainable and energy efficient, sealed home that in the long run will save the homeowner on energy bills. This home will also keep you warm and cosy in the winter months as well as cool in the summer months, an achievement we are all very proud of!

SF: We supplied a wide variety of products to several builders within the GX Display Village. These products ranged from kitchen appliances, bathroom and kitchen tapware fittings and fixtures, heat pumps for their hot water all the way through to air condition and Solar PV for their power.

Why is being a part of the GX Display Village important to your business?

>> Ideal Building Solutions

ME: The team at IBS have always been very focused on sustainable building, as that is how we live! One of our directors/builders majored in sustainability at the University of Canberra when he did his degree in Building and Construction Management. It seemed only natural for us to become a part of such an awesome new area being developed in Canberra so we could showcase what we have all learned and know about sustainability and apply that to our builds.

>> Achieve Homes

What are you hoping to see in the homes around Ginninderry?

ME: We will continue to promote sustainability and hope that through our build at the “Ainslie” we can slowly convert people to at least putting some of the features that we showcase in our display home into their homes. Canberrans are a very green society in general so we look forward to further educating people about good solar orientation, quality windows and doors, insulating their homes well and growing some of what they eat in their own gardens. I also think the battery storage add on to the solar panels will be well supported as this is all part of saving money on energy bills, when teamed up with good building practices that we do as standard in our IBS builds.

Which homes did you supply products for?

SF: We supplied some outstanding products to a range of excellent builders within the village including: >> GJ Gardner >> PBS Building

>> Bode by Ram Constructions

>> Exhibit Design >> APA Homes >> Rojas >> Stack Space What are you looking forward to seeing in homes throughout the suburb?

SF: I am looking forward to seeing how the design of the entire suburb works in conjunction with sustainability practices and ecofriendly measures to protect local wildlife in the area. I’m also excited to see the micro solar grid in action.

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LOCAL COMMITMENT, QUALITY SERVICE Q. Has GWA supplied products to any outstanding projects in the Canberra region?

GV. We have forged amazing partnerships across the industry with companies that understand the significant value that our products and service represent. As a result, we have supplied a full complement of products in Canberra’s most prominent developments to date and are excited with our extensive involvement in a number of upcoming projects in the region.

Q. What is GWA passionate about?

GRANT VENABLES, GWA

GWA SUPPLYING THE REGION WITH OUTSTANDING PRODUCTS Q&A WITH ACT & SOUTHERN NSW REGIONAL MANAGER OF GWA, GRANT VENABLES

GV. GWA’s mission is to protect and conserve water. As demand on Australian water continues to increase, it is vital we use water wisely, to protect and preserve our most important resource. With over 75 years’ experience in providing sustainable water solutions throughout Australia, GWA continue to design the latest innovations in water management.

In 1980 Caroma commercialised the dual flush cistern followed by the 4.5/3L Smart Flush system. More recently Smart Flush we have innovated the revolutionary rimless Cleanflush technology and Smart Command touchless bathrooms.

Q. What brands does GWA own?

Q. What is GWA’s focus in Canberra?

GV. To ensure the investment that the company has made here in the ACT is of significant benefit over that of our competitors and to provide an unparalleled service to support our diverse, innovative and incredible quality products. GWA is the only supplier of Bathroom, Kitchen and Laundry products to provide locally dedicated resources available to engage and support the entire market across our product ranges.

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GV. GWA own Caroma, Dorf, Clark and more recently acquired the New Zealand based Methven business. Our bands offer a raft of options in tapware and bathroom accessories, showers, kitchen sinks, laundry tubs, toilet suites, basins baths and urinals. We have product ranges cater specifically to aged care, Hospital and healthcare, accessible and ambulant situations designed for access and mobility to comply with Australian Standard AS 1428.1, High rise and medium density residential, offices, hotels, education and sustainability.

Q. Are there any products that you think the local industry should know about?

GV. We have released more products in the last eight years than in the previous 20. Our design innovations in tapware and sanitaryware have to be seen to fully appreciate. The extension of Cleanflush technology extending to a broader range of our industry leading toilet suites such as Luna, Opal, Elvire as well as our Caroma “LiveWell” care ranges.

Smart Command our newest innovation - an ecosystem of intelligent products that enable building managers to monitor water use in real-time and make smarter decisions that reduce maintenance costs, while improving hygiene and up time. An innovative range of tapware, urinals and invisi toilets have been developed to seamlessly integrate with Caroma’s Smart Command® technology. These intuitive products incorporate the latest in touch-free technology for optimal hygiene for a more efficient bathroom design which requires less cleaning and maintenance.

Q. What trends are you seeing in building fixtures?

GV. People are utilising tapware and accessories to express and accentuate the motif of their home more than ever. The use of colour is becoming more of a demand. Colours such as Bronze, gunmetal, nickel and brushed steel. Achieving these colours whilst maintaining the quality standards for which we are renowned for is imperative for us.

The Caroma range of toilet suites continue to increase in popularity due to their modern design with the preferences of Australians in mind with their large bowl, hygiene features and water saving innovation.

Q. Who is the local team at GWA? GV. As well as a locally based Manager supporting our merchant channel to market, an industry Stalwart, Anthony Price originating from Goulburn, we have specification consultant, Justin Dubyna a born and bred Canberran as a resource for specification of all types within all segments, product information, marketing and after sales service. Hailing from Cooma but now a proud Canberra local for the last 20 + years working in the industry, I too am based here in Canberra overseeing the ACT and Southern NSW region from our office and showroom at 28 Collie St in Fyshwick.

Q. What else should we know about GWA? GV. Traditionally, whilst our brands have been synonymous with impeccable quality, the perception that we have a limited offering surprisingly still exists. We are working very hard to educate the market that in the last 10 years we have released a multitude of innovative products with cutting edge design to cater for all levels from the first home buyer through to the top end rivalling anything coming out of anywhere in the world. Our marketing team have ensured through tireless market research that our diverse and substantial ranges are modern and relevant to current trends.

Our investment and commitment to the industry is evident in the opening of our Sydney Flagship “Caroma on Collins”, not only showcasing all of our ranges in bathrooms designed in collaboration with some of Australia’s leading designers, but displaying solution based options in our care and commercial ranges. Caroma on Collins is located 39 Collins St, Alexandria NSW.

Head to 28 Collie St, Fyshwick ACT to view the GWA showroom

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Peace of mind.

The Master Builders Fidelity Fund was established in 2002 to protect the interests of both home owners 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 home owners and is therefore not subjected to the fluctuations of international markets and events.

The Fidelity Fund issues Fidelity Certificates which provide protection for owners of new homes and those making significant changes to homes, in the event that the builder dies, disappears or becomes insolvent, the Certificates protect the owner during construction and for up to five years from the date of practical completion.

Master Builders members receive reduced premium rates. For more information contact the Master Builders Fidelity Fund.

Go online and find the cover that is right for you. www.mba.org.au/consumer-advice/home-warranty-insurance

Master Builders Fidelity Fund 1 Iron Knob St, Fyshwick ACT 2609 PO Box 1211, Fyshwick ACT 2609 Tel: (02) 6175 5995 Email: mdouch@mba.org.au Web: www.mba.org.au

SIMON BUTT ELECTED NATIONAL PRESIDENT OF MASTER BUILDERS AUSTRALIA SIMON BUTT

In November last year, Chief Executive of Manteena Simon Butt was elected National President of Master Builders Australia at the Annual General Meeting of Master Builders Association.

Simon’s involvement with the MBA began in the early 1990’s when he joined the MBA ACT Commercial Sector Council, he then sat on the Executive Committee before becoming Treasurer and eventually President of the MBA ACT. Simon has represented the ACT on the MBA Australia Board since 2012.

As an outstanding leader within the building and construction industry, Simon is highly regarded across the ACT. He is the second president to hail from the ACT since the formation of the association in 1981 and will no doubt successfully lead the association as a strong advocate for the industry.

THE LINK AT GININDERRY, A PROJECT

BY MANTEENA COMMERCIAL

Simon is Chief Executive of Manteena, an award-winning Canberra based construction contractor with a track record of working on some of the most iconic projects in the nation’s capital including Parliament House and completing construction projects across Australia and internationally in 23 countries.

He is also a Fellow of the Australian Institute of Building, Member of Australian Institute of Company Directors and the Australian Institute of Project Management. In 2018 he was appointed an Adjunct Professor at the University of Canberra.

Master Builders ACT wish Simon well with his new endeavour as the National President of Master Builders Australia.

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BUILDING QUALITY

Building Quality was, for the wrong reasons, one of the hottest topics in the building and construction industry Australia-wide in 2019. This trend is likely to continue in 2020 as all jurisdictions, including the ACT, seek to address legacy issues and reform areas of the building sector that have unfortunately, in the past, been subject to poor regulation and a laissez-faire approach to enforcement. Given that 2020 will play host to the ACT Election, it is likely that building quality will be a key platform issue for all parties and continue to dominate the news cycle.

In the ACT, submissions closed at the end of 2018 and public hearings were held throughout 2019 to the Inquiry into building quality in the ACT. It is unclear when a report from the Standing Committee on Economic Development and Tourism, and the subsequent ACT Government response, is likely to be forthcoming. The Inquiry received 103 submissions from home-owners, the ACT Government and industry associations, including Master Builders ACT. Whilst the submissions were being filed and hearings conducted, the ACT Government continued to move forward on the 43 recommendations that were made as a result of the 2016 inquiry into building quality in the ACT. In addition to these recommendations, additional reforms like the director liability were introduced at the end of 2019, and the possibility of a developer licensing scheme has been flagged.

The key reforms that participants in the building and construction industry need to be across are: DIRECTOR LIABILITY On 10 December 2019, the Building and Construction Legislation Amendment Act 2019 became effective. This is disappointing to Master Builders ACT for a number of reasons, namely that there was no consultation with any industry stakeholders before the Bill was released, it did not address any of the 43 ACT building reform recommendations (from 2016), and it did not address any of the 24 reforms listed in the Building Confidence Report by Bronwyn Weir and Peter Shergold. Master Builders ACT is supportive of the ACT Government reforming the building regulatory system and attempting to improve building quality. We do not believe it is the best way to achieve the shared objective of striving for building quality.

Now that the legislation has passed, it is important that you are aware of the following key sections: >> Criminal liability of executive officers: new provisions have been introduced that apply criminal penalties to all executive officers of a licensed builder (not just the director) if they do not report certain activities as outlined in section

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26B of the Construction Occupations (Licensing) Act 2004 (for example, if the company is placed into liquidation there is an obligation to report within 24 hours); >> Director liability for outstanding amounts: the new legislation will mean that if a licensed building company owes money to the ACT Government (for example, as a result of a fine imposed), and the company does not make payment by the due date or enter into an agreed payment arrangement, the debt will automatically attach to the individual persons who were directors at the time the fine was imposed, and who are directors at the time of nonpayment; >> Rectification orders: in summary, if a company is issued with a rectification order and subsequently enters liquidation, the rectification order will attach to the individual persons who were directors at the time the building work was carried out, and since. The process differs slightly depending on when the company is placed into liquidation, but the ultimate outcome is the same – company directors may now be liable for rectification orders. There are several implications of this policy (and now law) that are yet to be explored, including the impact on professional indemnity insurance, home warranty insurance and regulatory burden and compliance. Master Builders ACT strongly recommends that all directors of licensed builders seek independent advice about their potential exposure; and >> Nominees of corporations and partnerships: new requirements will apply from June 2020 for all building corporations or partnerships to have a written record of policies and procedures for effectively managing and supervising nominees. Master Builders ACT will be providing further information on this requirement to our members in due course.

BUILDERS CODE OF PRACTICE Throughout the latter half of 2019, Master Builders ACT engaged in consultation with the ACT Government on a draft Builders Code of Practice. The Code is yet to be finalised and it is expected that further consultation will take place in the first quarter of this year. Any Code of Practice that is implemented must accurately recognise the role of the builder in the building supply chain; whilst the builder is the entity or person who is the public face of the process, they are ordinarily not the entity or person doing the manual labour nor do they have the necessary technical qualifications to do some of that labour (for example, electrical or plumbing work). It is crucial that the final version of the Code of Practice reflects the modern role of the builder.

Master Builders ACT will continue to engage with our members and the broader industry, including ACT Government, on building quality and the likely reforms to be proposed in 2020.

REVIEW OF ALTERNATE DISPUTE RESOLUTION Concerns are often raised with Master Builders ACT about the lack of efficient and affordable dispute resolution procedures in the ACT. This problem is not unique to the ACT and is experienced by builders and subcontractors around the country. Details of what a ‘best practice’ alternate dispute resolution model may look like have not been released by the ACT Government; it is expected that a working group will be formed with problems identified and solutions proposed over the first half of 2020. It is clear that for a dispute resolution model to be effective in the ACT, it must be simple, strike a balance between being affordable yet have consequences for unsubstantiated claims to avoid vexatious litigation, and be properly funded and staffed by experienced practitioners who understand the industry, the legislation and the issues.

LICENSING REFORMS The recommendation made in 2016 was for the ACT Government to “consult on the findings of the review in relation to licensing, licensing categories and ‘contracting’ as a scope of work”. A position paper is yet to be released; however, Master Builders ACT has been a strong advocate for some time for trade contractor licensing to be introduced. It is clear to Master Builders ACT that it takes all building industry supply chain participants – from the developer (which includes government departments and individual home-owners), through to principal contractors, subcontractors and other tradespeople – to have a quality, successful and safe industry.

Master Builders ACT will continue to engage with our members and the broader industry, including ACT Government, on building quality and the likely reforms to be proposed in 2020.

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Independent Toyota Dealership Sales Opening Hours Monday – Friday 8:30am til 5:30pm Saturday 9:00am til 5:00pm Service Opening Hours Monday – Friday 7:30am til 5:30pm

WHS Update

The building and construction industry has amazing resources available, such as OzHelp, to support you and your teams.

FROM MBA WHS MANAGER, ALANA MORRIS

It’s a new year, and a great opportunity to assess your safety goals, practices and procedures in the workplace. Are there specific goals you have in mind? Is there a specific safety aspect that you would like to focus on, such as mental health or working at heights? Will safety become (or continue to be) the absolute number one priority of your business? Do you want to achieve accreditation? Or, is there a specific project that you want to be involved in?

It’s a good idea to step back and think about the core values of your business and how they can be incorporated into your safety strategies and goals for the year, and years to come.

Simple and sound health and safety systems have so many benefits for your business, including: >> Safe sites >> Better culture (both in safety and among peers) >> Greater job satisfaction (therefore less turnover in staff which is less spent on recruitment) >> Better worker engagement >> Less workers compensation claims (which in turn, lowers your premium) >> Lower workers compensation insurance premiums through demonstration of safe work practices and systems >> Less absenteeism (which results in better productivity and less spent on overtime for others/ additional labour) MBA ACT is here to support our members through their safety journeys and goals. Feel free to call and have a chat about how we can help you and the tailored training, site presentations and workshops we can provide.

MBA ACT is hosting WHS workshops throughout 2020, these include: >> WHS Legislation >> Responsibilities to Meet WHS Obligations >> Psychological Safety >> WHS Management Systems >> Managing High Risk Work Activities >> Managing Subcontractors >> Managing young / new workers >> Managing Mobile Plant >> Incident reporting and Investigations >> Corrective and preventative Actions Keep an eye on the weekly member updates for the dates and reserve your seat through our online booking system.

It’s been a tough start to 2020, with the bushfires creating a constant state of alert for many of us, the strong winds and storms forcing speedy reactions and evacuations and the smoke keeping us fatigued. Remember to check in on your worker’s. Having one meaningful conversation could save a life.

The building and construction industry has amazing resources available, such as OzHelp, to support you and your teams.

I would like to commend the industry for the support and comradery provided throughout the recent challenges in our region.

Who do you work safely for?

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Perplexed by right of entry?

The ABCC is here to help

It is the Australian Building and Construction Commission’s role to promote understanding and enforce compliance with workplace laws in the building and construction industry. An important part of that is to ensure all industry participants know their rights and obligations when it comes to right of entry.

The object of the right of entry system is to balance the rights of organisations to represent their members and the rights of site occupiers to go about their business without undue inconvenience. All parties are required to act in a lawful manner to ensure that sites are fair, efficient and productive.

“The OnSite app is a great tool to navigate right of entry scenarios”

Detailed information on the ABCC website outlines the specific requirements that union officials must fulfil in each of the three scenarios outlined above.

Employers and site occupiers should familiarise themselves with this information and should not refuse or delay entry by permit holder/s, not hinder or obstruct a permit holder and not misrepresent matters authorised by the right of entry provisions in the FW Act. The On Site app is also a great tool to navigate right of entry scenarios.

INVESTIGATIONS

HOW THE ABCC CAN HELP

Right of entry accounts for more than a third of all current ABCC investigations.

On Site app: take a minute to download our onSite app now so you have right of entry information at your fingertips when and where you need it most, on site. The app takes you through step by step process when dealing with several right of entry scenarios.

A quarter of all complaints made to our 1800 hotline related to right of entry issues in 2019.

The ABCC currently has 13 matters before the Court involving allegations of right of entry contraventions, including one in the ACT. LEGAL REQUIREMENTS A union official who holds a valid federal right of entry permit can lawfully enter a site or premises to:

Presentations: The ABCC is available to visit your workplace and provide right of entry presentations. To request one, please fill out this form: abcc.gov.au/book-presentation Website: for detailed right of entry information - abcc.gov.au

>> hold discussions with eligible employees

Right of entry permit lists: we have compiled lists to help site occupiers to identify officials of building associations who either do not hold a valid federal entry permit or have conditions imposed on them: abcc.gov.au/resources/right-entry-permit-lists This information is also available on the app.

>> exercise a right to enter that is conferred on them under a state or territory OHS law.

Hotline: 1800 003 338 (7am-7pm AEDT) Monday to Friday excluding public holidays.

>> investigate a suspected breach of the Fair Work Act (FW Act) or a fair work instrument (including a modern award or enterprise agreement)

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ENFORCEMENT The ABCC has successfully prosecuted and intervened in a number of right of entry matters in Court, resulting in substantial penalties being imposed on industry participants.

All parties need to respect each other’s rights on Australian building sites and knowing your rights and obligations is crucial.

Logan Enhancement Project Case On 12 November 2019, the Federal Circuit Court found a CFMMEU official engaged in ‘unprovoked and aggressive’ conduct towards a site manager on the Logan Motorway in Queensland.

The CFMMEU official continually swore at the site manager.

The Court found the conduct was ‘deliberate’, ‘aggressive’, ‘offensive’, ‘antithetical to the rights of the right of entry regime’ and was a ‘gross abuse of the entitlements’ given to the CFMMEU official.

The CFMMEU official was penalised a total of $4,400 for his unlawful conduct and the CFMMEU was also penalised $34,650.

The Fair Work Commission is now considering whether to revoke or suspend the official’s entry permit.

The Village Building Case The ABCC commenced proceedings in the Federal Circuit Court against the CFMEU and six of its officials, including ACT State Secretary Dean Hall, for contravening right of entry laws on several occasions on three construction sites across Canberra, in one instance disrupting a concrete pour.

On 7 September 2018 and 20 September 2019, the Federal Court delivered judgment on liability. The Court is currently considering penalties to be imposed on the CFMEU and its officials for contraventions of right of entry laws. A penalty hearing is scheduled for 31 January 2020.

Australian Building and Construction Commissioner Stephen McBurney

44 115

RIGHT OF ENTRY INVESTIGATIONS BETWEEN Q1 2018–19 ADVICE PROVIDED ON RIGHT OF ENTRY MATTERS BETWEEN Q1 2018–19

MASTER BUILDERS ASSOCIATION NEWS EDITION 1 2020

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UNDERSTANDING RELATIVE HUMIDITY IN CONCRETE FOR FLOOR COVERING Relative humidity (rH) is often mistaken for moisture; however, these are two completely separate terms. Moisture content represents the amount of water in liquid form, while relative humidity is defined as “the ratio of the amount of water vapor actually in the air compared to the amount of water vapor required for saturation at that particular temperature and pressure expressed as a percentage.”

Simply put, relative humidity represents the amount of water vapor that is present in the air in comparison to the amount that the air can hold.

Multiple factors can influence relative humidity in concrete slabs, contributing to high relative humidity 6 months or more after pouring concrete: >> The initial amount of water in the concrete (from a high water/cement ratio); >> Ambient conditions such as high ambient relative humidity, cold temperatures, additional sources of water, and limited air movement; >> Missing or inadequate moisture barrier in a slab on grade, causing outside moisture to penetrate the slab.

Before any flooring system is installed, it is crucial to measure the relative humidity of the concrete to ensure a it is safe to install your specific flooring system.

Once the floor is installed, it seals the surface and prevents further drying of the concrete underneath. If the floor is installed too early, excess relative humidity will be trapped inside the concrete. It will try to evaporate, leading to pressure and changes in the alkalinity at the flooring and concrete interface. This can result in delamination of floor adhesives, blistering/bubbling of coating or cracking and curling in flooring materials.

CIVIL CONTRACTORS FEDERATION UPDATE From CCF ACT President Nick Zardo, Civil Contractors Council Chair

NICK ZARDO, PRESIDENT, CIVIL CONTRACTORS FEDERATION ACT & MBA CIVIL CONTRACTORS COUNCIL CHAIR

NATIONALLY The CCF National Office has been mounting a concerted effort on the training and education front to have many civil occupations formally recognised as trades. A comprehensive submission was forwarded to the Federal Government calling on a major overhaul of the “National Skills Needs List”. The Government has committed to supporting up to 80,000 new apprentices over the next five years and the CCF is lobbying to ensure the civil construction sector is a major beneficiary of the new incentive program for employers of apprentices and trainees. The program, called the Incentives for Australian Apprenticeships Program will come into effect on 1 July 2020.

LOCALLY Over a year ago, the MBA board began advocating for fairer terms in relation to milestones and completion amounts in Government contracts which has led to the Territory allowing far more flexibility around milestones and completion amounts. This is considered a significant win for the local Industry and a great outcome for all stakeholders as well as a demonstration of what can be achieved through our industry organisation.

This year, members have hosted senior government representatives on their sites, showing them around and allowing them to talk with workers, providing an insight into how local contractors work and the benefits they bring to the community. We have held directors, members meetings and a round table discussion with Infrastructure Delivery Partners.

The number one issue is workload, at the time of writing this article, the amount of work within the ACT is not meeting the anticipated volume, making this a real issue for industry. Over the last year, local industry has constantly had to defend itself in terms of capacity. Unfortunately, we are now in a position of not having enough work to complete. The MBA board continues to push for a reliable pipeline of work for industry and will continue to hold the local government to account in terms of its Infrastructure plan and Call Tender Schedule.

The ACT CCF Earth Awards will be held on the 8th of May this year.

I encourage you to be a part of this great evening which celebrates the regions’ Civil Contractors Industry.

The board has also been engaging with Canberra Metro about participating in the construction of the proposed Stage 2A of the light rail and early indications are very positive about a greater involvement by local contractors in this very exciting project.

The ACT CCF Earth Awards will be held on the 8th of May this year. I encourage you to be a part of this great evening which celebrates the regions’ Civil Contractors Industry.

The start of this year has been tragic for some and challenging for all in our region, much has been written about this, but I could not write this article without acknowledging it as well. I am humbled and so proud of the community as a whole, we only seem to count the losses, but so many lives, fauna, flora and property has been saved, it’s our society which enables this strong outcome.

Looking forward, I wish all of our industry a peaceful and relaxing Easter break, more work and I look forward to catching up with you at our next Members meeting followed by the Earth Awards.

MASTER BUILDERS ASSOCIATION NEWS EDITION 1 2020

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ENHANCING ARCHITECTURE AND DESIGN.

B U I L D I N G

B R A I T H W A I T E

V I S I T O U R P O R T F O L I O AT B R A I T H W A I T E B U I L D I N G . C O M . A U

BUILDING | CUSTOM JOINERY RENOVATIONS | PROJECT MANAGEMENT

B R A I T H W A I T E B U I L D I N G

Fraudulent Invoices – Protecting Your Business Recently, MBA Insurance Services has seen a growing number of incidents where builders have received fraudulent invoices that appear to have been emailed to them from subcontractors. While many builders have very strong internal processes to avoid making any incorrect payments, the phrase “Please note change of banking details” should trigger alarm bells for all builders. Any time you are making payments electronically to an account for the first time – we would strongly recommend confirming banking details verbally with a known contact within their business.

Even if your business has exceptional internal processes for payments, there’s a reasonable chance that at least one of these scenarios would result in a fraudulent invoice being paid.

CONSIDER THE FOLLOWING SCENARIOS:

While prevention is key, from an insurance perspective, having the right Management Liability (ML) policy would provide coverage for these types of thefts. Some ML policies exclude cover for payments made in error but having the right ML policy provides a wide range of covers for the exposures in running a business, with the Crime section responding to these losses, along with providing cover for employee theft, i.e. embezzlement of funds.

An electrical subcontractor that you’ve dealt with for years has their computer system hacked, with the hackers gaining access to their accounts and emails. The thieves can see that the subcontractor has recently sent you an invoice, they modify the invoice to another bank account, and resend it to you, using the same type of language normally used between you in emails.

In addition to providing broad cover for Crime, a broad ML policy will also provide cover for Occupational Health & Safety defence costs and fines and penalties – under the Statutory Liability section. Other exposures covered under an ML policy include – Employment Practices, i.e. unfair dismissal claims, Tax Audit, and Directors and Officers cover.

Using social media tools, or even your own website, thieves gain an understanding of your company structure, specifically the Directors and those responsible for accounts and payments. By creating an almost identical email address, they send an email invoice to the accounts staff, pretending to be a director authorising payment related to a new project.

While providing proof of a current Management Liability policy is not a requirement when signing contracts/tendering for business, not having this cover can significantly impact your business, and also your own personal assets and lifestyle.

Your job sites have site signage advertising your business, and subcontractors working on those sites all have vehicles with their company name & logo visible. Thieves then mockup an electronic invoice cutting & pasting the subcontractor logo, referencing the address of the job, with different banking details, which they send to you via email.

If you’d like to know more about Management Liability insurance – please contact Nick Morgan at MBA Insurance Services on (02) 6175 5975.

MASTER BUILDERS ASSOCIATION NEWS EDITION 1 2020

45

Master Builders Australia ECONOMY UPDATE

The fate of the building and construction industry is generally determined by the health of the economy, the pace of population growth and the rate at which new jobs are being created. Financing conditions and the cost of borrowing also have a major impact on how much work actually gets done.

Canberra largely ticks all of the boxes here: in terms of population growth, the ACT is one of the strongest performers in Australia with Canberra receiving a net 6,330 additional residents over the year to June 2019 – equivalent to a healthy 1.5% population growth rate.

SHANE GARRETT, CHIEF ECONOMIST AT MBA AUSTRALIA

Canberra’s economy is arguably the strongest performing in Australia at the moment so the fact that construction activity has soared over the past few years is no surprise. Master Builders Australia has just released its latest batch of building and construction forecasts for each of the eight states and territories so with a new decade stretching out ahead of us, it is a good time to weigh up the prospects for the coming years.

Job creation is where Canberra really takes the biscuit, with the total number of jobs rising by 4.0% over the year to November 2019 meaning that 9,170 more people are at work compared with a year ago. One note of caution worth striking is that the majority of newly-created jobs were part time rather than fulltime positions, indicating perhaps that an element of softness is at play in terms of the strength of the local labour market. It is also worth emphasising that the Canberra economy has yet to reach its full potential in terms of job creation opportunities in the private sector.

The bottom line is that more people and more jobs requires a bigger pool of infrastructure and a larger number of buildings, and it is this which mostly explains the recent shape of the ACT building and construction market. Aside from the Light Rail project, major public infrastructure work in Canberra (such as social infrastructure) has been quite thin on the ground and this represents something of a challenge for the local market.

MASTER BUILDERS FORECASTS FOR NEW HOME STARTS IN THE ACT TO 2024/25

7,000

6,000

5,000

4,000

3,000

2,000

1,000 0 2014/15

2015/16

2016/17

2017/18

2018/19

2019/20

2020/21

2021/22

2022/23

Detached Houses

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MASTER BUILDERS ASSOCIATION NEWS EDITION 1 2020

2023/24

2024/25

Apartments/Units

The chart below summarises the past performance of new home building in the ACT and sets out our latest forecasts for the period up to 2024/25. The 2018/19 financial year was clearly an exceptionally strong one for new home building activity in Canberra, particularly with respect to the high-density end of the market. Over the short term, we are set to see fewer new homes being started. The latest building approvals data from the ABS show that activity on this front has taken a big step backwards: over the three months to November 2019, new dwelling approvals in the ACT were down by some 46% on the same period a year earlier – with apartment/unit approvals having suffered a reduction of almost 60%.

The temporary weakness in the new home building pipeline is largely due to the fact that the local market is still digesting the record volume of new homes completed over recent years, particularly those on the high-density side. This is one of the reasons why apartment prices in Canberra have stagnated over the past year – and a signal to builders to ease off on new building projects for the moment.

This is likely to be a temporary phenomenon though and the downturn in high density is expected to start recovering again during the 2021/22 financial year before starting to climb back towards an annual build of 4,000.

While apartment/unit building can be very sensitive to changes in market conditions, detached house building tends to be a little more stable and the short-term prospects here are more positive. Our forecasts envisage that new detached house

1,400

starts should expand in both 2020/21 and 2021/22 to reach a peak of 1,433. Even then, detached house will still account for just over 30% of new builds in Canberra.

Commercial building activity in the ACT peaked at $1.14 billion during the 2017/18 financial year and as the second chart below illustrates the volume of work here is currently negotiating a downturn. The bottoming out point here is forecast to occur during 2020/21 with a strong rebound of 11.0% expected for 2021/22. Like residential building, the commercial side of the market will benefit from the favourable combination of low interest rates, solid population growth and a healthy profile of job creation.

With respect to engineering construction, the biggest show in town over the coming years will of course centre around Stage 2 of the Canberra Light Rail project. Stage 1 was a big boost to engineering construction in the ACT but will nothing to fill the gap, engineering construction activity is projected to bottom out at about $592 million this financial year. The boost from Stage 2 of light rail will propel engineering construction activity to peak at $837 million in 2022/23 – well above the low point anticipated for this year.

Putting it all together, this means that the total volume of building and construction activity across the ACT is likely to bottom out during the current financial year with a 10.1% decline compared with the 2018/19 financial year. Activity is then set to expand over the medium term, with Stage 2 of the Light Rail project being an important component of this.

MASTER BUILDERS FORECASTS FOR CONSTRUCTION ACTIVITY IN THE ACT TO 2024/25

1,200

Millions of Dollars

1,000

800

600

400

200

0 2014/15

2015/16

2016/17

2017/18

2018/19

2019/20

2020/21

2021/22

2022/23

Commercial Building

2023/24

2024/25

Engineering construction

MASTER BUILDERS ASSOCIATION NEWS EDITION 1 2020

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Influencing Canberra Interiors FOR OVER 20 YEARS

With over 20 years’ experience at the forefront of the design industry, Melinda Boag is one of the most celebrated and sought after interior designers in the region. Boag’s designs are defined by clean lines and neutral tones intuitively balanced by an added ‘wow’ factor!

surveying the area, Boag started rearranging and planning the layout to better suit its purpose. By the time she left, the entire interior had been restyled - metaphorically at least. So rather than carving out an industrial design career for which she had earned her degree, Boag was seduced by Interior Design.

Renowned for her ability to execute everything she puts her hand to with innate mastery, Boag’s signature style is classically inspired, wide-ranging and subtly distinctive.

When clients choose Melinda Boag Designs they can expect contemporary, tailored interiors with an element of surprise - ordinary becomes extraordinary and all spaces become effortlessly functional. So it’s no surprise to learn that she has won many industry awards locally and nationally.

“I found I was more interested in space planning, furniture and property design than manufacturing, which came as a bit of a shock initially. However, I was fortunate enough to land my first job with a talented architect who mentored me through the transition from my industrial design training to design, in its many wonderful forms.” Boag said.

“I have found that with an ever-changing industry such as interior design, that taking the classic approach as opposed to the trendy approach is always a winning strategy. Trends come and go which is why I root my designs in what I know is a constant.” Boag said Whenever she entered a room, regardless of the shape or size, Melinda Boag’s mind instinctively took over. Subconsciously

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MASTER BUILDERS ASSOCIATION NEWS EDITION 1 2020

Intuitive and creative, Boag lives and breathes design and has the ability to take clients out of their comfort zone to explore intriguing new concepts. However, uncompromising style is always at the core of her designs. Boag achieves unpretentious elegance by using eclectic materials, fabrics and colour palettes.

“I absolutely love what I’m graced to do, and I never take it for granted. I have no doubt that by really getting to know my customer base is the key to my businesses success,” Boag said.

Melinda Boag Design has been a proud member of the MBA since founding her business in 2000

Boag believes that a family home is the backdrop to life, full of collected furniture, artefacts and memories. Her goal is to create an atmosphere where families live and love, and memories continue to grow. Passionate about what she does, Boag works tirelessly to deliver the very best results, regardless of budget.

With knowledge and expertise across a breadth of services she consistently delivers exceptional spaces that function fabulously.

When she started her own business, the majority of Boag’s work came from builders wanting to provide ‘added-value’ for their clients. These days however, the tide has turned and most of her work comes directly from the clients themselves. Briefing the architect and/or builder on the design is a crucial component.

“It is vitally important to me that I meet each client face to face to get a sense of their individuality and style of living. I need to understand their personalities in order to reflect their identity.

Furthermore, respectful collaboration with the architect and builder is the only option to achieve the optimum result,” Boag said.

According to Melinda Boag the size of the budget should never influence effort. Her overwhelming ability to listen to her clients’ vision, enables her to translate that into something

extraordinary, regardless of budget. While bigger budgets allow for more features, smaller budgets are afforded equal effort with Melinda Boag Design.

“The interior design industry has become a hot commodity.

We’ve evolved from an industry where people hired us out of need, to an industry where people hire us out of want! I would like to thank HGTV for that!” Boag said.

MASTER BUILDERS ASSOCIATION NEWS EDITION 1 2020

49

THERE’S A NEW TEAM IN TOWN

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WHAT IS THE PPSR AND HOW DOES IT IMPACT ON MY BUSINESS?

Margaret Young, Graduate, and Emily Shoemark, Senior Associate The Personal Property Security Register (better known as the PPSR) was created by the Personal Property Securities Act 2009. However, over 10 years later the PPSR, how it operates, and its relevancy is still often not fully understood by many businesses.

The PPSR was introduced to protect interests in personal property, very similar to the way in which an interest could be secured over real property (land). The PPSR is a national database and is administered by the Insolvency and Trustee Service Australia.

Although the PPSR can be used to benefit both consumers and businesses, this article will focus on how businesses – particularly businesses in the building and construction industry – can benefit from the PPSR as well as the risks that you need to be aware of.

WHO DOES THE PPSR APPLY TO? The PPSR only deals with personal property – which is basically any sort of property that is not land, buildings or fixtures. This includes motor vehicles, boats, crops, livestock, stock in trade, equipment, licences, debts, shares, cash and cheques. Goods do not have to be new to be registered on the PPSR – for example, checking the PPSR can be a great way to check that the seller of a second-hand car actually owns the car and is legally entitled to sell it.

Generally, the PPSR will apply to you if you are: >> buying or selling personal property >> providing a loan for the purchase of personal property >> leasing personal property >> hiring out personal property >> providing services that include machinery either separately or as part of works contracts >> licensing relating to software >> buying or selling goods on credit >> brokering personal property >> selling goods on terms.

As you can see, the PPSR is relevant to many industries, including building and construction, hire and rental, mining, wholesale and manufacturing, retail, IP and research and development, financial services, automotive, professional artists, hobbyists and dealers, and agribusiness.

WHAT CAN THE PPSR DO? By registering your interest in vehicles, plant and machinery, or other personal property, the PPSR can protect you if the person in possession of the goods become insolvent.

The PPSR is a single, national online database that shows whether someone is claiming an interest in goods or assets. A comparison is a title search on land, which will show if a bank has registered a mortgage over that property.

Businesses that sell or lease goods, or lenders, can use the PPSR to register security of goods or loans. This means that if you sell goods to a customer who is paying the cost off on account, and that customer goes broke, there is a public registration showing your interest and you will be in the best position to get the goods (or the value of them) back.

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MASTER BUILDERS ASSOCIATION NEWS EDITION 1 2020

Businesses that buy goods can check whether security interests exist in relation to those items, and by whom. This means that you can check that you will actually be getting good title after the sale, or if there is money still owing and the seller is not entitled to sell those items at all.

By protecting your interests through the PPSR, you will ensure you’ll be covered or, at the minimum, that your interests will be higher in the lists of obligations being met.

When should your register with the PPSR? All commercial goods that are leased or provided on account or on credit should have a PPSR registered over them to protect the owner. The best way of being able to do this, and to prevent the customer from opposing registration, is to ensure that your terms and conditions of trade state that the customer is permitting you to register a PPSR interest.

The PPSR is a priority system – your rights are protected from the time of registration, so first in best dressed. The earlier you register your interest, the higher up the list you will be of secured creditors if someone you are dealing with goes broke, and the better your chance of being paid.

The following examples show cases where a business registering an interest on the PPSR can be crucial for a businesses ongoing viability.

Grain growers In this first example, the PPSR would have provided protection to grain growers when a grain broker, who was holding the grain, went broke.

The grain growers who had registered their interests on the PPSR received approximately 90% from their crop, because they were secured creditors and were the first to be paid by the liquidator. Those grain growers without PPSR registrations received as little as 10%. In a liquidation process, unsecured creditors are only paid if the debt is proven and there are sufficient funds after the secured creditors have been paid out.

Building and construction In relation to the building and construction industry, PPSR is relevant for many different scenarios, including: (a) When a contractor enters into a works contract that involves the use of machinery that is remaining onsite.

By registering the interests in the goods, you will be protected if the head contractor with whom you are contracting goes broke. (b) The outlay of goods for a job and these goods remaining onsite. For example, a glazier is contracted to install 50 windows that will take approximately two weeks to install; the glazier purchases the windows and leaves them onsite. However, during the two weeks the owner of the property goes broke and the windows are sold to pay creditors. If the glazier had registered their interests in the windows, those interests would have been protected. (c) Protecting a contractor’s interests in temporary work, which are removed at the end of the contract. For example, scaffolding that will be used during the contract, but then removed. To protect the contractor’s interests, a registration should be put over the scaffolding to ensure that, if the head contractor goes broke during the contract, the scaffolding is returned to the owner.

How can Snedden Hall & Gallop help?

The PPSR may initially seem daunting; however, considering the protection it can provide it is worth spending time to understand what it does and how it can help. We can assist you with this – we can help to understand the process to set up a PPSR account so that you can manage it yourself, or we can help with lodging registrations and managing the account. You can contact a member of our Business Law team on 02 6285 8000 or by email.

Leasing, hiring or renting out goods If you are leasing, hiring or renting out personal property for more than two years it’s imperative that you register your interests over your goods. In some cases, shorter leases can be registerable if more at least one year, depending on when the lease was entered into. If you do not register your interests and your customer goes broke, a liquidator may take over without your knowledge. Further, if your goods are not registered on the PPSR your goods may be sold to pay secured creditors.

MASTER BUILDERS ASSOCIATION NEWS EDITION 1 2020

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Ray Adams – Arch Trade Co. ILVE Appliances Sales Agent ACT & South West regional NSW ray.adams@eurolinx.com.au ILVE.COM.AU

Models shown: K09CSV/SS

EVENT CALENDAR DATE

TIME

EVENT NAME

4-Mar

4:30pm to 6pm

New Member Welcome Session

17-Mar

12pm to 2pm

WIC International Women’s Day Luncheon

24-Mar

7:30am to 9am

Member Workshop - Employer Obligations

25-Mar

12pm to 2pm

WIC - PPSR Learning Session

27-Mar

6pm to 11pm

Apprentice Graduation and Training Awards

MARCH

APRIL All month

Excellence Awards Judging

7-Apr

7:30am to 9am

Member Workshop - PPSR

21-Apr

7:30am to 9am

Member Workshop - Right of Entry

23-Apr

8am to 10am

Member Workshop - Psychological Safety

29-Apr

4:30pm to 6pm

Member Workshop - National Construction Code

8-May

6:30pm to 11pm

Civil Contractors Federation Earth Awards

12-May

4:30pm to 6pm

Member Workshop - Defects Session

14-May

12pm to 2pm

WIC - Small Business Employment Learning Session

21-May

8am to 10am

Member Workshop - WHS Systems

27-May

7:30am to 9am

Member Workshop - IR

12-Jun

11:30am to 3pm

WIC - Winter Wine Tour

18-Jun

8am to 10am

Member Workshop - Managing High Risk Construction Works

23-Jun

7:30am to 9am

MBA 2020-2021 Budget Session

26-Jun

6:30pm to 11:30pm

Master Builders and Asset Construction Hire Excellence Awards

MAY

JUNE

For more information on events hosted by Master Builders ACT, contact events@mba.org.au or call the event team on (02) 6175 5970

MASTER BUILDERS ASSOCIATION NEWS EDITION 1 2020

55

Build something great™

Boral is changing the way we do business with Customers.

Introducing our new digital portal. It’s secure and easy to use.

Boral CONNECTS puts managing your concrete orders, deliveries and dockets in your hands!

Accessible on mobile and desktop, Customers can: 1

View historical order information

2

Run docket delivery reports

3

View and print Dockets

4

Access more than one account using the same login

Whether onsite or in the office, Customers can: 1

Track concrete deliveries

2

Review orders (current, past and future)

3

Confirm orders (by 3pm day prior to order delivery)*

4

Cancel orders (by 1pm day prior to order delivery)*

5

Call Boral

* Customers can contact the Sales Service Centre or Plant for any changes to orders after the cut off.

We are here to help.

If you have any questions, contact us at boralconnects@boral.com.au To learn more about Boral Connects, visit us at www.boralconnects.com.au Boral, the Boral logo and Build something great are trade marks or registered trade marks of Boral Limited or one of its subsidiaries. 16874 Jan20

SIGN UP now

Meet Boral’s new Regional Manager of the ACT, John Howard John Howard hails from the beautiful townland of Old Kilcullen in County Kildare, Ireland. John’s career in Ireland included senior management experience within the building products and construction materials sector with leading companies such as Kingspan Building Products and ITW servicing the Irish and UK markets. In 2001, John left Ireland to pursue his career in Australia. He returns every year to Ireland to visit his parents Christy & Aileen Howard and all the family in Old Kilcullen.

Since emigrating to Australia, John’s career has involved working in senior management and leadership roles with companies including Bunnings and CSR Building Products. In 2019, after many years living in Sydney, John made the move to Canberra to take on his newest role as Boral’s Regional Manager for the ACT, with responsibility for managing all Boral concrete plants in the ACT, while leading and supporting Boral team members across their manufacturing plants in the region.

John said, “The management of the production, logistics, operations and sales functions are important facets of my role and leading the strategic direction of the sales and operations of the business. The safety of all employees and a safe working environment at all our plants is always our priority at Boral.”

Boral is the largest building and construction materials supplier in Australia with an extensive network of quarries and concrete plants across the nation. John said, “Boral invests significant resources in the areas of product quality, testing, research and innovation through its laboratory and testing facilities. Boral is committed to delivering quality products and materials and excellent customer service to all our customers and projects across Australia. The business exudes a spirit of excellence which is built on integrity and collaboration both within the business and externally with our customers. I also believe the people and culture within Boral set it apart from the rest of the industry.”

John noted some of the current works being undertaken by the company, “Boral is working on some truly outstanding projects at the moment including Sydney Metro, Melbourne Metro tunnel, Pacific Highway upgrade in NSW, Crown Sydney and most recently completed external works on the National Portrait Gallery in Canberra,” he said.

JOHN HOWARD

of the Master Builders Association is a key component to the success of our partnership. It is a genuine partnership built on collaboration and supporting the members of the MBA and our mutual customers across the building and construction industry.”

Congratulations to Boral for all their achievements to date, MBA ACT looks forward to celebrating many more membership milestones with you in the future.

About Boral’s current projects: >> Sydney Metro - is Australia’s largest public transport project that will result in new train stations and more than 66 kilometres of new rail lines.

Upon completion in 2024, trains will run from the North-West under Sydney harbour, through new underground stations in the CBD and beyond to the South-West. >> Melbourne Metro tunnel - is one of the largest public transport projects undertaken in Australia. It is expected to be finished by 2025. >> Pacific Highway Upgrade NSW - The $2.2 Billion Pacific Highway upgrade is one of the largest road projects in NSW and will ultimately result in a renewed, safer and faster transport corridor from Sydney to the Queensland border. >> Crown Sydney - will feature a Casino, luxury apartments and the city’s first six star hotel. Crown Sydney will be a major highlight of the 22 hectare Barangaroo project.

In 2020, Boral are celebrating a massive feat of 50 years of membership with Master Builders ACT. John said, “To be marking 50 years of membership with Master Builders ACT is a truly fabulous milestone in our relationship. I believe the localised focus of our organisations and our commitment to the members

MASTER BUILDERS ASSOCIATION NEWS EDITION 1 2020

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CURIOSITY IS THE SPARK behind every great idea

There are interior designers who display a decidedly minimalist bent, others who revel in tassels, trims and bling. Then there’s Mimmi Freebody who simply delivers style. Her creativity and professionalism consistently deliver homes that people want to live in.

Curiosity is what influenced Mimmi Freebody to embark on a career in design. An enormous flow of creativity has surged through her veins since she started working in a retail showroom back in 1982. It was while selling spa baths, vanities, tapware and accessories for her then retail employer, that Freebody’s creative flair was bubbling beneath the surface.

Perplexed at the lack of engagement with the customer in terms of discussing where the products being purchased were to be placed, it seemed, to Freebody at least, that builders were the ones who made decisions on the layout of rooms and placement of products, and more often than not, this depended on where the plumber had installed the pipes. It concerned Freebody that customers chose products based on the look, without understanding the functionality.

Freebody’s inherent creativity and increasing curiosity had her wondering if the clients had really considered the layout before purchasing a product. She spent a great deal of time designing in her mind, choosing colours to suit different styles of architecture, as well as considering the homeowner’s needs, in terms of aesthetics and functionality.

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MASTER BUILDERS ASSOCIATION NEWS EDITION 1 2020

The first step towards Freebody’s illustrious career was to teach herself basic drafting. This newly developed skill gave her the confidence to really assist customers by ensuring the items they were interested in, actually fitted their space and lifestyle. The added-value being offered by Freebody didn’t go unnoticed, so it wasn’t too difficult for her to convince her employer to send her on a fact finding mission.

“If a customer was adventurous and willing to be more creative back then, they would generally travel to Melbourne or Sydney to purchase their goods such was the lack of options in Canberra. Also the trades of the day were not very receptive to imported products, or innovative ideas by ‘designer’ types.

However, I was unperturbed and determined to bring quality and style to Canberra, so with my employers blessing I set off on my journey of discovery.” Freebody said.

Freebody wanted to know what products were being manufactured in Australia, what products were being imported, how they compared and who was bringing the products into the country. Her travels exposed a vast range of new styles and innovations and allowed her to introduce a new world of design options to her employer. She secured some of the most popular agencies, representing the most sought after brands.

Within two years, Freebody had started to offer a bathroom design service to customers who purchased from the store where she worked. With her vision, energy and eye for detail,

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MMM Interiors soon became the leader of new trends rather than followers.

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Freebody strategically aligned herself with some young trades who were also eager to deliver projects that were different from the norm. Fast forward six years - Mimmi Freebody took a leap of faith and MMM Interiors was born.

Inevitably MMM Interiors work flowed onto kitchens because, according to Freebody, there was a desperate need for designers who could combine creativity with functionality in the kitchen, and she was more than up for the job.

With the freedom she’d long craved, Freebody honed her design skills while developing an impeccable eye for style. Her use of colour has always been distinctive and alluring.

A natural progression saw MMM focus on complete home interiors, offering a comprehensive design service, creating more functional spaces throughout, with furniture design and styling, completing the mix. MMM has attracted progressive, like-minded builders with whom they proudly work with, offering clients the full package, from design, high-end products and skilled, uncompromising workmanship.

Trends in the late 80’s and early 90’s were driven largely by the supply chain, with fads coming and going, some lasting only a short while. Freebody soon made an impact. While tiles and fabrics generally led the designs and colours of the era, Freebody managed to weave her magic. While everyone was thinking ‘Tuscan’; rustic slate and timber finishes or ‘Heritage’ style, even for new builds, Freebody managed to inject her own unique style.

Ten years into the business Mimmi married Ian Freebody. He joined the company leaving a 20 year career with ACTEWAGL. An electrician by trade, Ian Freebody was highly skilled in leading large teams of trades. A lot was happening during this transition period including moving into a new, larger showroom in Fyshwick. The evolution into a total home design and supply business had begun. The new showroom represented a new beginning, giving Mimmi and Ian the opportunity to introduce their own style. MMM Interiors soon became the leader of new trends rather than followers.

“In the past decade, MMM has developed into a design, supply and project management business, offering clients the whole shebang. Now offering a full building design service, MMM undertakes a variety of projects, from small bathrooms to substantial extensions and rebuilds. An interesting and exciting trend in recent years has presented MMM with a whole new client base. The desire for an Al Fresco lifestyle has allowed MMM to create beautiful and functional external living spaces and outdoor kitchens.” Freebody said.

For 25 of their 30 years in business, MMM has been a member of Master Builders ACT, a partnership steeped in mutual respect.

MMM now has a team of talented designers and builders who work closely with them on their managed projects. The MBA congratulates MMM on their 25 Year membership milestone.

MMM — Service with Style

MASTER BUILDERS ASSOCIATION NEWS EDITION 1 2020

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1 Offer applies to 2019 HiLux Rogue, Rugged and Rugged X models for Gold Fleet customers only until 31/12/2019 unless offer is extended. Offer may be extended or amended at any stage. 2 Towing capacity subject to regulatory requirements, towbar and vehicle design and towing equipment limitations. Ask your dealer for Toyota Genuine Towbar capacity and availability details.

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WODEN CONTRACTORS

The ACT construction sector is a significant part of the local economy and well respected company, Woden Contractors (Wodens), has invested heavily in the industry which is responsible for the infrastructure and environment that allows the ACT to function and prosper. Founded in 1958 by, the then 31 year old, Ken Fryer, Wodens remains one of Australia’s longest running, successful construction groups.

The company grew exponentially in the beginning and within little more than a year, Wodens had 30 staff, and had won its first government contract; a 12 lot subdivision in Yarralumla.

The firm continued to grow steadily and successfully, and by 1966 had added a 200 lot subdivision in Red Hill to its portfolio.

Considered financial management, steady growth and the reinvestment of profits in skills and equipment has allowed

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Wodens to deploy the latest modern technology, adding to its ability to consistently produce high quality work. Wodens was the first local civil construction company to use GPS technology for the set out of works, and the automated machine control of their excavator, scraper and grader fleet.

With increasing workloads and aspirations to deliver ambitious infrastructure projects and targets, alongside other modernisation goals such as improving productivity, Wodens was in 1969, awarded a major road reconstruction of the Barton Highway between Lyneham and Ginninderra Creek.

Since then, this privately owned, home grown company has left its footprint on almost every major infrastructure project across Canberra; from Glen Eagles to Gungahlin, The Glenloch interchange to Jerrabomberra, The Federal Highway through to Gundaroo, and just about every precinct in between.

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Of particular note, was the construction of the Kings Avenue overpass, which involved the largest bridge-deck pour ever undertaken in Canberra. Further to this, Wodens also constructed an incrementally launched box-girder bridge over the Molonglo River, which is the longest and highest bridge ever built in Canberra.

Success has not come by chance rather it is by staying true to Ken’s vision of providing high level construction expertise matched consistently with honest business dealings. Based on this philosophy, the company will have a bright future.

“Even though we are entering our 62nd year of operations as a privately run company, we are delighted to mark this 30-year milestone with Master Builders ACT. Wodens have benefited enormously over the past 30 years with MBA by our side,” Company Director Peter Middleton said.

The company has always invested heavily in training and is recognised for giving many young school leavers a chance to become skilled plant operators, Diesel mechanics, surveyors and foreman.

In an industry where skill shortages are persistent, companies such as Wodens play a vital role in helping to protect the future viability of such an essential service to

the community. Testament to the high level of training is this recent quote from Master Builders ACT. “All Woden Contractors apprentices are trained to the highest standard. Passionately supported onsite by supervisors and plant operators, they are not only given the opportunity to acquire essential skills but develop a sound understanding of the Civil Construction Industry.” MBA ACT. CHANGING OF THE GUARD As of the 1st September 2019, the Fryer family and Ross Barrett agreed to a management buyout to enable a new ownership team to take the company forward. Led by Managing Director Ben Helmers, and guided by a very successful company culture, the change will enable Wodens to provide a quality service to all clients for decades to come.

Typical of the culture at Woden Contractors is the following statement on the website.

Our heart goes out to all Australians impacted by the devastating bushfires. The Woden’s team is working very closely with the NSW Rural Fire Service to help out as much as possible. We currently have several graders and watercarts working with the RFS to the east of Queanbeyan and Canberra. (@ January 2020)

MASTER BUILDERS ASSOCIATION NEWS EDITION 1 2020

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CALL OR VISIT OUR DISPLAY CENTRE TODAY.

NEW MEMBERS

COMPLEX CO Complex Co’s roots were first set in 1984 in response to an increased demand for skilled infrastructure providers in the ACT. From the outset, the goal was to build a company which entrenched the values of innovation, safety and quality into all aspects of the workplace.

Complex Co over the years has evolved into a highly experienced civil contractor, specialising in technical infrastructure projects.

Complex Co’s construction and maintenance capabilities include; bridges, roads, buildings, dams, stormwater, sewer and more. Complex Co. are furthermore, an accredited carbon fibre installer who have extensive experience in concrete strengthening and remediation projects.

Complex Co is backed by a team of dynamic and energetic staff who provide unparalleled service and innovative construction solutions to government and non-government infrastructure providers.

Contact Complex Co Email: info@complexco.com.au Website: www.complexco.com.au Phone: 1300 048 854

TECTONICUS Tectonicus, a Canberra based custom building and construction firm established in 2014, specialises in offering a ‘tailor made’ construction service. This is achieved by working closely with clients, experienced trades and industry professionals to provide innovative solutions while maintaining a high standard of quality.

We offer clients a “complete construction service” including design, project management, construction, and development. We facilitate and encourage client involvement and streamline the construction process with intimate involvement from concept design through to project completion. The company focuses on understanding the clients design intent and expressing this into the built form by infusing building knowledge with innovative construction techniques and solutions. Tectonicus also focuses on applying design detailing and craftsmanship in all projects including extensions, single residences, multi-unit, and commercial developments.

Tectonicus is directed by Canberra Builder Anthony Cirillo. Anthony is also a qualified and registered Architect in the ACT and NSW. Contact Tectonicus Email: info@tectonicus.com.au Website: www.tectonicus.com.au Phone: 0412 181 203

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MILLS OAKLEY Mills Oakley is one of Australia’s fastest growing law firms and we recently celebrated the five year anniversary of our Canberra office. Our mission is to deliver our clients top-tier quality legal advice at value pricing. We do this by offering a superior service experience and operating an efficient business model that enables us to contain costs for clients, without compromising quality. The partners in our Canberra office are all locals who understand the Canberra market.

We can assist with any issues relating to property (selling, buying, developing or leasing), building and commercial disputes and litigation, employment (employment agreements, entitlements, claims and litigation) and workplace health and safety (ensuring compliance, dealing with regulators, managing safety incidents).

Contact Mills Oakley Email: info@millsoakley.com.au Website: www.millsoakley.com.au Phone: (02) 6196 5200

QUICKEZE Quickeze has been transporting Canberra and the surrounding region’s heavy machinery, construction equipment, containers, site sheds, cars, trucks and more since 1992.

As a friendly, locally owned and customer-focused business, Quickeze’s fleet are a regular sight around town, helping customers in their times of need. With 13 trucks at their disposal, they pride themselves on fast response times, safety, and the knowledge to get your job done.

Now members of the MBA, Quickeze would like to thank all their fellow members for their support over the years, and look forward to continuing their supply for Canberra’s construction industry in 2020!

Contact Quickeze Email: bookings@quickezetowing.com Website: www.quickezetowing.com.au Phone: 1300 361 383

COOL CLIMATE LANDSCAPING Cool Climate Landscaping is the new face of garden artistry in the Canberra region. With 2 internationally recognised landscape professionals, quality and integrity are assured. Alex and Dougal have been in the industry for a combined total of 16 years and have ran their own quality business for 2 years now - work ethic and communication are key factors in making their company shine. Cool climate landscaping are proud to say we have built the company with pure determination to succeed, and will deliver a quality project suited to the individual clients and their dreams.

Cool Climate landscaping want to be the name everyone thinks of. For the right reasons.

Contact Cool Climate Landscaping Email: dougal@coolclimate.com.au Phone: 0431 236 009

MASTER BUILDERS ASSOCIATION NEWS EDITION 1 2020

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CREATING GREAT PLACES, WHERE COMMUNITIES THRIVE

suburbanland.act.gov.au

1800 777 952 |

EVENTS

President’s Lunches

5th November Guest Speaker: Mr Malcolm Snow, City Renewal Authority (L to R) – Michael Hopkins (MBA), Malcolm Snow (City Renewal Authority), Gracie Ferreira (MBA), Glen Webster (4site), Michael O’Grady (4site) and Craig Greenwood (4site) Sponsored by:

26th November Guest Speaker: Ms Kate Carnell, Australian Small Business and Family Enterprise Ombudsman (L to R) – Ashlee Berry (MBA), Tammie HuggettHenslie (Lysaght), Gracie Ferreira (MBA), Kate Carnell (ASBFEO), Sarah Flanagan (Harvey Norman Commercial) and Emily Shoemark (Snedden Hall & Gallop) Sponsored by:

President’s Luncheons are held bi-monthly through the year. The luncheons are hosted by the President of the Master Builders, Gracie Ferreira, and include a presentation from a prominent Guest of Honour.

The Luncheons provide an intimate forum for 20 guests in a boardroom situation to discuss topical industry issues, under Chatham House Rules. They are a fantastic way to network with key clients and to keep up to date with current activities within the ACT’s building and construction industry.

Sponsors of these events have the opportunity to invite 10 guests to the 20 person boardroom luncheon, have their company logo featured on all event based promotional material, the opportunity to raise issues and direct discussion.

The event also features in promotions across MBA channels including social media and Canberra Builder Magazine.

If you would like further details on the sponsorship opportunities available, please contact: Bethany Mason, Marketing and Events Coordinator, Ph: 02 6175 5968, E: bmason@mba.org.au

MASTER BUILDERS ASSOCIATION NEWS EDITION 1 2020

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