Aussie Painting Contractor Magazine August 2022

INTRODUCING

Painters in Business

Take your Painting Business to the next level and increase profits along the way!

How a jump in revenue can

RISK YOUR QBCC LICENCE Finding cash within your business

Tips on how you fix the problem...

Working like a dog Acknowledge you have a problem in order to fix it,

www.aussiepaintersnetwork.com.au

From the

Editor

Hey Everyone, Welcome to the 117th edition of the Aussie Painting Contractor Magazine.

CONTRIBUTORS

• Caroline Miall • Corinne Cortese • Helen Kay

Another financial year completed and people now looking at their workloads heading to Christmas. As most painters are telling me they just can’t keep up with the workload.

Some are booked already till Christmas and trying to work out how they can get staff to take on more work.

• Jim Baker

Make sure you go and listen to the podcast that Glenn and myself have been doing, we have been getting great feedback with painters asking for more. We are also running a one day face to face event for Painters in Business to help or keep you on track. It’s a 3-hour event. Check out for more info in the mag about it.

• Michael Mehmet

The painting industry in Australia to my knowledge has never had such a shortage of painters. APN have been trying all sorts of things to get more people into the industry. Lately we have been conducting Try a Trade days at our training facility in Salisbury. These have been successful so far with us having had 14 participants attend and out of those 8 looking at taking up painting apprenticeships. With a couple of them already having done trials and been signed up. If you have someone that you would like to gain some more skills in your team, contact us and we can assist in them gaining some additional skills in a one day intensive training day. We conduct them regularly.

'Til next month, Happy Painting!!

Nigel Gorman

nigel@aussiepaintersnetwork.com.au

07 3555 8010

• Leo Babauta

• Mona Nikidehaghani • Monroe Porter • Paul Haskell-Dowland • Robert Bauman • Sandra Price EDITOR Nigel Gorman GRAPHIC DESIGNER J. Anne Delgado

Advertise with us...

1800 355 344 07 3555 8010 info@aussiepaintersnetwork.com.au www.aussiepaintingcontractor.com

Contents 06

How to have a Powerfully Effective Day

22

DUMB THINGS PEOPLE DO

10

How a jump in revenue can RISK YOUR QBCC LICENCE

25

JobSeeker rule changes:

13

Why You Need To Hire A Business Lawyer

14

A difficult thing to say...

17

INTRODUCING “Painters in Businessss”

18

Finding cash within your business

what you must do under the new ‘points-based activation’ system

30

Plant & Equipment INSURANCE

33

Habit of the world’s most successful business leaders Do you share this habit?

36

Working like a dog

40

5 big trends in Australians GETTING SCAMMED

44

Industry Idiots

45

Important Contacts

Opinions and viewpoints expressed in the Aussie Painting Contractor Magazine do not necessarily represent those of the editor, staff or publisher or any Aussie Painters Network’s staff or related parties. The publisher, Aussie Painters Network and Aussie Painting Contractor Magazine personnel are not liable for any mistake, misprint or omission. Information contained in the Aussie Painting Contractor Magazine is intended to inform and illustrate and should not be taken as financial, legal or accounting advice. You should seek professional advice before making business related decisions. We are not liable for any losses you August incur directly or indirectly as a result of reading Aussie Painting Contractor Magazine. Reproduction of any material or contents of the magazine without written permission from the publisher is strictly prohibited.

How to have a Powerfully Effective Day A lot of people I talk to are unhappy with their ability to get stuff done in their lives. They feel they’re wasting a lot of time, never really getting anything important done.

What I like to play with is the idea of having a “powerfully effective day.”

It’s a big topic, probably worthy of a whole book, but in this post I’m going to lay down some of the key principles and tactics.

If you can follow these — imperfectly, and with practice — you’ll transform how effective you are in your life. These principles and tactics are simple and powerful, but they require your wholehearted devotion to them.

Let’s dive in.

Principle 1: Align Your Targets

You can’t be effective if you’re working on unimportant stuff. You have to work on the stuff that matters.

But how do you know what matters?

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The tactic is to pick 1-3 tasks a day that align with your targets. Here’s how it works:

1. Set medium-term goals for yourself — 6 months to a year. What do you want to create in your life and in the world? These can be purpose work goals, personal goals, etc.

2. Set monthly targets that align with the long-term goals. Then weekly targets that align with the month. This requires a monthly review/planning session, and a weekly one. Set reminders.

3. Every day, pick 1-3 tasks that align with your weekly targets.

It’s a pretty simple system, not revolutionary, but what it means is that every day, you’re moving yourself closer to what matters most. Every day, you’re knocking out tasks that are meaningful and effective.

The daily, weekly and monthly sessions only have to take 5 minutes, once you get into the swing of it. The yearly or 6-month sessions might take a little longer, because you want to give some thought to what you really want.

Today, you can just set a monthly goal for yourself, and a weekly target that aligns with that goal. Then pick one task that will help you move toward that weekly target.

Principle 2: Create the Focus Habit

Once you know what you need to focus on, now it’s a matter of actually focusing. But this focus habit doesn’t only apply to the 1-3 tasks that move you toward your targets … if you use this habit everywhere, you’ll create a powerfully effective day. I use the task with email, messages, writing this very blog post, recording videos for my courses, reading books, and workouts.

Principle 3: Light Up Every Focus Session

Once you’re in the focus session for a particular task … you might have the tendency to try to get it over with.

There’s a sense of doing what you’re “supposed” to do, doing a chore, maybe a sense of burden.

Who wants to do something like that? No wonder we procrastinate and go to distractions. That’s boring.

Here’s how it works at a tactical level: 1. Pick one thing to focus on. This is a really important first step, because most people don’t ever do this.

2. Go fullscreen mode. Make this the only thing in your world. Devote yourself to this one task.

Those are the only steps. If you do this with everything you do, relentlessly, you will be powerfully effective. Especially if you’re doing 1-3 tasks a day that align with long-term targets.

Instead, I suggest finding a way to light up the focus sessions. Make them come alive.

That means bringing a different, more alive approach to every task. Some ideas: • Play — how could this be fun?

• Ease — how could this be easeful?

• Curiosity — how could you learn something as you do this?

• Wonder — how freaking amazing is life??

• Service — how is this serving people you care about?

• Love — how is this an expression of your love?

• Connection — how is this task connecting you to others?

Most people will ignore this tactic, but don’t. It’s the key to the whole simple system.

That said, don’t ignore the next section either!

Btw, I recently released version 2.0 of my Mindful Focus course, where we work on this very habit … it’s a bonus for members of my Fearless Living Academy.

Sign up today for a huge library of powerful courses, a great community, and access to Mindful Focus 2.0.

• Creation — how can you bring the joy of creating something to this?

Other ideas: dance, music, spaciousness, peace, compassion, abundance.

Or come up with the approach that lights you up.

Bring a sense of experimentation and curiosity to finding the approach(es) that work for you.

2022 August Issue | 7

Principle 4: Create a Sense of Aliveness to Your Day

These principles/tactics are great for when you’re focusing on something … but our days are more than tasks. There is life that’s being lived, all day long.

So I find it important to not only focus on individual tasks … but on your experience of the whole day. A unifying approach to having a powerful day. And for me, that approach is wonder and aliveness.

For me, after making sure the first three things on this list are taken care of (my fundamentals) … I focus on the fourth item. This is where I can get the most return on my investment of effort. If you are lacking in the first three areas, focus on those first, because they’ll give you the most return. (Again, my Fearless Living Academy is what I’d recommend for that.)

How can we feel more inspired and alive during the day? For me, I play with these practices:

Many people will ignore this because they don’t understand how it makes you more effective. We can’t let ourselves forget the power of feeling a sense of well-being, feeling inspired, feeling connected to others, and feeling connected to a sense of meaning.

Do these things make us more effective?

• Wonder — how can I see wonder in everything

So ask yourself:

• Aliveness — how can I feel lit up about my life?

•

•

•

•

Do you have a fundamental sense of well-being?

If not, what would you need to do to get there?

Sleep, movement, some whole foods, self-care and a little meditation?

Do you feel meaning and purpose in what you do? If not, how can you find the meaning in what you do, or shift to something that feels more meaningful?

How connected do you feel to others in your life that you care about? If that’s lacking, can you take steps to increase connection? Either way, can you feel more connection to others as you do your meaningful work?

How inspired and alive do you feel throughout the day? How could you bring more of that into your day, if it’s lacking?

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• Curiosity — how can I learn something from every moment?

• Love — how can I bring love into everything I do?

These four things are my favorites. But I play with other things as well — adventure, play, expansiveness, joy. It’s all powerful!

How alive would you like to feel today? And how could that contribute to a powerfully effective day for you?

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Leo Babauta ZEN HABITS

®

australia’s most trusted ladder

www.gorillaladders.com.au

2022 August Issue | 9

How a jump in revenue can

RISK YOUR QBCC LICENCE The construction industry is experiencing interesting times: despite COVID-19 isolation requirements and international shipping delays, a local surge in demand created by the HomeBuilder grant and a spike in interstate migration meant that the demand for tradies has never been greater.

However, a global surge in demand for construction materials, particularly for timber and steel products, is further disrupting supply chains and adding to the demand for materials and trades. Insurance work is moving to the ‘front of the queue’ by offering higher prices for trade work.

Despite the “perfect storm” the current market is translating into higher revenue for businesses. But with margins being squeezed, these dynamics will trigger a number of MFR failures when it comes to your QBCC reporting.”

Keep your individual job costings and accounting clean As a tradie you are run off your feet trying to satisfy your customers’ needs despite the huge market

10 | Aussie Painting Contractor

strains you are facing. Often, this means that you need to stretch your supplies and services over many different customers, while you’re at the mercy of the supply chain.

This is where you can come into serious trouble, ie when you start robbing Peter to pay Paul. And what I mean by that in accounting terms is that you don’t keep your individual job costings and accounting clean.

With revenues continuing to grow, businesses have been able to cover losses from previous jobs with cashflow from the next job. For an industry that has always operated on narrow margins, price rises and delays over the last few years have brought many businesses to the brink. But is this just the tip of the iceberg?

Are you on top of your QBCC reporting?

The MFR reporting regime, which the QBCC has been running for a third year in a row is particularly looking at the current ratios of assets and liabilities - they’re also getting really good at picking up non-compliance issues.

If you ask yourself the following questions:

• Am I spending a significant amount of my time looking at and worrying about my short-term cashflow (i.e., next two weeks)?

• Do I have outstanding debt to the ATO for tax and superannuation?

• Am I unable to specify the actual profit on my last 5 jobs?

...and the answer is YES to any one of them, your business could be either in financial trouble, or on the brink of not being able to meet your QBCC reporting obligations.

Ultimately, this is one issue where you must engage a specialist – just like any other profession, you need someone who knows your industry. When it comes to something as important as your QBCC Licence, you can’t take the risk of having an accountant who doesn’t know their stuff.

If you are confused about the your current QBCC licensing conditions and reporting requirements, feel free to arrange a FREE QBCC Compliance Check with me. Call my office on (07) 3399 8844, or just visit our website at www.straighttalkat.com.au and complete your details on our page to request an appointment.

With so much happening in the building industry at the moment, it’s critical that builders and tradies are 100% on top of their QBCC financial reporting requirements. The last thing anyone needs is for their licence to be suspended because they don’t have their QBCC affairs in order.

And with the market still running hot for many operators, there’s a chance they won’t even be aware they’ve fallen foul of QBCCs regulations.

2022 August Issue | 11

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Why You Need To

Hire A Business Lawyer Whether you are just starting up your own business or are an experienced business owner, having a trusted business lawyer is very important to ensure that your business practices are legal, risk free and run smoothly.

What Is The Role Of A Business Lawyer?

First things first, a business lawyer is not usually someone that a business hires to represent them in court or against legal action. Rather, they are a trained professional to help advise on many matters that concern the business. These include business sales, business purchases, commercial leases, contract formation, business structures and many more.

All of these services are taken care of for the business without having to hire a full-time lawyer as an employee. Engaging the right business lawyer is like having your own in-house legal team.

Scenarios Where A Business Lawyer Is Needed

Sometimes a business will face issues that are too complex, time-consuming, or high risk to deal with internally, so the help of an experienced business lawyer is required. Some examples of these issues include launching a new business or selling an existing business, creating and enforcing contracts, protecting your assets, employment agreements to name but a few.

may unfortunately arise, one of the primary reasons to hire a business lawyer would be to ensure that these situations do not occur. The small effort to have a professional look over your business, agreements and legal documents will save you so much time and effort later. This is because if there is a problem and your business does get into trouble; legal fees, public perception and hours of work will be sacrificed.

Getting a precautionary legal check-up will cost less overall, as in these situations, the lawyer will identify any key legal risks and help you create a plan of action to address them.

If you are looking to hire a business lawyer to ensure the smooth running of your company, contact Rise Legal today for professional help and excellent customer service for business sales, business purchases, commercial leases, contract formation, business structures and many more

Prevention Is Better Than Cure

While the professional help of a lawyer would surely be needed to deal with any serious situations that

2022 August Issue | 13

A difficult thing to say...

What is the only word that can be made up of consecutive letters in the alphabet?

the price offered, as all that mattered to him was the constant flow of work to keep his staff employed.

To give you a hint, it’s one of the most used words that parents say to their kids when they’re growing up and, one of the words you don’t want to hear when you’re proposing to your partner. Unfortunately, it is also a word that business people have trouble saying to clients.

The majority of his work came from builders but there was also a consistent stream of private residential homes that he did also. When occasionally he couldn’t keep up with the demand, he sacrificed the home owners work in favour of the builders, just to keep them happy. This is where I told him was his biggest mistake. Residential homes is where the money is made so why work for someone if there isn’t a decent profit to be made. I advised him he had to forego one of the unprofitable builders; even if it meant losing one of his employees. It is insane having seven people working for you if you can make the same amount of profit with six. It’s also pointless working on a job if you are just breaking even. Why do it?

Recently I received a call from a painter that I know quite well. He wanted to know if we could catch up for a chat and also give him some business advice; so we met up at a coffee shop the next day.

While sipping on my latte, he told me how stressed he was and that it resulted in him getting very little sleep.

The cause of the stress he said was ‘too much work’ and ‘not being able to keep up with the demand’. The reason for the influx of work at the time was that construction had slowed in the previous months because of the un-seasonal abundance of rain we have had.

This in turn, held up many of the trades from working.

Then all of a sudden, things caught up, houses were ready to be painted and the builders were on his back to start and, complete. To make matters worse, he was working hard and working long hours but not making much profit for all the effort put in.

I know this can happen from time to time and unfortunately, that’s the way business can be. The simple answer can be just too ‘knuckle down’, source some temporary help and work hard to catch up. This is only OK ‘IF’ it’s temporary and that after the rush, you have something to show for it in your bank account.

So how can a problem like this be solved if the increased workload continues?

In this painter’s case as mentioned, there was no extra money for the hard labour put in so we looked at the builders and what they were paying. Sure enough when we broke down the labour and costs associated with the painting, he was only just breaking even on some of them. When I explained this he admitted that he couldn’t/wouldn’t/didn’t know how to say the simple word ‘No’ to them. He always accepted

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I say this to everyone I give advice too. You are in business to make a decent living. You are not a charity.

You do not lower your rates because someone wants a cheaper job or they want a discount.

So the point is, you have to learn how to say NO occasionally.

No, I can’t match the other painters’ price.

No, I can’t do it for that square metre rate.

No, I can’t give a pensioner discount.

If people insist, then say you can only do it by cutting down on the time in the preparation work or you can use a cheaper line of paint to bring down the price.

Otherwise, do not compromise your high standards to suit their cheap budget.

Remember; you work for yourself for a reason. One is to not have to work for a boss and the other is to make more money than if you were on wages.

Discount and you will never get ahead.

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Jim Baker

www.mytools4business.com

LIVE EVENT

11th AUGUST 2022

LIVE EVENT

INTRODUCING "Painters in Business" Right now painting businesses are going through unprecedented demand and change. The way we market, sell and operate our businesses has fundamentally changed forever.

To help you navigate these changes, Nigel and Glenn bring you a raw and unvetted “How to Do It!” 3 hour seminar.

Are you a Painting Business Owner that's...

• Ready to learn the latest strategies to grow your business?

• Keen to discover the best new technology to improve results?

• Wanting to learn how to get more leads & convert more clients?

• Committed to leave behind the daily grind & get back your life?

• Interested in building a business that works with or without you?

If you’ve answered YES to any of these questions, you’re going to want to claim your free ticket now.

Meet Nigel and Glenn

Nigel has over 30 years experience in the painting and decorating industry, over 15 years running a multi seven figure painting business. Now running Aussie Painters Network, training business owners and teaching the next generation of the industry.

Glenn has had 20+ years of industry experiences from restarting after being belted by non-payment, back to a single operator five years ago to now turning over multi seven figures and no longer working on the tools.

Come and learn from those that have done it and are currently doing it.

In 3 hours you will have all the tools to start making a change to your business straight away.

What Makes This Training Different?

You have access to both Nigel and Glenn with over 50 years combined experience within the painting industry.

Both fully qualified painters having run painting businesses and faced the same challenges that you face in your business today.

2022 August Issue | 17

Finding cash within your business Most small businesses experience cash flow problems from time to time and urgently need working capital. Many business owners immediately think of the bank or loans when they’re short of money. But there are other resources you can tap before you ask for that expensive overdraft or overdraft extension.

The money you need might already be there, locked up in inventory, assets or your debtors’ book.

You can often free up funds from within your business by re-examining your business systems, and these funds might in themselves be sufficient for your immediate needs.

GOOD MANAGEMENT Even if the funds you free up from within your business are not sufficient, there is another payoff: the effort you make in searching for them helps to ensure that you are running your business in an efficient manner.

To free up funds from within your business, look closely at: • Assets • Customers • Suppliers ASSETS Your assets include debtors, stock, pre-paid expenses, vehicles, plant and equipment, fittings and property.

Each of these is a possible source of funds.

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DEBTORS Are you letting some customers have the free use of your money for months? This is a common occurrence in small businesses where the owner(s) are so busy getting the business off the ground, products out the door, or services completed, that they don’t pay enough attention to basic business procedures. Many customers will take advantage of this ‘free money’. But your business is not to serve as a free bank.

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Here’s how you fix the problem: Get invoices out promptly Whatever else you do, become efficient at getting invoices out early. This is your future cash flow— the lifeblood of your business! You want to receive it as soon as possible. Start this new system NOW. Depending on your business, you can often cut out statements simply by printing at the bottom of the invoice: ‘Please pay on this invoice as no statement will be sent.’

Send the invoice with the goods or immediately the service is completed Date the invoice from no later than the day it is sent rather than following the standard ‘last day of the month’ date for invoices. The earlier the invoice date, the better your chances of getting paid earlier.

Change the terms This could be for some of your customers or for new customers only. For example, can you reduce ask for immediate settlement or set reduced payment terms such as 7 days or 14 days from date of invoice?

Follow up promptly when invoices aren’t paid by due date This is critical. Be polite but firm. If you haven’t the time to do this yourself, then appoint someone to do it for you.

Monitor your debtor collection days Set an improvement target each quarter. For example, can you find out the benchmark standard for your industry? IF the average in your industry is 30 days, but you are taking an average of 45 days to collect outstanding debts, then there’s clearly room for improvement. If your customers or clients have been taking advantage of you because of your previous laxity in invoicing, then you may need to re-educate them. Do this politely so you don’t offend customers: “Have you received our invoice, Peter? I’m just checking that you’re happy with the goods/services we provided? “We’ve got a new invoicing system going here, because we’ve been a bit lax in the past. My accountant has set some tough goals for me to meet in reducing our average debt collection cycle, so if you could settle that invoice promptly I’d be most obliged.”

check that the finance company will not antagonize your customers with a heavy-handed approach. Talk to them first about their collection methods.

Consider offering a discount for prompt payment If you’re going to pay a fee for factoring, why not try offering a discount to your customers instead?

Discounts are not a good option for low-margin businesses, but can be an option for high-margin operations. You have to work out whether the use of money gained earlier is worth the discount you’re offering.

NEVER give the discount if the person has missed the due date for the discount offer.

Inventory Do you have excessive capital tied up in stock? This can occur in two ways: • carrying high levels of items that you could obtain from suppliers at short notice • having too many slow-moving items (and too few fast-moving items).

A quick sale?

Review regularly your stock levels, your stock turnover rates and your purchasing policies. Can you free up money by reducing stock? What about moving out of the slower-moving lines or having a quick sale of dust-collecting stock? It might pay you to reduce some items quite heavily to get some money in quickly.

Consider factoring This simply means selling your outstanding invoices to a finance company. So instead of having to wait 30 days or more until an invoice is paid, you receive most of your money upfront from the finance company that then in turn collects the money from your customer.

The finance company will of course charge you a commission for this service. Be aware, though, that there are pros and cons to factoring. For example,

Can you approach suppliers to take back any excessive stock you may have ordered? They might help you out of a temporary tight corner as a goodwill gesture if you explain you have a temporary cash flow crisis, but that you do wish to build a long-term relationship with them.

If you need additional funds to purchase more stock, make sure that you’re replacing slowmoving stock with the faster selling lines.

2022 August Issue | 19

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Pre-paid expenses This is another area you could look at. These prepaid expenses often relate to services. For example, you might pay your insurance bill for the year all in one hit, but you could arrange to pay small monthly amounts. There might be an additional cost for doing this, but you must weight the extra cost against the advantages of 12 small payments which your cash flow can comfortably handle versus one large annual payment. Try a similar approach with your accountant. Instead of facing a substantial bill once a year, ask if you can pay a set amount monthly.

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Assets

Assets can drain significant amounts of cash out of a business. Do you really put all your assets to full use?

You might be able to: • Sell off little-used assets and hire suitable replacements when you require them.

• Lease or rent assets and equipment that depreciates rapidly such as computers and or vehicles

Customers

Don’t forget your customers can be a source of business funds. Apart from debt collection improvements already discussed, try these tactics: Here’s a ‘thinking outside the square’ tactic. Ask some of your credit customers (start with the ones you know best) if they would be willing to use their bank credit cards for purchases from you, instead of using the account facility they have with you. For example, if they purchase say $2,500 worth of goods or services from you, they would pay for this by means of a business credit card. They still get 30 to 55 days credit before having to pay the credit card company, but you get your cash as soon as you sent in the voucher to the bank. You have to pay the (around) 5% commission, but otherwise it’s almost as good as a cash transaction.

ing you get some cash flow during a project instead of waiting until the end of a project or delivery period to invoice—and then still waiting at least another 30 days for payment.

There’s another benefit here too. If the customer turns out to be problematic, you’ll discover this quite early on instead of at the end and you can cut your losses before they mount up and perhaps drag your business down. This tactic is therefore very suitable for tradespeople subcontracting to a developer.

Suppliers

Finally, consider your suppliers as a possible source of funds. Ask for extended payment terms to give you the opportunity to sell the goods first before you have to pay. If the supplier won’t budge, try this tactic: split the order in two and offer to pay normal credit terms (30 days) on the one half of the order and 90 days on the other half. Your suppliers will be more likely to agree to this kind of arrangement if you’ve paid them promptly in the past. After all, they have a vested interest in helping you succeed.

• Quantity breaks – incentivise customers to order more through quantity discounts.

• Re-order levels – Setup minimum stock levels to avoid stock outages on important lines.

• Default reorder quantity – Setup re-order quantities so the most economic order quantity is placed.

• Receive Stock – Receive items into stock so you can sell them before receiving the final bill

Take advantage of discounts

Pay accounts that give discounts on time. This is an easy one. If any suppliers offer a discount for early payment, then take it (and there is no harm in asking for a discount).

These are just suggestions and may not be suitable for your business. Feel free to contact us about ways to find money in your business.

If you’re starting a new business, consider establishing it on a cash only basis to keep the funds inside your business rather than locked up in Accounts Receivable.

Ask for progress payments

If you supply goods over a period of time, or if you’re a service business, ask if you can invoice for progress payments. This is quite a common method of ensur-

Sandra Price

www.tradiebookkeepingsolutions.com.au

DUMB THINGS PEOPLE DO I thought it would be fun to share some of the bizarre things I have encountered. Possibly, these incidents will make you feel better about some of your own bizarre business encounters.

The Near Execution: Years ago, I had a contractor attend a seminar, raised his prices and made somewhat of a budget but couldn’t understand why he still was not making money. Upon some consultant digging, I found that the same amount of material was missing every day from the warehouse. I said the warehouse manager had to be stealing. He said it was impossible that he was his best man in his wedding and they were deacons in the same church. When I confronted the warehouse manager he admitted it. Suddenly, I heard a shell inject into a shotgun behind my head. The owner was a hunter and retrieved it out of the closet. He said, “I am going to kill you, you #*&”. But about that time; it gets even better, the secretary could see us through an office window and runs in screaming, “Don’t shoot him, I love him.” After some calming down and tense moments, I discovered the long term secretary and the long term warehouse guy, who were both married, had been having an affair for years. When their kids graduated from high school they were going to run away together. The good news was that all the money was in an account and recovered.

The morale of this story is to do job costing and keep your eye on things. Even people you trust can have emotional drama and be tempted if the business has no cross checking system.

Attrition Promotion: Years ago, we were interviewing supervisors at a very large company. We asked one foreman, whose name happened to be Bubba, how he was promoted. His reply was, “I was hunting the day the crew dumped chemicals in the river, killed the fish and were all fired.”

The morale of this story is just because someone is big

22 | Aussie Painting Contractor

doesn’t mean they have better people than you. Also, promotion by attrition may not be the best strategy.

The Art Enthusiast: One of our customers had a great craftsman who was not the brightest bulb and talked too much. He entered a house in Beverly Hills and there was a Picasso on the wall. He said he liked the painting and his wife “had bought one just like it a Kmart.” The customer threw him out of the house.

When the boss asked why he said that, he said it didn’t look like anything much and it had to come from a cheap place. To this day, I bet he still wonders why he was fired.

The morale of this story is to never under estimate the ability of a dumb craftsman who likes to run his mouth to get you in trouble.

It seemed Like a Good Idea at the Time: One of our roofing customers sent a seasoned two-man crew to do a repair on a high roof in a rural area. A couple of days later the customer was driving down the interstate and noticed giant initials on the roof. He called the owner who was flabbergasted. This crew was a little rough around the edges but dependable and trouble free for years. When he asked his crew why they did it, the reply was, “we were sitting up there eating lunch it seemed like a good idea at the time.”

The morale of this story is that you can make a redneck into a worker but no matter how long they work for you, there still is still some redneck logic stuck in their head.

But I had a work order: A hard working citizen bought a house from the city for a $1 to be rehabbed. After months of his own labor, it was almost ready to move into. The city mistakenly left it on a list of dilapidated houses to be torn down. A contractor was contracted to tear it and others down. The poor house rehabber showed up and his house was gone.

The police where not sympathetic when he called to say someone stole his house. When the owner asked the demolition foremen, didn’t the house look good to him. The reply was, “Yea it looked great, not like the others but we had a work order…”

The morale of this story is to be careful what you tell employees to do, some will do it even if there is a mistake and it doesn’t make sense.

She Looks Ok to Me: One of our customers does service work and has a paperless system. A customer’s daughter ordered a repair and said her father had just died. Her Mom was upset as the father usually handled repairs. A note to be sensitive was written on the service ticket. The tech did the work and then wrote on the ticket, “she’ll be ok as she has lots of money with two Cadillacs sitting in the driveway”. No one caught and erased the note, the bill was sent.

The owner received an angry phone call from the daughter, the lady’s preacher and even giving away the service call still left the business with a bad name.

The morale of this story is to never underestimate a tradesperson even with the latest technology.

Don’t Ever Bother Me Again. As consultants, we discovered hundreds of thousands of dollars of theft in a bizarre complicated scheme. We were working at a large subcontracting company. We highly suspected the thieves were stealing from another subcontractor company. Not wanting to be sued, we left messages for the owner of the other company. We explained that we were not selling anything but just wanted to talk for a moment as we found a sensitive item in an audit he might want to be aware of. The last time, I was told by his secretary that she had a direct quote for me from him, “to stop #!&# calling and trying to sell him something.” A year later I learned they had closed due to financial problems.

The morale of this story is that not everyone is trying to sell you something or take advantage of you. Sometimes taking a moment to understand the situation or return the call might be in your best interest.

Monroe Porter

is president of PROOF Management a firm that teaches seminars and runs networking groups for painting contractors. Several Aussie painting contractors travel to the US each year to participate in his programs.

www.proofman.com 2022 August Issue | 23

SAFETY ON SITE

IT'S ALL ABOUT SURVIVAL As processes become faster, deadlines get tighter, and customers demand greater efficiency, the worksite has become a hectic hive of activity.

But these increased expectations can make it all too easy to cut corners, and the safety of Aussie job sites is now more important than ever before.

L-R: SURVIVAL's Director of Marketing & IT, Jordan Green, and CEO Mike Tyrrell

WORKPLACE SAFETY: WHY NOW? Organisations have become more accountable to their customers, shareholders, and employees.

Increased safety improves the bottom line, and the links between a safe working environment and enhanced productivity are proven.

Safer workplaces result in better processes, because it sets the standard for greater efficiency and increased ingenuity all ‘round.

Above all, it saves lives. Workplace safety increases productivity, makes organisations accountable, and protects the entire team.

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SafeWork Australia recorded 194 worker fatalities in 2020 alone, with machinery operators and drivers representing the highest number of fatalities, and labourers, managers, and technicians and trades workers close behind.

That’s why SURVIVAL - a 33-year, Aussie family business is dedicated to ensuring every worksite has the right first aid equipment on hand.

“It’s clear that worksites need to ensure they’re never caught short, because when you’re in the trades industry, the chances of accident or injury are very real,” says SURVIVAL’s CEO, Mike Tyrrell.

“And despite the latest advances in technology and an increased awareness of the associated risks, these sobering stats from

SafeWork Australia show us that even more needs to be done.

“We know that providing immediate, effective first aid to people injured on the job can reduce the severity of their injury or illness.

“And even more than that – it can save your life, or that of a mate,” adds Mike.

SURVIVAL’s Director of Marketing & IT, Jordan Green, says the company is constantly looking at ways to make first aid more accessible for people in trades and other 'hands-on' professions.

“In addition to our line of first aid products, we’ve just released the latest update to our free iFirstAid app, which features step-by-step instructions and video resources to guide people, including trade professionals, through common emergencies,” says Jordan.

“Our SURVIVALSWAP audit compliance program also ensures worksites remain stocked and compliant – without the headaches or hassle.”

For the best first aid for your workplace, visit survival.net.au

Exclusive discount just for APN readers: get 13% off all SURVIVAL products sitewide!* Visit survival.net.au and use code 'APN13' at checkout. *Offer ends 30 June 2022. Excludes defibrillators.

JobSeeker rule changes:

what you must do under the new ‘points-based activation’ system From Monday August 4 2022, Australian job seekers face a new social security system to police eligibility for support payments.

It replaces the “Jobactive” system that required the “mutual obligation” of applying for 20 jobs a month for payments to continue.

You must now instead earn 100 points a month through a variety of activities, including applying for jobs, attending courses and even working.

This “point-based activation system” was designed under the Morrison government, with some alterations made by the Albanese government. It reflects recommendations made in 2019 by a Senate select committee inquiry that found the Jobactive program to be punitive and “not fit for purpose”.

The inquiry recommended a broader range of activities should count towards mutual obligation requirements, and that those activities better promote work readiness.

The new system – now called Workforce Australia – does this with a list of more than 30 tasks or activities.

Making a job plan

When you apply for income support, you will need to create a “job plan”, recording everything you must do to meet your mutual obligations requirements.

An assessment will be made of how well you can self-manage this job plan. You will be assigned to either an “online employment service” or to a service provider for personal assistance.

Providers have the power to customise plans by reducing the number of points a job seeker needs each month, or increasing the value of points for activities.

How to get to 100 points

A job application (or what the system calls a “job search”) earns five points. You are generally expected to do at least five job searches a month (with some exceptions, such as if you are attending an adult migrant English course).

The balance of the activities involve looking for work, training courses to improve skills, or activities that contribute to your employability. The following tables summarises these activities and their point values.

2022 August Issue | 25

How job seekers can make 100 points

Points values for tasks and activities under the Points Based Activation System.

If you fail to comply with any part of your job plan while in the “penalty zone”, you will be penalised one week’s payment. If it happens again, you will lose two week’s payment. If it happens a third time, your payments will be cancelled, and you will have to wait four weeks before you can reapply.

Essentially, three strikes in the penalty zone and you are out.

What if you earn more than 100 points?

A beneficial feature of the new system is the ability to bank excess points. So if you accrue more than 100 points in one month, you can use those extra points (up to a total of 50 points) the next month.

This is a summary of point values as of August 1 2022.

Details may change. Please consult Workforce Australia’s website for the complete up-to-date list.

Table: The Conversation Source: Workforce Australia Get the data

Is this system better?

Welfare advocates are worried the system could prove just as punitive as the the old system.

A full breakdown of the points system can be found HERE.

There are certainly anomalies, such as the differing time commitments per point values. The greater discretion given to employment service providers over job plans could also contribute to inequalities, particularly for those who cannot advocate for themselves.

What if you don’t earn 100 points?

If you fail to reach 100 points without a good reason, you will receive a demerit point – a formal warning. This will move you from the “green zone” to the “warning zone”.

But in most respects the points-based activation system is an improvement over what it replaces. It provides greater flexibility and emphasises activities that contribute to employability, not just activity involving applying for jobs.

Each demerit points expires after six months.

If you accrue three demerit points at any one time, you will be required to attend a “capabilities interview” – an “informal” interview with your service provider to review if your job plan is right for you.

If you accrue five demerit points, you must attend a “capabilities assessment” – a formal interview with Centrelink. This meeting will have direct implications on payments. For examples, if it is decided your job plan is not fit for purpose, you return to the green zone with a new plan. If not, you will be moved to the “penalty zone” – putting you at risk of losing payments.

26 | Aussie Painting Contractor

-------------------------------------------------------------------Authors : Mona Nikidehaghani

Lecturer in Accounting, University of Wollongong

Michael Mehmet

Senior Lecturer in Marketing, University of Wollongong

Contributor : Corinne Cortese

Senior Lecturer, University of Wollongong

28 | Aussie Painting Contractor

Plant & Equipment

INSURANCE

You can’t build much without the right gear, and in the building industry that typically means mobile plant and equipment.

Plant & equipment insurance – also known as mobile plant & machinery insurance – providers cover for your gear for a range of different risks.

These risks can include theft, damage, breakdown and more, as we’ll cover in this guide.

For a quote on plant & equipment insurance from our industry experts, call our office on 1800 808 800.

If you’re just after information at this point, continue scrolling to view the rest of our guide.

What items are covered under plant & equipment insurance?

Almost any type of equipment used in your building or construction business can be insured under this type of policy.

• • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

Bobcats Bulldozers Cherry pickers Chippers Compactors Concreting equipment Earthmoving equipment Excavators Forklifts Loaders Mining equipment Pavers Road works equipment Scissor lifts Turf laying machine

We could list more, but we’re sure you get the idea!

What about hired equipment?

Whether you’re hiring in or hiring out, there are insurance options available. This includes both dry hire and wet hire.

Unlike a tool insurance policy which covers a tradies smaller power tools such as drills and saws etc, plant and machinery insurance is for the larger items.

For any queries relating to hire equipment (in or out) we recommend speaking with one of our brokers.

We’re talking excavators, scissor lifts, concreting equipment etc. Any of the following items – and more – could be covered under this type of policy:

It’s important to get this part spot-on, rather than expecting that any old plant & equipment policy is going to cover you for any type of hired in or our activities.

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How is the plant & machinery covered?

Why Trade Risk?

Theft and damage are the first two that spring to mind for most tradies, but there are other risks which can be insured against. This includes:

Our specialist brokers understand the building industry and can compare policies from a wide range of insurance companies to ensure you’re getting a great deal.

Your equipment can be insured against a wide range or risks.

• • • • • •

Machinery breakdown Material damage Theft Equipment in transit Broadform liability (whilst equipment is in use) Wet hire and dry hire

Speaking with one of our specialist insurance brokers is the best way to work out exactly what type of cover you need for your equipment.

We can provide a range of quotes with different options, to help you choose which level of cover is right for you and your business.

At Trade Risk we look after the insurance needs of thousands of tradies and construction businesses.

As a Trade Risk client you’ll have a dedicated insurance broker to assist you all the way from the quote stage through to your annual renewal and anytime in between.

We’ll also be here to help you at claim time. If you turn up to the worksite one morning to find that your $50k piece of equipment has gone missing, would you rather sit on hold to a call centre, or call your dedicated broker on their mobile? Easy choice!

Next steps?

For more information about plant & equipment insurance you can speak with one of our expert insurance brokers.

Existing clients – If you’re already a Trade Risk client simply contact your broker. If you’re unsure of their contact details just call the office on 1800 808 800 and we’ll put you in touch.

New clients – For new clients please call us on 1800 808 800. Please note that we only deal with plant & machinery insurance when you have your full business insurance with us.

We’ve been helping tradies, builders and businesses in the construction industry for over a decade. You can trust us to look after you.

Equipment under finance

Often when financing these types of machinery you will be required to provide proof of insurance to the finance company.

Furthermore, the finance company may require that they are listed on the certificate of currency as the financier, and they’ll need this before they release the funds for your purchase.

This is no problem on our side. Just provide us with all of the information we need, and if you’re happy with our quote we can provide the necessary certificate as soon as you make payment.

www.traderisk.com.au

2022 August Issue | 31

32 | Aussie Painting Contractor

Habit of the world’s most successful business leaders Do you share this habit?

What do Warren Buffet, Bill Gates, Mark Cuban, and Arianna Huffington have in common? All of these smart, savvy, successful business leaders share a passion for self-improvement through reading.

If you want to improve your skills as a business owner, why not spend a bit of time each day reading books that guide you to greater success?

This reading list of 4 inspiring business books will help you get started: • “Thrive: The Third Metric to Redefining Success and Creating a Life of Well-being, Wisdom and Wonder”

by Arianna Huffington President and Editor-in-chief of the Huffington Post Media Group, Huffington is the author of fourteen books including this best-

selling guide to a more healthy and rewarding life.

Drawing on the latest scientific research, she demonstrates how we all benefit personally and professionally when we forgo traditional measures of success in favour of more mindful living. Check out Huffington’s Ted Talk with simple advice on how to succeed.

• “Screw Business As Usual” by Richard Branson Founder of Virgin Group (which currently controls more than 400 companies), Richard Branson is also known for his philanthropic ideals. In this unusual business book Branson shares his unique vision for the future of business, arguing for a radical shift from a singular focus on profit to a more caring approach to decision-making that puts people, communities, and the planet first.

2022 August Issue | 33

• “Winners and How They Succeed” by Alastair Campbell Selected by Richard Branson as one of his list of 70 must read books, this guide to what it takes to succeed was authored by Tony Blair’s chief spokesman and strategist. Based on in-depth interviews with successful athletes, entrepreneurs and global leaders, Campbell identifies four key traits shared by the world’s most successful people. Learn how you can cultivate a winning mindset and achieve your goals with Campbell’s blueprint for winning.

• “Persuasion: A New Approach to Changing Minds”

by Arlene Dickinson Best known for her role as an investor on Canadian reality show Dragon’s Den, Arlene Dickinson started out in business as a 30 year old divorcee and single mom before becoming partner and CEO of Venture Communications. In her autobiographical rags to riches story she shares what she’s learned about success along the way—in particular, the lost art of communication in the digital age.

FINAL THOUGHTS

It’s a well-known fact that Warren Buffet used to read between 600 and 1000 pages per day at the start of his investing career and still devotes 80% of his day

The portable, inexpensive method to prevent paint waste-water polluting the environment.

to reading. If you still need extra motivation to make daily reading a habit, consider the many benefits to your health and wellbeing.

In addition to helping you build a more successful business, reading has been shown to enhance empathy, confidence, and improve decision-making—and can help combat stress, depression, and dementia.

Working like a dog So, there’s been a lot of talk about skills shortages, how to attract young people into the trades, creating a more gender balanced sector and of course the rate of suicide in construction in Australia with it being double the national average. There seems to be a great many serious issues to be tackled in the industry, with attempts to rise to the challenges afoot mostly missing the mark. Could that be because what is being overlooked is a generally accepted culture of struggle that needs addressing before we can go about improving the industry? Like, you have to acknowledge you have a problem in order to fix it, maybe?

A recent Sydney Morning Herald article, Construction is the last frontier for women at work, by Louise Chappell and Natalie Galea of University of NSW, comes to the somewhat surprising conclusion that to increase the number of women in Australia's construction sector, we must firstly change the working conditions for men. They found that given women’s priorities may understandably be their families and children and a staged return to full time work, they are less likely to put up with the current status quo of outdated and unproductive working conditions.

A range of professionals were shadowed who “design and manage construction sites” and across varied work environments; on site, off site, head offices, large onsite operations, they consistently found that a slavish workplace culture prevailed that was remnants from a decade long past. “..a core issue, we believe, is a workplace culture stuck in the 1950s. Australia's construction industry remains dominated by a male single breadwinner model that assumes men have little responsibility beyond bringing home the bacon and expectations that

36 | Aussie Painting Contractor

female workers will either leave to have children, and not return or will also have "home help".

For academics who were seeking to study women in construction, they go on to report instead some sad and alarming observations from their encounters with men suffering grave work stress, along with the personal and health related issues that follow.

Scratch the bravado and humour on the surface, however, and we soon discovered that many men in construction are also struggling. It’s 2022 and many men have partners with their own careers, and both want and are expected to participate in family life. For men, not just for women, the 1950s model does not fit.

We discovered entrenched expectations of extremely long working hours, 60 to 70 hours was considered normal, plus regular Saturday and, increasingly, Sunday work. We found significant pressure on construction workers to get jobs done ahead of schedule, even if that sometimes meant consecutive 14-hour days. And, most significantly, we discovered a culture of “shaming” anyone who didn’t “live to work” or couldn’t, or wouldn’t, hack it.

In Australia, more men succumb to suicide than they do to skin cancer, liver disease, heart failure or car accidents. The statistic worsens when focusing on the building industry. Suicide among young construction workers, predominantly male, is more than double the rate for other young men according to the Australian Institute for Suicide Research and Prevention. Is it any wonder women and young people are shunning the trades?

So interestingly, it appears it’s not a youth thing, or a gender thing, it’s a work/life balance - quality of life issue that needs to be fixed in the sector; not only to attract more professionals to these areas of work but to improve the lives of the millions already dedicated to them, but who are currently paying a high price for the privilege.

An insidious work culture that consistently imposes outdated, inflexible working conditions can really grind an individual, and their family, down. Add to the mix cash flow problems, non-payers, debt and bankruptcy, the overwhelm is huge and the hole can seem deep. The financial pressures can quickly give rise to relationship break down and family divide, then the isolation worsens.

There are some great organisations coming to the aid of some of those who might fall victim to the pressures, like Mates in Construction and HALT – Hope Assistance Local Tradies. These groups are helping to raise awareness of support and practical information regarding mental health services, well-being advice, financial counselling and small business training.

Ultimately though, it’s got to be time to focus on the root causes of this devastation by addressing unreasonable expectations and the dismissing of the importance of family life or work/life balance. After all, there’s not many of us who live to work. Insist in construction to choose, rather, to work effectively, so we can live better.

--------------------------------------------------------------------

Caroline Miall

caroline@aussiepaintersnetwork.com.au

2022 August Issue | 37

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5 big trends in Australians

GETTING SCAMMED Greed, desire, wishful thinking and naivety are lucrative markets for scam artists – and their age-old hustles are increasingly being supplemented by digital chicanery.

In 2021 Australians lost an estimated $2 billion to fraudsters, more than double that of 2020, according to the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission.

The consumer watchdog’s latest scam report details more than 20 different scam types, primarily based on reports made to its Scamwatch agency.

Read more: Australians lost $2b to fraud in 2021. This figure should sound alarm bells for the future Some scams are perennials. Topping Scamwatch’s list are investment scams, dating and romance scams, false billing, remote access scams (convincing you to allow access to your computer or phone), and threats or blackmail.

Australia’s most popular scams in 2021

Losses from scams reported to ACCC’ s Scamwatch.

A total of 286,622 reports, with losses of $324 million, were made in 2021.

Investment scams $177,184,295 Dating & romance scams $56,175,428 False billing $17,303,665

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Remote access scams $16,412,258 Threats to life, arrest or other $11,077,551 Identity theft $10,159,930 Online shopping scams $8,074,469 Classified scams $7,114,830 Phishing $4,324,128 Hacking $3,041,484 Jobs & employment scams $2,697,500 Travel, prizes and lottery scams $1,984,215 Pyramid Schemes $1,341,389 Ransomware & malware $1,172,034 Rebate scams $1,145,112 Betting & sports investment scam $976,214 Inheritance and unexpected money $923,256 Overpayment scams $841,060 Other scams $690,788 Health & medical products $372,014 Psychic & clairvoyant $358,501 Fake charity scams $188,457 Mobile premium services $165,139 This article is going to focus on the five scam types that have grown most in value from 2020.

These aren’t necessarily the scams anyone (including you) is most likely to fall for. But they provide a useful snapshot of how scam techniques that rely on human nature are increasingly being executed via technology.

1. Ransomware and malware

But even though the total number of reported cases was quite low (fewer than 500) the percentage of of those reports involving people losing money was one of the highest (44%), with an average loss of $6,239.

This was mostly due to 2020 numbers being much lower than 2019, but the reported costs per incident (about $21,704) are still worrying given how easily such scams can be spread.

This suggests pyramid scams remain quite alluring to some people.

This type of scam has been on the wane due to the use of anti-malware protection. But in 2021 it roared back with a 1,482% rise in reported losses over 2020.

They typically involve installing malicious software on your computer or phone to make files inaccessible or lock the device. This is done by sending a bogus email, text message or voicemail with an enticing message directing you to a link that automatically installs the malicious software when you open it. The scammer then demands a payment to “unlock” the system.

Pyramid and ponzi schemes explained in one minute.

3. Identity theft

Identity theft – using your personal information to steal money from you or someone else – is one of the most challenging scams to deal with. It may involve stealing money from your own account or using your identity for credit purchases, which you then have to untangle.

Messages about deliveries are a common way to spread malware. Shutterstock

Contributing to ransomware’s resurgence was the Flubot scam, in which tens of thousands of Australians with Android phones received scam text messages about missed calls or deliveries. The malware could harvest banking details as well as use contact lists to spread to other devices.

Read more: Is Australia a sitting duck for ransomware attacks?

Yes, and the danger has been growing for 30 years

2. Pyramid schemes

The pyramid scheme promises you riches by recruiting others to the scheme. While such recruitment is also a feature of multi-level marketing (also known as referral selling schemes), in an illegal pyramid scheme financial returns are entirely or substantially reliant on convincing other people to join.

In 2021 reported losses from pyramid schemes were 368% higher than in 2020. This was due, as with malware, to losses in 2020 being abnormally low.

This is a true growth area. In 2021 there 22,354 identity theft reports, up from 20,939 in 2020. While only 951 of these cases (about 4%) reported losses, average losses more than doubled to about $10,683. The total losses ($10,159,930) were 230% higher than in 2020.

Read more: How cybercriminals turn paper checks stolen from mailboxes into bitcoin

4. Investment scams

Investment scams tempt victims with promises of large profits from share deals and crypto-currency opportunities. In 2021, 4,068 Australians reported losing more than $177 million on such scams – an average loss of about $45,350.

While investment scams come in many varieties, the Scamwatch report itemises three main types. Cryptocurrency scams accounted for $99 million of reported losses. The selling of fake high-yield corporate or government bonds accounted for $16 million. Ponzi schemes, which create the charade of investment success by paying dividends from the money of new victims, accounted for $8 million.

2022 August Issue | 41

Ponzi schemes are named after Charles Ponzi, who in the 1920s promised to double people’s money in 45 days. One such scheme doing the rounds in 2021 was the Hope Business app, which promised windfall returns simply by paying money into an account.

Interestingly the consumer watchdog’s report says men were almost twice as likely to be victims of investment scams and reported double the losses of female victims.

5. Phishing

Phishing, closely linked to identity theft, was the most reported scam in 2021 – with 71,308 cases, compared to 44,079 in 2020 and 25,168 in 2019.

These scams are usually seeking to obtain our credentials (passwords) to various services including email, online banking and government services such as MyGov. That just 861 cases reported a direct financial loss suggests this is one of the most recognised scams.

We’ve all had emails or SMS messages asking us to confirm our details or click a link to listen to a voicemail or receive a parcel.

Even so, a total of $4.3 million was reported lost from phishing scams in 2021 – 156% more than in 2020.

The average loss was slightly more than $5,000.

How to avoid being scammed

If something seems too good to be true, it probably is. If you have any inkling you may be being scammed, the best advice is to stop and think.

If you are being asked to move money, make an unexpected payment or send personal information to someone, stop.

If you are being asked to provide information or take some action, contact the organisation involved using a number you already have (bank statement, credit card etc) or find the number yourself.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------

Paul Haskell-Dowland

Professor of Cyber Security Practice, Edith Cowan University

Is Painting & Decorating for you?

Interested in becoming a Painter & Decorator? paintingapprenticeships.com.au

Painting Apprenticeships brings Apprentices together with Painting Business owners.

44 | Aussie Painting Contractor

IMPORTANT

Contacts

Aussie Painters Network aussiepaintersnetwork.com.au

Ph. 0430 399 800

National Institute for Painting and Decorating painters.edu.au

Ph. 1300 319 790

Australian Tax Office ato.gov.au

Ph. 13 72 26 / Ph. 13 28 65

Award Rates fairwork.gov.au

Ph. 13 13 94

Australian Building & Construction Commission www.abcc.gov.au

Ph. 1800 003 338

Mates In Construction www.mates.org.au

Ph. 1300 642 111

Workplace Health and Safety Contacts Comcare WorkSafe ACT Workplace Health and Safety QLD WorkSafe Victoria SafeWork NSW SafeWork SA WorkSafe WA NT WorkSafe WorkSafe Tasmania

comcare.gov.au worksafe.act.gov.au worksafe.qld.gov.au www.worksafe.vic.gov.au www.safework.nsw.gov.au www.safework.sa.gov.au commerce.wa.gov.au/WorkSafe/ worksafe.nt.gov.au worksafe.tas.gov.au

1300 366 979 02 6207 3000 1300 362 128 1800 136 089 13 10 50 1300 365 255 1300 307 877 1800 019 115 1300 366 322

actcancer.org cancercouncil.com.au cancercouncilnt.com.au cancerqld.org.au cancersa.org.au cancervic.org.au cancerwa.asn.au

(02) 6257 9999 (02) 9334 1900 (08) 8927 4888 (07) 3634 5100 (08) 8291 4111 (03) 9635 5000 (08) 9212 4333

Cancer Council Australia ACT NSW NT QLD SA VIC WA

2022 August Issue | 45

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