Aussie Painting Contractor Magazine June 2022

Coping with the chaos

Your tribe of people going through the same thing.. thing..

Super Legislation Changes 1 JULY 2022

Employers will have to make SG payments for all eligible employees.

How to put life on EASY MODE...

Imagine that you could access peace and easefulness in any moment

5 Cheaper Ways to Advertise Your Business Don’t assume that paying for an ad campaign will make it work...

www.aussiepaintersnetwork.com.au

From the

Editor

Hey Everyone, Welcome to the 115th edition of the Aussie Painting Contractor Magazine.

What a massive month for us. We travelled over 3000km’s training 20+ apprentices throughout Qld. We ran a Try a Trade Day with The Busy School. We attended the Brisbane Careers Expo with WorldSkills and spoke with 1000’s of people about getting into the Painting Industry.

So, on our trip through Qld, we visited Bundaberg, Rockhampton, Emerald and Proserpine to train apprentices in an array of units out of our newly rebuilt Painters Training Wheels. We covered a large array of units including, Apply Wallpaper, Texture with Brush, Roll and Spray using a hopper gun and Lead Based Paint Management just to name a few. It was great to get back up through the regional areas and provide the much needed training to support the employers that are giving young people an opportunity that they didn’t think they had.

Once back we went into a whirlwind week including a Try a Trade day with the Busy School that has already lead to a trial for an employer and apprentice. Then just a couple of days later we spent 2 days at the Careers Expo in Brisbane with WorldSkills doing another Try a Trade for thousands of people that we shared the idea of starting a career in the Painting Industry.

As everyone should have heard, the building trade is going through some ups and downs with some builders going broke and leaving contractors caught short and owed money. Please let us know if you are caught and need some assistance.

'Til next month, Happy Painting!!

Nigel Gorman

nigel@aussiepaintersnetwork.com.au

07 3555 8010

CONTRIBUTORS

• C Raina MacIntyre • Caroline Miall •

jeffpainterguy

• Jim Baker • Libby Callaway • Leo Babauta • Monroe Porter • Rachel Ong ViforJ • 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

Tips on the best ways to REVIEW AND PLAN AHEAD!

22

08

Coping with the chaos

27

12

Social Media Etiquette: 9 more Quick Tips for Professionals

15

Super Legislation CHANGES 1 JULY 2022

16

20

It’s very difficult to see this from the inside of the ‘black dog’

FOR FIRST HOMEBUYERS, It’s Labor’s Help to Buy versus the Coalition’s New Home Guarantee. Which is better?

30

Construction Insurance

34

5 Cheaper Ways to Advertise Your Business

38

Monkeypox in Australia:

‘SILO ART’ a way to attract business

Doing the Quote

How to put life on EASY MODE...

45 44

Various forms of insurance that businesses within the construction industry

Share target audiences, increasing the number of interested people who see your mutual ad campaign

What is it and how can we prevent the spread?

Industry Idiots 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 June 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.

Tips on the best ways to

REVIEW AND PLAN AHEAD! Being in business is not just about your customers, it’s also about making money to enjoy and build your life, and ultimately getting prepared financially for retirement. I haven’t heard anyone go into business who did it to end up going on the Government pension, which doesn’t leave much room to play with.

Five years later both groups came back together to discuss what they had achieved. Of the first group who were told to write down their goals and refer to them regularly, 96% of the people achieved all their goals. Of the second group, which only discussed their goals, 16% of the people achieved all their goals.

However far away retirement is for you, making financial decisions today will impact your retirement decades later. Even small steps to help you take control of your financial future will be beneficial. Not sure where to start? Follow these 5 steps and you’ll be well on your way.

As you can see, this is a clear example of how writing down your goals and referring to them regularly is incredibly powerful. It keeps us focused. It’s the corner stone to any success you can achieve in life.

Step 2 – Organise your personal and financial

documents

All you need to do is set up of two folders. The first folder will contain all your important personal documents like birth certificate, mortgage papers, bank statements and the second folder will contain all your financial documents.

Go through all your personal and financial documents and put them into the folders. You can find a list of the most important documents you’ll want to include in these folders, if they’re relevant to your life situation, in our workbook 5 Steps To Financial Independence.

Step 1 - Establish and define your life goals Goal setting is important, but what’s even more important is that you write them down. A case study was undertaken on achieving goals. The study divided 100 people into two groups who were asked to consider what they wished to achieve in the next five years. The first group wrote down their goals and referred to them regularly. The second group discussed their goals, but didn’t write them down.

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Don’t worry if you don’t have all the documents stated. You will acquire some of these documents as a result of working through these 5 Steps. The documents you obtain should be placed in the respective folders.

Step 3 - Assess your current position When you’re going on a road trip it’s all a matter of stopping and knowing what to check to ensure you’re driving a safe vehicle. Learning to assess your current financial position is just as important.

It allows you to list what assets you have, what debts (liabilities) you have, the level of income you are receiving and how much of your income you are spending.

In assessing your present position you need to understand your current circumstances, achieved in part by establishing your goals and organizing all your personal and financial documents in a logical and effective manner.

Keeping Track is key. Keep a daily record of all spending in a diary. That way you know where your money goes and you know where to cut down, if necessary.

Review your budget and bank accounts every month to ensure you are moving in the right direction.

Itemize and list all assets andliabilities using the information collated in the Financials folder. Once completed this will show at a glance, what your current Net Worth is.

Step 4 - Establish a budget plan Now you need to create a new budget plan by using the financial data gathered in Step 3. Determine how much you intend to spend on living and optional expenses. We have developed a Budget & Expenditure Planner in Excel spreadsheet format specifically for this purpose and are happy to share this tool with you.

You can adjust the Expense and Income Items in your worksheets Expense Summary and Income Summary to determine your new budget plan, but keep a record of the current plan, so you know where you started.

After three months of record keeping, you should now have the information to identify the 10 highest expenses from your budget.

Finally, don’t reinvent the wheel If you need some simple tools to get your financial year in review started, we’re happy to share them with you. Our Budget & Savings Planner is available for free as part of our Financial Independence Kit and includes: • Goal Setting Planner • Net Worth Schedule • Expense Summary • Income Summary If you need any support with your year in review process, call my office on 3399 8844 and we will give you a FREE Financial Health Check. You can also visit our website at www.straighttalkat.com.au and complete your details on our Home page to request a free appointment.

Step 5 - Rectify problems and/or address

opportunities

The importance of rectifying possible problems and addressing opportunities is fairly obvious. You may think you don’t have any problems or any real opportunities to improve your financial position, however, we know you do. No matter what situation you may currently find yourself in, you can make a difference.

2022 June Issue | 7

Coping with the chaos

Living with life’s never-ending challenges (that seem to have snowballed into 2022) As another large-scale building company takes a dive this week, it’s a timely reminder to consider how challenging this year has been, and how this sort of fiscal collapse has a ripple effect, cascading down to the dozens of staff and contractors of these businesses.

It’s only June, but it’s already been a difficult enough year without contemplating your income suddenly disappearing through no fault of your own! We are really feeling for those affected.

In the first half of this year, we’ve already endured major weather events, floods, Covid spreading like wildfire across the country, and having to listen to numpty politicians fight their good fight to the political death (thank goodness at least that is over). In the construction industry, running small businesses, and shoring up your financial future, taking care of your families’ security.. it’s an unfathomably tough environment when in an uncertain financial situation. Is it any wonder that our mental health is a bit fragile at the moment? Not surprisingly, stress, depression and anxiety have all escalated in our communities. After two years of living in a world gone mad, dealing with a pandemic and everything else been thrown at us, this is a Public Service Announcement to please take it easy on yourself and put your mental health first.

Writer, Johann Hari, recently identified the opposite of depression as connection. Not the nebulous goal

8 | Aussie Painting Contractor

of happiness or joy but the being present and honest with other people in our lives and resisting the temptation to close up and isolate ourselves emotionally. It’s very difficult to see this from the inside of the ‘black dog’, however once you do reach out you can very quickly feel the relief. That old adage that ‘a problem shared is a problem halved’ has some merit.

You will find that those around you do care that you are struggling and you will find that some of them are struggling just as much, maybe more.

Further on connection, refreshingly in this digital age there are dozens of ways to achieve some form of it. If you’re not ready to spill your emotional guts to your nearest and dearest, it is empowering to find others that are, and you may well feel less alone in your experience in doing so. Chances are if someone is wrestling with an emotional issue or mental health concern, then a podcast or 12 has been created about it. Look for Podcasts, or Youtube videos or Facebook groups that resonate with you and find that ‘aha’ moment, as well as possibly your tribe of people going through the same thing. Along the way you might find the psycho-education or practical tips around your issue that helps with some small steps to solving it, or in the very least knowledge you’re not at all alone and that it is fair and reasonable to be feeling the way you are. This can give a sense of community, courage and hope for the future which shouldn’t be underestimated.

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.

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.

2022 June Issue | 9

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it is great to know you can visit sites like those listed below (and there are dozens more), to find help without presenting to a clinic, or even revealing your situation to your GP if you don’t want to. Or, just have a chat with your mate.. you’ll feel better for it!

Finding help online is as easy as checking out which one would fit you best: Find immediate support: https://www.beyondblue. org.au/get-support/get-immediate-support (phone, online chat, email, community forums) One of the few positives to have come out of the pandemic, is the recognition of the need for more mental health support, and the ability to do it remotely, even anonymously and autonomously. The response to this demand has been unprecedented and has seen research and focus on the area which has been sorely needed for decades. This is fantastic news for our proud men and tradies who might still wrestle with the need to maintain that tough exterior.. the strong silent type; where asking for help still feels like a weakness. Tip – it is not! And if you have concerns about your mental health, we do strongly suggest having that conversation with your doctor. However,

Find out about government initiatives: https://mentalwellbeing.initiatives.qld.gov.au/support Get ongoing mental health support online: https://www.mentalhealthonline.org.au/ ---------------------------------------------------------------------------

Caroline Miall

caroline@aussiepaintersnetwork.com.au 2/16 Perrin Place, Salisbury, QLD 4107

2022 June Issue | 11

Social Media Etiquette: 9 more Quick Tips for Professionals With social media, you can connect with business associates quickly and creatively. But this communication mode is not without risk. A thoughtless post can offend customers and other business partners and damage relationships rather than build them. By following a few ground rules you can be confident your comments and posts will be appropriate ones.

Check Your Messages for Grammar and Spelling Your co-workers and business partners evaluate your communication skills so don’t send a message until you check it for grammar and spelling. This is easily done if you prepare your social media messages in a Word document before making them public.

Consider the Possibility that Your Message Might Offend Someone Before you send a post, consider who has access to your profile and if it will matter to you that you shared this information with a certain person or business. If you cringe at the thought of your boss, client or employee reading and sharing your message, it’s best to delete the message.

If You’re Feeling Needy, Disguise It Refrain from asking Twitter followers to retweet a tweet or Facebook friends to like a page. Instead,

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make the effort necessary to find an enticing way to accomplish those tasks.

Share the Observations of Others A key benefit of social media is that it grants immediate access to a diverse group of people willing to share their expertise. So share the posts and tweets of others, rather than limiting your content to your own commentary. In the process, give credit where credit is due by including their network handle and name in your message. Also, by sending a ‘thank you’ to those whose work you enjoy, you might create a valuable connection.

Ask May I Before Tagging Because a photo is a flattering one of you, doesn’t mean it’s an equally flattering of others. So be considerate and don’t post photos and tag friends if the photos are ones the other subjects are unlikely to share with others. And never relay a conversation on your Facebook wall without asking permission of all involved.

Limit Your Use of Hashtags A hashtag is a way to group you tweets and posts of similar content so those in need of information about a particular topic can find it. But refrain from creating a hashtag for multiple words in a post.

Don't Use the Automated Direct Message Tool - Ever

Engage with your Readers

Be Transparent

Social media offers a way to quickly and creatively connect with business partners who can be hard to reach. Unfortunately, these social platforms provide many opportunities to offend others in a variety of ways, including conveying extremely personal information in this very impersonal way. But you can avoid this and other faux pas by adhering to a few simple rules of social media etiquette.

If it's worth saying, it's worth saying well and to a specific person or group. So never send automated direct messages to anyone for any reason.

If an issue arises that leads to a burst of activity on social platforms, don't delete the comments and become defensive. Instead, post a thoughtful and informative response and work diligently to resolve the issue. When a solution is reached, post that information online.

Encourage your readers to respond to your comments and posts by asking or answering a question and sharing relevant links. When they do so, reciprocate by ‘liking’ their posts or commenting on their tweets.

Sandra Price

www.tradiebookkeepingsolutions.com.au Facebook : Tradie Bookkeeping Solutions

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

2022 June Issue | 13

®

australia’s most trusted ladder

14 | Aussie Painting Contractor

www.gorillaladders.com.au

Super Legislation CHANGES 1 JULY 2022 A number of changes to superannuation are coming into effect from 1 July 2022, including some that will impact employers.

Businesses need to be ready for these changes and factor the additional cost into new work they’re undertaking after 1 July 2022.

Removal of the $450 monthly income minimum From 1 July 2022 the requirement for an employee to earn $450 per month (before tax) to be eligible for superannuation guarantee (SG) payments will be abolished. This means employers will have to make SG payments for all eligible employees regardless of their income. Employees still need to meet the other SG eligibility requirements. Employers will need to ensure their payroll and accounting systems are updated before 1 July 2022 for this change.

Superannuation guarantee increase

Work test removed for those aged 67–74 Those aged 67–74 will be able to make and receive personal non-concessional contributions and salary sacrifice contributions without meeting the work test from 1 July 2022. They will also be able to access the bring forward option, allowing eligible individuals to make up to $330,000 in non-concessional contributions a year.

People in this age bracket will still need to meet the work test or work test exemption to claim a tax deduction for personal non-concessional contributions.

Information on all the changes coming on 1 July can be found at bussq.com.au. If you have questions about paying the correct super for your employees call Liz Kaimatsoglu from BUSSQ on 0437 537 122.

This is general information and does not take into account your personal financial situation or needs. Before acting, consider the appropriateness of the information to your needs or obtain financial advice. Information correct as at 24-3-22. Prepared by BUSS (Queensland) Pty Ltd (ABN 15 065 081 281, AFSL 237860) as Trustee for BUSSQ (BUSSQ Fund, ABN 85 571 332 201).

The minimum super an employer must pay their employees, the SG will increase from the current rate of 10% to 10.5% on 1 July 2022.

As an employer it’s important to ensure you pay super at this new minimum rate as there are financial penalties for not meeting your SG obligations.

2022 June Issue | 15

‘SILO ART’

a way to attract business

My wife and I recently travelled the inland route from Brisbane to Lakes Entrance, Victoria. We went through many beautiful and quaint old towns that we’d never realised existed. This all came about because of the ‘Silo Art Trail’ we wanted to follow.

On our drive we noticed many businesses in the small rural towns were closed and abandoned. The reason being because of new highways constructed and ‘by-passing’ the main town centres. People are just not interested in making the slight detour into town as they are wanting to get to their destination as quickly as possible. If people are not stopping then they are not spending, which has an enormous effect on a town’s future.

Once you travel away from the main cities you will find that most country towns are surrounded by agricultural farming land, so growing crops and grain are the main source of income. To hold the mega-tons of these products in storage, you of course need holding facilities, which 90% are concrete silos. These are usually centrally located and close to the town itself, (you will see many of them in the main street and very often, directly opposite the local shops).

Going back a few years to 2015, my wife and I went to a small town called ‘Chamainus’ on Vancouver Island Canada as it was made world famous for its ‘mural wall art’ (around 45 paintings in total). It came about when the lands’ natural resources failed to provide all the necessities of life, so a vision was to encompass the idea of giant outdoor wall murals in a revitalization strategy.

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I guess something like this ‘mural art’, came to mind as a good way to attract tourists back to the Australian country towns. The problem was, there are not many buildings with spare walls to paint. As the only large structures around were the un-attractive ‘concrete silos’, the idea to paint a mural on them came to mind.

The first ‘Silo’ painted in Australia was in Northam, Western Australia in 2015 and was an initiative to attract people and revitalise the area. It became so popular for tourists that they started to spring up in other parts of the country, (there are now a total of over 50 in Australia).

At each ‘silo’ stop, you will see an information board with a story to tell of what the painting is about and the area itself. In most ‘States’, there are ‘Silo Art Trails’ you can follow. They are extremely popular, and you get to meet some very nice people along the way. The silo photos shown are from, Barraba NSW, Picola VIC, Devenish VIC, and Yelarbon QLD. You may not have a silo outside your property, so what methods have you in place to attract attention to your business? Is it vehicle signage, banners, social media, Google? Unless you fully rely on ‘word-ofmouth’, you could be left behind with no-one knowing about who you are or what you do.

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

Jim Baker

www.mytools4business.com

2022 June Issue | 17

Is Painting & Decorating for you?

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

Painting Apprenticeships brings Apprentices together with Painting Business owners.

18 | Aussie Painting Contractor

2022 June Issue | 19

Doing the Quote When you make the appointment time to quote the job, make it when you can get there, don’t let the client push into a time you just can’t keep. Being late is a terrible start.The client will understand if you say, Sorry, I just can’t be there at that time, and I would prefer to make it a different time than be late.

When you do up the quote list, everything you are going to do.

Prep Work: Sand the walls, remove all loose and flaking paint, fill all holes, clean down the walls, Paint system: list the paint you are going to use and the number of coats

Before you turn up, change into clean clothes, remove all paint and gap filler from your hands and face. If you don’t have time to go home and get changed, have fresh, clean overalls in your ute and change into these.

Now also tell them why you are using that paint IE: I am quoting on this paint because you have young children and this paint is scrubbable, not just cleanable, so it will look better a

Remember, a home is the most expensive thing you or your customer will ever buy. Just imagine that you have a nice car you paid $150,000.00 for, and it needs some work done to it. You take it to two different garages. The first guy comes out of the garage covered in oil, dirty overalls and smoke hanging out of his mouth; his quote is $5000. You go to the second garage, and the guy comes out nice and clean; his quote is $5500; which one do you think might look after your car better?

When you arrive on time (if you are going to be late, Ring the client and let them know how late you are running) Take your boots off at the front door (even if they are clean). This shows respect to the client.

Now the next thing to do is hand the client the portfolio you have with you and say something like, “Thank you so much for letting me quote on your painting job. This is just a little about me and what I can do for you”Now ask the client to walk through the job with you and ask questions to establish what is required, like do you have children, do you entertain a lot (these questions let you know the best type of paint to quote using.) Explain to the customer why you are asking.

When you have all the info, you need to put the quote together, thank the client again and tell them you will leave the portfolio with them and tell them when you will have the quote back to them.

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a lot longer than using cheaper paint. Include printouts of the products you will use from the paint company’s website with your quote. The more info you provide upfront makes you look more professional.

Now, this bit is significant; hand-deliver the quote to the client. Let the client read the quote and ask if you have covered what they want to be done; also, ask if they have any questions.

Quick tip NEVER use the words, cost or price in your quote. Always use the word investment.

IE: The total investment to achieve the outcome you want is $5500.00+GST Also, make sure you list your payment terms on your quote; this way, there is no misunderstanding later about payment.

Pro-tip, when you work out the amount you will quote, add 2hours of labour into the final amount. (to be used later) --------------------------------------------------------------------

jeffpaintuy

Experienced Territory Manager with a demonstrated history of working in the Paint industry. Skilled in Negotiation, Sales, Customer Relationship Management (CRM), Team Building, and Construction.

www.jeffthepaintguy.info

2022 June Issue | 21

How to put life on

EASY MODE...

The other day I was having such a chill, easy day despite doing all of my usual work and chores and workout activities — the phrase, “Life on Easy Mode” came to me.

Let’s talk about some things you can do to access this during your day.

Easy Mode Mindset

The rest of the week, I kept the question in my mind, “What would it be like to have life on easy mode?”

Imagine that in any moment in life, you could access any kind of experience: happiness, joy, playfulness, sadness, anger, peace, awe.

A lot of answers came to me, and I’ll share some of them below. But the biggest answer is that you can do all your normal activities … but your day can be one of ease, peace, and contentment, no matter what you’re doing.

That’s not how we usually see it — we think that other people, and external circumstances, cause our internal states to happen. But what if we imagined that we can access any state, no matter the external circumstances, no matter what someone else is doing?

You can try it right now:

So with this in mind, imagine that you could access peace and easefulness in any moment. A sense of contentedness. A sense of loving life, and appreciating every moment.

Keep reading this article, but see if you can do it with a feeling of relaxed effortlessness. Of ease and peace.

You might relax your muscles, breathe deeply and smoothly, smile very slightly, and feel a sense of appreciation for being alive in this moment.

What is that like for you?

That’s the essence of life on easy mode.

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Try it right now. What does it feel like?

Now practice it while doing something: drinking a glass of water, washing a dish, reading a message.

Same mindset, different activities.

This ease is available in any moment. We just need to be willing to access it.

Things That Make Life Easier

You don’t have to do anything different to live life on this easy mode. That said, here are some things I’ve found to make life so much easier — there might be a lot here, but think of these as ideas you might try one at a time: •

One thing at a time: When you walk, just walk, and appreciate each step. When you do something online, do one thing at a time, as fully as you can. This is such a simple approach but we forget it so often.

•

Put space between things: In between meetings and tasks, take a breath. Let yourself have some space, some downtime. Even if it’s just a few minutes, savor this delicious space.

•

Bring full appreciation: In every activity, can you fully appreciate the incredible nature of this moment?

•

Clean as you go: Put away your clothes when you take them off. Wash your dishes after you eat or cook. Wipe the counter. Tidy up after yourself. This can apply to everything — reply to that email, clean up your downloads folder, don’t have a million tabs open all the time.

Simple thing, but really underappreciated by most people. Not letting things pile up is such a wonderful way to live life on easy mode.

•

Do less: You don’t need to do less in order to live life on easy mode. But it can be really nice! Reduce how much you’re trying to get done during the day. This can take some time to transition towards, including renegotiating commitments with people or training people to do things for themselves..

•

Rest & self-care: Prioritize rest, so that you’re not constantly exhausted. Self-care should also be an easy, loving act: floss your teeth, let yourself relax, take care of your emotions and body.

•

Eat whole foods: This post is not about diet, but I’ve really found such a huge wellness benefit to eating mostly whole foods. For me, that means vegetables, fruit, nuts, legumes.

Don’t be fanatic about it — you can eat processed foods/junk, but see these foods as the spice rather than the main ingredients of your diet. My body and mind feel so much better when I follow this approach.

•

bite and savor it. Leave a little space between bites, don’t cram it in or automatically get more. This simple approach to eating (eat whole foods, eat slowly) really makes an incredible difference.

•

Move often: I don’t mean all the time. But every 30-45 minutes, get up and move. Stretch, do a few yoga poses, walk outside for a few minutes, do some bodyweight exercises. Once a day, do more than that: go for a longer walk, go on a bike ride, do a workout, play a sport, do a yoga routine or bodyweight exercises. Rest some days if you’re sore or tired, of course. This kind of movement throughout the day makes your body feel vibrantly healthy and at ease in the long run.

•

Have a cushion: Build a buffer into your life wherever you yourself living on the edge. Create a financial cushion by spending less for awhile or earning some extra money. Build cushion into your schedule. Ask for longer deadlines so you don’t overpromise and deliver late. Life is so much less stressful with a cushion!

•

When you’re overwhelmed, take small steps: A lot of time, we can get stopped by overwhelm.

It’s natural to feel overwhelmed when we’re face with a lot of tasks/decisions. Life on easy mode means just picking one thing off the pile and focusing on that. Then the next thing off the pile. Take a breath, and focus on one thing.

•

Do focus sessions to get stuff done:

•

Do things as simply as possible: We overcomplicate things. What’s the simplest way you can approach the things you have in front of you?

How can you make decisions with ease, instead of overthinking it? Be straightforward in your communication — say what you want. Don’t add extra meaning to things, extra layers of suffering.

Live simply in every interaction and task.

Again, this is a long list, and it can be overwhelming.

So pick one thing and try it! These are simply ideas that I’ve found to be incredibly helpful.

Let’s talk a little more about the last item on the list — doing things as simply as possible.

Eat slowly: Whatever you decide to eat, take a

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When we’re doing this, we can simply notice. And instead of beating ourselves up about it (which complicates things), we can simplify the moment. What’s the easiest thing you can do right now, the simplest?

What’s the least amount of thinking you can do, so that you can simply do or be?

When people say or do things, prefer the most straightforward interpretation. The simplest meaning.

When you’re going about your day, think about the simplest thing you could do right now that would be helpful. Then savor that simplicity.

Simplifying When We Overcomplicate Things

We’re pretty much always making things complicated.

It’s our wonderful brains, always thinking. This tends to make life more difficult than it needs to be, a lot of the time.

Here are a few examples of how we overcomplicate things: •

•

•

We read things into what people say and do, and create extra meaning out of things. For example, a friend says they don’t want to go to coffee with us, and we might read that to mean that they don’t want to spend time with us, they don’t care about us, they’re always doing this. When it might simply be that they’re feeling tired today.

We have a lot of things to do today, big and small, and it feels overwhelming, and we get stuck on doing anything because we have in mind how hard it’s going to be to tackle all of it, and how we might not be able to stay above water. When in fact, the simplest thing would be to pick one thing and get started.

We get anxious about an upcoming event, wondering whether we’ll do a good job, worried about what people will think about us, and spend a lot of time thinking about it, overpreparing, stressing about how it will go.

The simple thing would be to take some care to do preparation without overdoing it, and then show up and be ourselves.

These are just a few examples, we’re doing this kind of thing pretty much all the time. We overthink, worry, and complicate, and life is no longer in easy mode.

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What Life Can Be Like on Easy Mode

I’m not saying life will always be easy, nor would we necessarily want that. But it can be easy a lot of the time.

If we’re always stressed, always on difficult mode, we’ll get exhausted. Then when something really requires our full effort, we might not have the energy.

If we cruise along on easy mode for most of the day, when something requires us to put in a tremendous amount of effort, we’ll be ready to spring into action.

For me, life on easy mode is relaxing. It’s simple. It’s washing a dish, writing an email, having a conversation. It’s enjoying the exercise, taking care of myself, enjoying space and silence and breath.

Life on easy mode is flow. It’s a tai chi sequence. It’s smooth and fluid and lovely.

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Leo Babauta ZEN HABITS

2022 June Issue | 25

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FOR FIRST HOMEBUYERS,

it’s Labor’s Help to Buy versus the Coalition’s New Home Guarantee.

Which is better?

Each side is offering something for first homebuyers this election, but the nature of the support is quite different.

The Coalition’s Home Guarantee The Coalition is promising to expand its Home Guarantee Scheme, also known as its First Home Loan Deposit Scheme. It’ll lift the number of places on offer from 10,000 to 35,000 per year, and reserve another 5,000 places for single parents.

Liberal Party’s Menzies Research Centre in 2003 for then Prime Minister John Howard.

Labor’s scheme will offer 10,000 homebuyers the opportunity to share ownership with the Commonwealth which will put in up to 40% of the purchase price for a new home, and up to 30% for an existing home.

Read more: Older women often rent in poverty – shared home equity could help

As well, it will boost the highest purchase price the scheme can be used for. In Sydney it will climb from A$800,000 to $900,000; and in Melbourne from $700,000 to $800,000.

As with the Coalition’s Home Guarantee Scheme, eligible homebuyers will avoid the need for lenders mortgage insurance. Under Help to Buy, eligible homebuyers would pay a 2% rather than a 5% deposit.

The scheme enables buyers with deposits as small as 5% (2% for single parents) to avoid paying the mortgage insurance that is normally required for deposits of less than 20%. The Commonwealth “guarantees” the other 15% to 18%.

Labor’s scheme is targeted at lower middle earners on taxable incomes of up to $90,000 for singles and $120,000 for couples, whereas the Coalition’s is available for singles on incomes up to $125,000 and couples up to $200,000.

Mortgage insurance can cost as much as $30,000 on a $600,000 mortgage.

Shared ownership isn’t new The United Kingdom has offered such a scheme for decades, as do state governments in Western Australia (Keystart), South Australia (HomeStart) and Victoria (Homebuyer).

The guarantee is not a cash payment or a deposit.

Labor’s Help to Buy Labor’s scheme, announced on Sunday is called Help to Buy and owes something to work done by the

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The report commissioned by Howard in 2004 found shared ownership “as critical to the welfare of Australian families today as was the emergence of the mortgage market at the turn of the last century”.

A report produced by the Grattan Institute in 2022 found that while it might cost the government money in the short-term, it might save it money on rent assistance longer term if it got more Australians into home ownership.

Despite many attractive features, shared ownership has remained niche worldwide due to its complexities.

In the UK, fewer than 1% of households use it.

But shared ownership is complicated In Labor’s scheme, the Commonwealth wouldn’t charge the owner rent on the portion of the home that it owned, while the owner would be responsible for ongoing costs such as rates and other bills. When the home is eventually sold the Commonwealth will get its money back plus its share of the capital gain.

As in the United Kingdom, at any time the owner can “staircase”, buying more of their property from the Commonwealth, although if prices have risen since the initial purchase, the cost of buying further shares will have also risen.

If the homebuyer’s income exceeds the Help to Buy threshold for two consecutive years, they will be required to repay the government’s financial contribution in part or whole as their circumstances permit.

In other such schemes, owners face restrictions on their freedom to renovate and sub-let their properties. They can also pay more for their mortgages, as not all lenders offer their most competitive loans for such schemes.

Two very different schemes Regardless of which party gets elected, the Home Guarantee scheme will continue (with more places under the Coalition).

While escaping the cost of mortgage insurance offers buyers a leg up the ladder, most may be close to being able to buy a house without it, meaning it might simply bring forward home purchases rather than assisting people unable to buy.

While the Home Guarantee scheme focuses on the deposit hurdle, Labor’s Help to Buy scheme will help with both deposits and repayments.

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First Home Loan Deposit Scheme to continue

Such schemes are complex.

Participants will need to read the fine print to ensure that they are prepared to accept the complications that might arise later.

Labor is also promising a National Housing Supply and Affordability Council and a Housing Australia Future Fund to build more social and affordable housing.

Read more: $1 billion per year (or less) could halve rental housing stress In truth, we can’t really hope to make a dent in the housing affordability crisis without hard policy choices such as reforming tax concessions that have pushed up house prices. Labor put forward such measures in 2019. It isn’t this time.

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Rachel Ong ViforJ

ARC Future Fellow & Professor of Economics, Curtin University

Construction Insurance Just as there are numerous risks within the construction industry, there are numerous forms of construction insurance to protect you.

Often when people are talking about construction insurance they’re referring to contract works insurance, but there are a few others that fall into the same category.

In this guide we’ll take a look at the various forms of insurance that businesses within the construction industry may need.

Public liability is all about covering your negligence, so we’re talking about events where you are found to have been negligent, and that has contributed to the loss.

But contract works will cover you where you were not negligent, or basically, it wasn’t your fault.

For example, if your worksite was properly secured but a storm caused damage, that’s not your fault. It wouldn’t be covered by public liability but would be covered by contract works insurance.

Contract Works Contractual Liability Public Liability Professional Indemnity Mobile Plant & Equipment Tool Insurance There are more, and we recommend speaking with one of our construction specialists for more detailed information on which could be right for you and your business.

Contract Works

Contract works is one of the most common forms of builders insurance.

You’ll sometimes hear it referred to as construction works insurance, builders all risk insurance and everything in between. Most commonly it’s just contract works insurance.

This insurance will protect your projects from a range of different risks, including: • Loss or damage to the project due to fire, storm and a range of other risks • Loss or damage to materials on the work site • Property damage or personal injury to others Some of those points might seem like they overlap with public liability insurance, but there is a big difference.

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Contractual Liability

Contractual liability insurance is somewhat similar to contract works insurance, but it covering a different type of risk.

We recommend speaking with one of our specialists for a proper explanation, but basically it covers you for things that you might not normally be liable for, but the contract you have signed has made you liable.

An example from a real life claim was an electrical contractor installing a number of large generators on a construction side.

Ordinarily he wouldn’t be responsible for loss or damage caused to the generators if he wasn’t at fault, but the contract he entered into made him responsible for them whilst he was undertaking the work.

The generators suffered damage, but not because of the electrician. This meant his public liability wouldn’t cover the loss (as there was no negligence) but because he had contractual liability insurance he was covered.

Public Liability

This is the most common form of insurance for tradies, builders and most other contractors.

It will cover you in the event that you cause property damage or personal injury to a third party.

For some builders their contract works insurance will include their public liability, but you should never assume that is the case without confirming with your insurer or insurance broker.

Here at Trade Risk, public liability insurance is the most common form of cover we deal with, so you can count on us for expert advice and service.

Professional Indemnity

If you are providing design, consulting or advice services in the construction industry, you’ll most likely need professional indemnity insurance.

Like public liability it covers you where a third party has suffered a loss such as property damage or personal injury, but instead of from your physical actions it’s as a result of your professional services.

As with contractual liability, professional indemnity is one of the construction insurance types where it really is better to speak with one of our experts to find out exactly what you need.

Plant & Equipment

er to cover all of your plant and machinery, as well as road vehicles.

Tool Insurance

Whilst plant and equipment will cover your larger items, most construction businesses will still have plenty of other smaller tools and equipment to protect.

Tool insurance can cover the rest of your gear such as power tools and all the other small bits and pieces in your kit.

A typical policy will cover your tools for damage or loss caused by fire or a vehicle collission or rollover.

They will also be covered for theft following forced entry.

Cover is also available for accidental damage and theft without forced entry, however these options do have an impact of the cost of the poluicy.

Tool insurance is typically available from around $5k to $100k, but can be tailored depending on your needs.

Construction Insurance Specialists

We’ve been helping tradies and builders in the construction industry for over a decade.

If you’re a subcontractor who just needs a public liability policy to get onto the site, a builder who needs a single project contract works policy, or a major construction company that needs the works, we have the team to help.

Our office is based in Queensland, but we assist thousands of trade and construction businesses from all over Australia.

Many businesses in the construction industry are going to have mobile plant and equipment.

We can assist you via phone and email, video calls, or if you’re close to Brisbane we can meet at your place or ours for a face-to-face meeting.

Often these items are amongst your biggest investments, so it’s important to protect them from the risks they face .

To get started call our office on 1800 808 800

Earthmoving Business Insurance

Mobile plant and machinery insurance can cover you for a range of risks including damage and theft.

Your machinery isn’t just limited to your excavators and similar, but also the trucks and trailers you use to cart them around.

A construction insurance package can be put togeth-

2022 June Issue | 31

deliverable at any time, with total flexibility to complete them.

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Painters Training courses are online and can be accessed Australia wide 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

Painters Training e-learning system allows you to study from home, on-line, anytime. Our on-line short courses are industry designed to help painters keep their skills and knowledge up to date.

Developed by a team of qualified professionals who have a wealth of experience and a passion for building your skills.

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5 Cheaper Ways to Advertise Your Business Advertising is an essential component of success for any business. Proper advertising ensures more sales, but if you choose the wrong options, it can be a very expensive proposition. Let’s look at five ways you can reduce your business’s advertising expenditure without affecting your results.

Referrals

A referral program encourages your current customers to send their friends to your site, and to earn rewards for their efforts. It’s a great way to generate low-cost advertising: your customers send visitors and earn a small percentage of every sale (or another reward), then those new customers refer their friends, who refer their friends, and so on!

Before long, you can have an army of loyal customers actively promoting your business - with every new referral, you exponentially increase the chance of getting more customers. And all for the price of a small commission on each sale or some other loyalty reward.

Joint advertising

A joint advertising campaign works like any joint venture: you find a related business and you share the

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cost of the project. At the same time, you share target audiences, increasing the number of interested people who see your mutual ad campaign.

Good examples of this kind of advertising build on complementary industries. For instance, if you run a home aquarium cleaning service, you could work with a local pet shop. Together, you could offer a discount on your cleaning services, provided the customer buys their equipment (and fish) from the associated pet shop. Both businesses benefit: you get access to the pet shop’s clientele, and they get a chance at more sales to people who would love an aquarium, but don’t like the idea of doing their own maintenance.

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Note : Joint advertising is rarely an equal proposition: one party almost always pays more than the other, as they stand to gain more from the advertising or bring less to the combined project. Be flexible and ready to compromise.

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Most relevant advertising medium

Choosing the most relevant advertising channel is absolutely critical in decreasing your advertising costs. You’ll have to do thorough demographical research, or invest a little money in trial-and-error learning to figure out the best medium for your business.

For example, television and radio offer a massive return on investment for some companies, but if your business targets young adults who spend the majority of their time online, they may be a bad choice. You would almost certainly be better off investing in online advertising, or a social media marketing campaign.

Create loyalty

It is often said that it is more expensive to get a new customer than to keep an existing one. For this reason, it is important that you strive to build a relationship with your customers. Answer queries quickly, make sure complaints are dealt with swiftly and always try to exceed their expectations. This will ensure that you build a positive, rewarding relationship with your clients, and allow you to decrease your advertising costs in the long run.

can still be the best choice. For example, flyers and leaflets can be a very successful, yet inexpensive, form of advertising. The important thing is to ensure that your ads reach the right audience.

For example, if your target market is women, you should distribute your flyers or leaflets in areas frequented predominantly by them. Ideal areas are near beauty stores, clothes shops, hairdressers, and gymnasiums. This will help ensure that your flyers are reaching the right audience, and are therefore more effective.

Most successful businesses spend a large chunk of their money on advertising, so it is critical that you get the best possible returns. Don’t just assume that throwing money at an ad campaign will make it work better: research the best medium, consider all the options, then run tests to figure out where and how to invest most effectively.

Don’t forget the real world

Depending on your target market, “real world” advertising - as opposed to online, virtual adverts -

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Don’t Let the

EASY ROUTE

HOLD YOU CAPTIVE

Being a business owner is a challenge. If not, everyone would do it. Stress and time constraints can often lead us to take the easy way out and down the road, that quick fix leaves us at the mercy of others.

Here are some the more common quick fixes that come back to haunt contractors.

Hiring multiple family members and buddies.

It is difficult to find good employees so it can be tempting to hire employee family members. This can be a particular problem in today’s multicultural society, only insofar as hiring multiple people from one family or tight knit community can present an array of different problems.Some problems are obvious such as when one person quits, the whole family leaves. But other issues are not as obvious. All family members are not created equal and there is a tendency for families to protect one another. They also may ride together to work and firing the driver can leave you shorthanded. They also probably talk to one another and share pay information. Too many family members make it very difficult to have a professional HR approach to employment.

Some things you can do to help control the problem is to make sure family members go through the same hiring and review process just like everyone else. When possible try not to have family members work together. Working together can be a particular problem with brothers and fathers/children. In these situations, a long existing relationship precedes work relationships. In many of these relationships the dominate family member tends to control things and don’t assume that just because they are family that they get along. Pairing father/children can be particularly unfair. When the father retires

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or dies, it can leave the son or daughter lost and not as skilled as you might think. If one family member does all the thinking, the other is a helper.

Too dependent on the magic foreman or crew.

Companies can grow addicted to a super foreman or a super subcontractor. This can be a particular problem in a smaller company. Strong foreman and subs can be prima donnas and if they leave, you can find yourself in a bind. They can also grow old or simply get hurt. These foremen tend to have strong personalities and many of them are not particularly good at training people. Thinking small and putting all your eggs into one basket is short sighted. Even the best of teams has a backup quarterback.

Having too much volume with one customer.

Whether it be new construction and working for a certain construction manager or a private customer like a property manager, year after year having over 20% of your volume with more than one customer can be dangerous. If you are doing 50% or more with one company, you have a job not a business. Even if that customer pays a premium, one day it will all end. They will hire new personnel who want to make changes or are sold, and suddenly you have no work. This can be a hard problem to solve because the customer is great, there is little marketing expense and it is just easy. Denial that the problem exists can be very strong. I actually know of roadbuilding related businesses who expanded when the new interstate highway passed through and wondered why they had too much overhead when the road constructed moved down the road.

This one customer problem can be hard to fix but if you are making big bucks from one customer, make sure you sock some of that money away. Be financially prepared when it ends. Next, keep up your marketing and sales effort with other customers. Do your best not to make other work a non-priority.

help with the project. You would be amazed what a 3rd year accounting college student can get done.

Technology can be easy to use but a pain to set up.

Failure to put non-competes in place with key manager’s and salespeople.

Non-compete, or restraint of trade clauses can be hard to enforce and executives do not like to sign them. The best time to put them in place is when hiring, as people are looking for and need a job. You must always have a local labor attorney advise you in this regard as state laws vary. My perception (and I am not a lawyer, so that is why you need to call one), is that it is easier to enforce people using your customer list/contacts than keeping someone from getting another job.

Remember the real deterrent is the cost of the employee defending themselves from your ligation.

Again, seek local legal advice.

Allowing aging personnel to let you fall behind from a technology perspective. Many contractors

have hard working valuable office personnel who were vital to their success. Unfortunately, technology skills tend to vary greatly, generationally. I had to laugh when one of our customers shared his lack of success in getting his family member 60-year-old bookkeeper to embrace high tech solutions to their ever-growing business. Mature office personnel and bookkeepers are hired to manage details and keep things in order. Some of these folks do not like to change and your business can fall behind technology wise. Forcing the issue is unpleasant and it is easy to just let it all slide. How do you fix it? This is a case where hiring a consultant or someone tech savvy to

In closing, sometimes the easy way out can create problems down the road. In PROSULT™ Networking groups, peers tend to help other peers from making these types of mistakes. A good offense can beat a bad defense. Hopefully, the above wisdom can help you avoid future pain in your business.

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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

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Monkeypox in Australia:

what is it and how can we prevent the spread?

Two cases of monkeypox have been detected in Australia, following reported cases in several European countries. Both are in men just returned from Europe.

of about 10%. The UK outbreak outbreak appears to be the less severe type, but 1% is similar to the fatality rate for COVID, so it is still a concern. It is more severe in children.

Health authorities have said the cases are not a cause for panic, but to remain vigilant for symptoms if you have just returned from overseas.

Why is it emerging now?

It was first identified in humans in 1970, in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). It is a re-emerging disease that’s been causing large outbreaks in Nigeria and DRC since 2017.

What is monkeypox?

Monkeypox is caused by an orthopoxvirus that is closely related to the virus that caused smallpox, variola. Smallpox only infected humans, but monkeypox is an animal virus that occasionally infects humans after they are bitten or scratched by a monkey or other animal.

It is a respiratory virus and can also spread to humans without contact, probably through aerosols.

However, it does not usually spread easily between humans, and typically only in close contacts. Studies have found about 3% of contacts of a monkeypox case will be infected.

A week or two after exposure, infection starts with fever, headache, swelling of the lymph nodes and muscle ache. Skin eruptions usually appear within one to three days of the fever commencing, and in most cases affect the face, hands and feet.

There are two types of the virus, one which has a fatality rate of about 1% and one with a fatality rate

Scientists have puzzled over why a previously rare infection is now becoming more common. The vaccine against smallpox also protects against monkeypox, so in the past, mass vaccination against smallpox protected people from monkeypox too. It is 40 years since smallpox was declared eradicated, and most mass vaccination programs ceased in the 1970s, so few people aged under 50 have been vaccinated.

There are even fewer in Australia, where mass smallpox vaccination was never used, and an estimated 10% of Australians have been vaccinated. The vaccine gives immunity for anything from five to 20 years or more, but may wane at a rate of about 1-2% a year.

Our research shows waning of immunity from smallpox vaccination may explain the increasing outbreaks of monkeypox – it is more than 40-50 years since mass vaccination ceased.

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Current outbreak In September 2018, a case of monkeypox occurred at a naval base in Cornwall, UK, in a person who had travelled from Nigeria. Simultaneously, a second case occurred in Blackpool in an unrelated person returning from Nigeria, and a nurse also became infected in the hospital.

In the current outbreak, the first case in the UK had travelled from Nigeria, where there have been over 500 cases and 8 deaths since 2017.

Read more: Monkeypox in Nigeria: why the disease needs intense management The current outbreak in the UK is the largest outside of Africa and has spread to many countries in Europe, North America and now Australia.

Clusters have occurred among men who have sex with men, a pattern not seen before. The initial importation could have spread at a venue or within a community that resulted in more spread in the same group.

This is an unusual outbreak, with unrelated cases in different locations in the UK. This could be explained by substantial numbers of asymptomatic infection, but asymtomatic infection is uncommon and usually in people who have had the smallpox vaccine.

In a well-studied outbreak in the US linked to imported animals, only three in 20 cases were asymptomatic, and they had been vaccinated. The other 17 cases all had the rash.

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Most people infected in the current epidemic are too young to have been vaccinated, so substantial asymptomatic infection is unlikely. Further, smallpox does not transmit in asymptomatic people, so it is unlikely monkeypox will be very different.

Serological studies to measure asymptomatic infection are being done in the UK and should shed more light on this hypothesis. Hopefully further investigations can help us understand the epidemiologic links between cases in the UK and elsewhere.

This is the first time there has been travel-related spread from outside of the African continent, where the virus is endemic in animals.

There have been a number of travel related importations to the UK, Singapore, Israel and other countries from Nigeria and DRC since 2017, but now the source of spread appears to be the UK, which is unprecedented. Given visits between the UK and Australia are very common, it is not surprising we now have cases here.

Preventing further outbreak There are effective vaccines against monkeypox – the second and third generation smallpox vaccines, both live virus vaccines using the vaccinia virus. Vaccinia is another orthopoxvirus that confers immunity against smallpox and monkeypox, but can have serious side effects in some people, especially those with compromised immune systems.

Mass vaccination would not be warranted because of the side effects. The best strategy is to identify contacts and vaccinate them, rather than mass vaccination.

This is called “ring vaccination” and was used to eradicate smallpox. Monkeypox has a long incubation period (one to two weeks), so being vaccinated post-exposure can protect.

The third generation vaccines do not replicate in the body and can be used in immunocompromised

people. However they are expensive and it’s unlikely Australia would have much supply. For health workers who will be at risk of exposure, the use of third generation vaccines should be considered if the epidemic grows.

There are also effective antivirals against monkeypox and smallpox which were not available before smallpox was eradicated.

Given the unusual nature of this epidemic, it would be wise to ensure we have a stockpile of antivirals and enough of both types of vaccines, together with regulatory processes to use them against monkeypox.

Isolation of cases and quarantine of contacts works to curtail epidemics. We would also do well to draw on the contact tracing infrastructure developed during COVID, so contacts can be rapidly identified and quarantined, and the spread of the virus curtailed.

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C Raina MacIntyre

Professor of Global Biosecurity, NHMRC Principal Research Fellow, Head, Biosecurity Program, Kirby Institute, UNSW Sydney

Come and share your painting ideas! facebook.com/groups/aussiepaintersnetwork/

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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

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