TIME IS MONEY.
Buy STIHL Tools online 24/7 and harness your most valuable resource: your time.
Shop online, collect in-store, and keep working without downtime 24/7 quick collection ready to work
18V RIGHT ANGLE WRENCH
GRC 18V-60
IDEAL FOR NARROW SPACES
ADJUSTABLE PERFORMANCE UNMATCHED
AS THE SPRING weather rolls in, bringing with it a welcome change in temperature and a fresh sense of energy, we’re reminded that it’s the perfect time to tackle the challenges facing our industry.
The construction industry plays a significant role in shaping our environment, and the materials we choose have a lasting impact.
Sustainable materials are essential for reducing the industry’s ecological footprint and promoting a healthier planet.
By opting for materials that are responsibly sourced, recyclable, and durable, builders can minimize waste, conserve resources, and create structures that are not only functional but also environmentally friendly. Not only are sustainable
materials/products be er for the environment, they can also be easier to maintain and even install.
We cover off on a few sustainable initiatives in this edition of The Tradie, so check them out.
The skills shortage in the trades is a pressing issue that affects us all, from individual tradies to large construction companies.
As we head into late 2025, it’s essential that we prioritise finding solutions to this problem.
One way to do this is by investing in our future workforce.
Carpentry Expo, taking place on September 17-18 at the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre, is an excellent opportunity to do just that.
Whether you’re a seasoned tradie or just starting out, Carpentry
Expo is a must-a end event.
You’ll have the chance to learn from industry experts from Carpentry Australia and beyond, network with peers, and stay up-to-date with the latest tools and technology.
If you’re a Dons or Tiges fan, you’ll be stoked to hear from both Kevin Sheedy and Alex Rance, who’ll be speaking at the expo as well.
By a ending Carpentry
There’s a boat-load of alternative materials on the market from the normal timber decking
Expo, you’ll be taking a proactive step towards addressing the skills shortage and building a brighter future for yourself and the industry. Mark your calendars and join me at Carpentry Expo!
Let’s work together to tackle the skills shortage and build a stronger, more sustainable industry for all.
EDITOR Harry Murtough
Jaan is balancing between parasailers and a speedboat be er than some of us balance our diets
WHAT ARE we looking at here? Oh, y’know, just a bloke slacklining from a speedboat while a pair of parasailers dangle behind him.
Just your normal summer holiday kinda stuff you get up to in the Maldives.
This is Estonian slackliner Jaan Rose completing a world-first of slacklining between two moving objects.
“It was a very unknown world,” he told Redbull.
“Would it be possible to walk a parasail slackline? How? And how much?”
“Se ing up a slackline between unusual vehicles – one in the air and the second on the water – makes this my most unique project in terms of rigging, because the angle points are totally different.”
“Usually, slackline projects are between two static points. Here we have two objects moving in every direction at the same time.”
It might look like a blast, but Jaan had to have peak concentration the whole time as he walked between a boat bumping against waves and a parasail trying to match the speed.
“A big part of this project was definitely the physical challenge,” he added.
“Because it’s hard to get on the line and to find a moment to start walking.
“And when I was walking, to adapt my body, my knees.. I had to follow the behaviour of the boat and feel what was happening behind my back with the parasail.”
Concreters can use Low Carbon Cement for tasks they typically use GP Cement for
The team at Cement Australia are no strangers to staying ahead of the curb with balancing what tradies want, with what tradies need.
Its Low Carbon Cement has been doing the rounds, with tradies and suppliers alike singing its praises both in terms of quality and positive impact.
WHAT IS LOW CARBON CEMENT?
Cement Australia’s Low Carbon Cement stepping it up with a product that gives you the same
performance as General Purpose (GP) Cement, but with 30 per cent less embodied carbon. That’s right — less environmental impact without compromising the final result. Cement Australia are able to do this thanks to their GreenCem™ Technology. Developed in-house at their NATAaccredited lab in Brisbane, the GreenCem™ Technology enables them to replace the GP cement ingredient with fl y ash in higher quantities than previously possible, without compromising the resulting concrete’s strength development.
Low Carbon Cement is made right here in Australia and tradie trusted.
Low Carbon Cement holds its own as a direct GP Cement replacement, making it a reliable choice for your day-to-day jobs.
Whether you’re doing bricklaying, block work or core fill, this stuff stacks up.
Whips Bricks owner Ryan Smith has been a brickie for about 14 years.
Quality is front of mind when it comes to Ryan and his work, with Whips Bricks working on high-end residential properties around Melbourne.
He’s been using Low Carbon Cement for most of 2025, and has loved the switch so far.
“It’s a great alternative to GP Cement,” he said.
“For our work, we mix it with Cement Australia’s Off White Cement.
“We’ve been using it on loads of our high-end projects … it’s been really good to work with.”
Ryan first got to work with the Low Carbon Cement on a big multi-home sub-division, and said the feedback on the cement in particular was good both from customers and fellow tradies.
“The brick cleaner even said it was good and easy to clean off,” he said.
This cement delivers be er workability, and even brings lower permeability and enhanced durability to the mix.
Low Carbon Cement is the first packaged cement of its kind listed on the EPD Australasia register and meets Australian Standard AS3972 (Type GB).
• 30 per cent less embodied CO₂
• Same strength and se ing as GP Cement
• Improved workability and durability
• Fully compliant with AS3972 (Type GB)
• Independently verified via the EPD register
That means its entire environmental impact — across manufacturing, transport, usage, and more — has been independently verified.
If you’re on a job that requires environmental declarations or just want to do your bit, this product’s got the paperwork to back it up.
“Anytime you can get the same results while helping the environment, the team really gets behind it,” Ryan said.
“It adds that bit more satisfaction to jobs — doing every bit you can.”
Tradies who have used Low Carbon Cement have loved its workability
Low Carbon Cement is readily available at many Mitre 10 and other independent stores across Australia
ARE MAKING THE SWITCH
More and more, builders and tradies are looking for ways to cut down their footprint without slowing down on the tools.
Ryan gets his Low Carbon Cement from Bayswater Timber Mitre 10 in Melbourne’s east.
Manager Rob Vanderkolk said now that the store’s
stocking it regularly among other cement products, he’s eager to see how popular it’ll become for tradies.
“Like any new product, it takes time to catch on,” he said
“With performance and price similar to other cements, plus the environmental features, there’s no adverse reason why you wouldn’t use it.”
Low Carbon Cement is an easy switch that doesn’t change how you work.
You don’t have to mix it differently, and you don’t have to baby it along.
It just works like any good cement should.
Plus, it’s easy to get your hands on it, with stores like Mitre 10 and Home Hardware stocking it.
Just ask your local supplier and they’ll sort you out.
If you’re ready to make the switch without making a difference to how you work — and just as tough as what you’re used to — give Cement Australia’s Low Carbon Cement a go.
Head over to cementaustralia.com.au for more info and check out the next page to see Low Carbon Cement in action!
HBT is Australia’s largest buying group of independent stores within the Hardware, Building Supplies, Industrial, Paint, Rural, Garden and Timber categories.
We give local businesses the power to stay competitive –negotiating better deals, securing access to major suppliers, and supporting the kind of service you can’t find in a warehouse.
We know tradies rely on the local community, just like us.
When you shop at a HBT store, you’re not just backing a local – you’re tapping into the power of hundreds of independents who have joined forces to beat the big boys on price, range and service.
We’re not owned by a corporate. We’re backed by something stronger: each other.
MATTHEW MCLEAN
and his team at AJ Guest Concreting know a thing or two about cement.
Ma hew himself has been in the industry for decades, taking over AJ Guest Concreting from his father about 10 years ago.
“The business itself has been around since about ’93,” he said.
“Just a good ol’ family business mate.”
Ma hew and his fourman team are based in the Mornington Peninsula, but like any good tradie, they go where the work is.
Just like AJ Guest Concreting are the experts at their work,
Cement Australia is at the top of the game when it comes to delivering innovative cement products.
Low Carbon Cement offers a direct, locally made alternative to GP Cement, delivering the same performance with 30 per cent less embodied carbon.
Low Carbon Cement is designed to be a direct equivalent to GP Cement
Ma hew and his team put the Low Carbon Cement to work on a site in Clyde, far east Melbourne.
“We used it more in a fi xing application — similar to a grout to hold a drain in place,” he said.
“We’d also probably use it for more high-strength tasks like bo oms of columns, but it was perfect for what we needed it for.”
Applications include mortar, render, footings; pre y much any job you’d use GP Cement for.
AJ Guest Concreting have been operating since 1993; sufficed to say they know their quality cement
AJ Guest Concreting have been using Cement Australia products since day one; Ma hew said the Australian brand is trusted by him and customers alike.
“We use Cement Australia products every day,” he said.
“Whether it’s readymixed or mixing the bags ourselves — we use a lot of their high-strength and rapid set products.
“Cement Australia has been the mainstay in terms of cement in Australia, that’s for sure.”
By choosing Low Carbon Cement, tradies can play a crucial role in building a more sustainable future without compromising on quality or performance.
Built to withstand Australia’s diverse climate, the Rinnai Enviroflo GR Series heat pump range uses high quality components and the latest technology to ensure reliable and efficient performance, every time.
Renowned Quality
Built tough for Aussie conditions, backed by Rinnai’s hot water expertise.
Wide Capacity Range
Available in 215L, 280L & 300L to suit diverse site requirements.
Wi-Fi Control
Set temperature and timers remotely via a Wi-Fi controlled app.
Wide Ambient Temperature Range
Operates in temperatures between -7°C to 45°C for installation Australia wide.
Quiet Operations
Runs at a low 46dB(A).
PV Compatible
Can be networked into a solar PV system for more cost-efficient water heating.
IF YOU’RE TIRED of installing timber decks that crack, warp, and need constant upkeep, it might be time to check out what Trex has been cooking up.
The inventor and leading global brand of composite decking is giving tradies and their homeowner customers a smarter, tougher, and greener alternative to traditional timber — so it’s no surprise that Trex has taken over job sites across Australia.
Tristan Smith from Nail It Constructions, for example, knows his stuff when it comes to composite decking.
His team – based in Sydney’s Northern Beaches – specialises in composite decking and has come to love Trex’s offerings in the category.
“We’ve probably done over 100 decks with Trex,” Tristan said.
“We’ve used a lot of decking materials on the market, and we know what’s quality and what’s not.
“We know Trex composite decking is reliable and something we’re happy to use for our customers.”
For more than 30 years, Trex has led the charge in timber-alternative decking.
Its boards are built to last, resisting scratches, stains, mould, and fading — no sanding, staining or oiling needed. Just give it a quick wash and you’re good as gold.
“The market has seen a massive shift in the last fi ve years in terms of going from timber decks to
composite,” Tristan added. “The low maintenance is a massive appeal; they’re also quicker to install from our point of view.”
Sustainability-wise, Trex decking is made from up to 95 per cent recycled materials, including plastic film and reclaimed timber scrap. That’s nearly a half a billion kilos of waste kept out of landfill every year.
Even be er — not a single tree has ever been felled to make a Trex board.
YOU SORTED
Trex’s latest line — Transcend® Lineage™ — is a game-changer. It looks like real timber (without the hassle), comes in a range of modern colours, and features heat-mitigating tech to help keep the deck
surface cooler* than ever before — perfect for the Aussie summer scorch.
Plus, it’s all backed by a solid 50-year warranty.
That’s the kind of peace of mind tradies and their clients will love — and a deck you won’t have to worry about being called back to fi x.
“The best thing about Trex is that they honour their warranties,” James Agnew from James Agnew Constructions said.
“That’s massive … when I say that to customers, they’re much more eager to jump on Trex because there’s so many brands out there that will do anything to get out of paying warranty. Trex won’t do that.”
So, if you’re keen to offer a premium, low-maintenance, ecofriendly deck that looks like a million bucks and performs like a beast, Trex might just be your new go-to.
Less time maintaining, more time enjoying — now that’s a win.
*Trex SunComfortable™ decking stays cooler than original Trex boards, but like all decking, it will get hot in direct sun, especially darker colors. Care should be taken to avoid extended contact between exposed skin and the deck surface, especially with young children and those with special needs.
YOUR BUSINESS
THE SAYING ‘time is money’ is thrown around a lot, but it very much rings true for tradies.
You may associate Kennards Hire with equipment hire, but its service offering is so much more.
Kennards Hire’s Trade Easy is designed to make your job easier, with a range of benefi ts that cater specifically to your needs, which means tradies are ge ing a level of service not seen among other hire businesses.
Just ask Kennards Hire’s VIC North Area Manager
Sco Rimmer, who’s been in the industry for 17 years.
“The biggest benefi t of Trade Easy is time, not only for customers but our team as well,” he said.
“Customers can be in-and-out of the branch within minutes. Back over a decade ago, when I was just starting, we could be out in the yard for up to 10 minutes.
“Or they can drop off their equipment at a closer branch to the jobsite, so they can spend more time on the job and not watching the clock.”
ON-HAND AND READY TO GO
So, how does Kennards Hire Trade Easy service benefi ts help trim down time?
For tradies needing something asap, Express Load and Go is a lifesaver. Tradies can call their local Kennards Hire ahead of their equipment run, and their equipment will be checked, clean and pre-loaded for when they arrive.
“We’re frictionless to deal with; we’ve identified one of their daily frustrations and
removed it. They’re in and out in minutes with the equipment they need and heading to their next job. No more waiting around,” Sco said.
Convenient Drop Off also offers flexible drop-off s within 50km of the branch you picked up from, and a single point of contact to organise all your equipment needs across multiple locations. This means you can focus on your work, knowing that Kennards Hire has your back.
Kennards Hire’s Craigieburn Branch opened earlier in 2025, and Sco ’s seen a lot of tradies in the area working on new home builds.
Sco ’s territory includes this brand new Kennards Hire site in Craigieburn, to Melbourne’s north. The suburb is one of many rapidly growing, particularly in new residential builds
And for a rapidly growing area like Craigieburn, these tradies are needing convenience and flexibility which the team is seeing reflected in branch. Trade Easy is all about making the hard days just a li le easier for tradies. Needing to return something outside of regular business hours? That’s no stress with After Hours Access.
Available at select branches; this feature allows customers to drop
off their equipment after hours, whenever it suits their workload, with a preprovided pin.
“There’s been a great response from customers – they love it,” Sco added.
“We know tradies are the backbone of every build — early starts, tough
Sco [left] has worked for Kennards Hire since he was 18, and loves the bevy of offerings that come with the new Trade Easy service
conditions, and a thousand moving parts. What they don’t need is to waste time chasing gear or rushing a job just to drop off equipment before closing.” Not only are returns possible round the clock, but so is Immediate Response, which provides 24/7 support for when things don’t go as planned. This ensures that no ma er what stage of equipment hiring you’re at, Kennards Hire is with you every step of the way.
Check it out! Check it out!
Head over to kennards.com.au or call 135 135 for more info.
We look after you; from answering the phone to doing your individual tax return; BAS and TPARS where you operate as a sole trader, company or trust. We engage and advise you on your tax position in a timely manner. We have your back! Your problem is our problem.
We prepare your tax return as your trusted advisers with the same care as we prepare our own tax returns. We perform a ‘tax analysis’ to see where you have been; where you are now and where you want to be in the future.
We offer a number of services, visit our website or reach out to learn more.
Call Michael and Ross at Tax for Tradies now to find out how they can help you.
1300 263 260 michael@taxfortradies.com.au taxfortradies.com.au
TRADIES LIKE having everything easily accessible, whether it’s tools, materials or even subbies.
When it comes to having insurance, why should it be any different?
Managing policies separately is like building a home without a foundation — it’s bound to become a mess.
That’s where a Business Insurance Pack could come in handy.
A Business Insurance Pack* can provide cover for your business
premises and contents, against loss, damage or theft, as well as protection from financial loss caused by interruptions to the business (such as fire, storm, theft, accidental damage, and more). It’s a convenient way for small businesses to manage multiple risks in one affordable bundle.
Tradies and sole traders can pick and choose from over a dozen cover options to tailor a pack to their needs, including:
• Portable Equipment insurance to protect
your tools and stock from theft, fire and other listed events.
• Contents insurance to cover stock and business contents against fire and other perils.
• Theft covers you against loss of contents and stock as a result of theft or a empted theft involving forcible or violent entry to your business premises.
• Building insurance covers buildings you own from events like fire, storm, and wind damage. Whether you’re
just starting out or are well-established, understanding your cover needs is essential — and BizCover makes it easier than ever.
Here are three reasons to go BizCover for your Business Insurance Pack:
1. Fast and easy With BizCover, comparing policies and buying cover online takes just minutes — instant cover, no paperwork, no hassle.
2. Save money
Comparing and reviewing your insurance could uncover be ervalue policies. The money you save can go back into your business or towards your next holiday.
3. Get rewarded BizCover customers
Check it out Check it out
Whether it’s tools, paperwork or even apprentices, the last thing tradies need is to have them sca ered and disorganised
can earn Qantas Points† on new policies, thanks to their partnership with Qantas Business Rewards. That’s one step closer to your next flight, upgrade, or reward.
Trusted by over 270,000 small businessesincluding more than 58,000 tradies - BizCover lets you compare multiple free quotes from a great range of trusted leading insurers, buy online or over the phone, and get covered instantly.
MIND YOUR BUSINESS
Converge Expo exhibitor Asset Vision sits down with Tradie to discuss how the company is diversifying its offerings to cater for growing and emerging markets, as well as what a endees at the conference can expect.
FOUNDED IN 2011, Asset Vision’s determination to develop a solution that could help identify issues earlier, respond faster and stay on top of compliance led it to work hand in hand with on-site road inspection crews.
The organisation and its platform have achieved monumental growth in the past 14 years. Damian Smith, Co-Founder and Co-CEO of Asset Vision, says that from small beginnings, the company has grown and expanded across multiple facets of the transport sector and beyond.
“We started with quite a narrow scope in terms of what our software needed to do and who it needed to do it for,” he says. “At the time, that was road maintainers and road
asset owners. Naturally, the functionality of the platform evolved over time.”
Whether it’s work management, AI based defect detection, tracking asset inspections, capital work planning or asset valuations, Asset Vision’s platform offers a mobile, map-based interface, as well as the ability to manage different types of assets across sectors.
“Asset Vision is a really good way to get all your work into one platform. It doesn’t ma er if it’s maintenance work or capital improvement work, your teams can just load it all in, visualise it, and then see about ge ing that work undertaken and delivered, and where there
might be overlaps,” Smith says.
Asset Vision is broadening its horizons to amplify and optimise what its platform has to offer. It’s one of the many reasons why the company is exhibiting at the brand new Converge Expo.
To be held on September 17-18, at the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre, Converge is Australia’s only one-stopshop for Sub-Contractors, Project Engineers, Council Fleet Managers, Large-Scale Construction Contractors and more across the municipal works, civil construction and infrastructure spaces.
A particular area of interest for Asset Vision is Converge’s commitment to
A endees of Converge Expo can expect to learn more about current and upcoming asset management technologies
“Within the past couple of years, we’ve really doubled down on making sure that what we offer is a complete solution for local government. We’ve invested heavily in research and development, hired new people, and more to make sure we’ve got a fully rounded solution,” he says.
showcasing the very latest and best of the municipal works sector.
From technology, through to road maintenance, and largerscale trade equipment, Converge’s dedicated municipality area will act as a one-stop-shop for council fleet managers and sub-contractors to see the latest tools on offer, with a special focus on zeroemission technology.
Chris Wignall, Head of Sales – Asset Vision, says the company is continuing to make waves in the municipality sector, with the company clearly identifying the space as a growth area.
“Many councils have ended up with three or four software subscriptions to do different jobs. Now they can look at Asset Vision and go ‘actually, we only need one solution, and the cost of that is less than the others’.”
Across transport, utilities, municipal works and construction, Asset Vision has developed a platform that’s designed to allow both the asset owner and the contractor to collaborate on the same platform. All of this has been achieved by what is a local business, focused on working with local companies to best understand what’s required for Australian applications.
Come and see what Asset Vision has to offer at the 2025 Converge Expo. For more information on the highly anticipated show, visit: convergeexpo.com.au/a endee-enquiries/
HBT – What it means to go independent
TRADIES ARE ALWAYS being tempted by big box tool/supply retailers for their accessibility, simplicity and pricing.
However, the same things can be said for going independent, with the added knowledge that your money is going right back into your community.
That’s the reputation HBT National Buying Group has built since 1997.
You mightn’t know it, but HBT spans across Australia with 950 members, spanning 1,196 stores and 500 suppliers.
Wherever tradies see the HBT logo, they’re supporting the nation’s largest independent buying group.
When HBT CEO Greg Benstead joined the company in 2018, he learnt that unlike most businesses’ brands, HBT wasn’t about sales figures and profi t margins.
“They [the founders] told me ‘that’s not what we’re about, Greg’ we’re about is ge ing a be er deal for our members, because if they do be er, we do be er automatically.”
How then, does HBT grow by 40-50 stores per year?
Greg said this growth has been mostly organic via word-of-mouth
through independent hardware stores and their appreciation of how HBT does business.
“We focus on ensuring member businesses are selling more supplies to help them more effi ciently and assist them in finding the best Suppliers,” Greg added.
“Our members continue to buy products independently — they can choose who they use — the supplier reports to us the volume going through the group and pays us a small admin fee.
“Our members get 100 per cent of the rebates that HBT has negotiated, and that allows stores to sell very competitively.”
One common perception of big box retailers is that they offer more competitive prices on tools, supplies, and materials.
Greg said not only can tradies get a be er deal by going to an independent, but they will also receive be er service and a wider range.
“The tradie needs to know that an independent – if they’re with HBT – are able to deliver a great price because they are part of a national group,” he said.
HBT independent hardware stores — like Mt Alexander Hardware — build strong relationships with their local tradies and communities
“The suppliers make sure the pricing we get is competitive.
“We often ask our members to do a comp check on the big guys – and often our pricing is even cheaper.”
Not only does going with HBT help customers’ bo om lines, it also feeds back into supporting local.
“Most tradies are doing local business in their communities,” Greg said.
“They’re building houses nearby, they’re fi xing peoples’ plumbing –they’re doing what tradies do.
“Why not also support the local hardware store, because the money that goes through their stores stays in the community.
“It’s not going to corporate shareholders, which probably ends up overseas.”
BUILT NATIONALLY, BACKED LOCALLY
HBT is more than just a sign at your local independent.
It’s an indication that the hardware store is backed locally to provide tradies with fair dinkum service and competitive pricing that can mix it with the big box retailers.
RECORD CROWDS have witnessed the best young trade skills do ba le in Brisbane as the national competition wrapped up in July.
The 2025 WorldSkills Australia National Championships & Skills Show has awarded the nation’s best young apprentices, trainees and students with more than 35,000 visitors in a endance and 600 competitors participating in 60 skill categories.
These included carpentry, cabinetmaking, welding, plumbing and heating, bricklaying and electrical installation.
The 2025 event was a high-energy celebration of vocational excellence — shining a national spotlight on the vital role trades and skills play in Australia’s economic future.
RAISING THE PROFILE
WorldSkills Australia CEO Trevor Schwenke thanked the partners including the Queensland Government, TAFE Queensland in raising he profile of vocational education nationally.
“This has been one of the biggest and best National Championships
in our history — and a true celebration of what’s possible when young people, educators, government, and industry come together to back skills,” he said.
“Brisbane was an incredible host and it was fantastic to walk the floor and witness the outstanding level of competition, as the nation’s best young skills talent gave it their all. Their passion was inspiring and I’m sure many visitors are now considering where a vocational career could take them.”
Minister for Finance, Trade, Employment and Training Hon. Ross Bates was also celebrating its success.
“I thank all whose collective effort ensured the tremendous success of this event- further elevating the status of training and skills nationwide,” Bates said.
“I congratulate our latest medallists and all competitors who gave up their free time to hone their skills, and who put themselves forward to compete at the highest level, on the country’s biggest skills stage.
BLUES WIN THIS ROUND
New South Wales was crowned the overall winner, topping the medal tally with outstanding results across multiple categories. Competitors who excelled in WorldSkills-recognised international categories may now have the opporunity to join
Team Australia (“The Skillaroos”), representing the nation at the 48th WorldSkills International Competition in Shanghai, 2026.
ADELAIDE EARMARKED FOR 2027
The City of Churches has already been secured as the host for the 2027
About 600 competitors tested their me le in high-pressure performance environments
WorldSkills Australia National Championships and Skills Show.
South Australia’s Education, Training and Skills Minister Hon. Blair Boyer said he had seen the International WorldSkills competition first-hand in 2024 which opened his eyes to just how significant this event is.
“These young people may not have had the chance to ever travel before and being part of a team, that recognises and values the work they do, is a fantastic opportunity,” he added.
“Hosting the 2027 WorldSkills National Championships and Skills Show is a huge vote of confidence in South Australia’s training sector.”
Lachlan
TRADIES, LISTEN up!
Cordless metal cu ing is no longer a pipedream thanks to Bosch’s GCD 18V-355 Professional Cold Cut Saw.
If you’re working on foundations, steel structures, concrete,
electrical gear, metal fabrication, or plumbing/ HVAC, this cordless cold cut saw is an absolute must-have in your kit.
GAME CHANGER
The GCD 18V-355 the first ever cordless 18V
cold cut saw. With a massive 355mm blade and powered by just one 18V ba ery.
That means no cords holding you back, so you can cut metal anywhere on site, no dramas. It’s deadset easy to
use thanks to the laser line that shows exactly where you’re cu ing — no guesswork.
Plus, the adjustable fence lets you lock your workpiece in place fast and tight, without any fiddling around with keys or screws.
The brushless motor’s powerful as — giving you cordless punch like a 2000W corded cold cut.
It cuts metal cold, quick, and clean, with minimal sparks, so you don’t have to spend time cleaning up or deburring.
HERE’S THE KICKER
This saw has an overload indicator that tells you if
Accuracy and ease-of-use are at the heart of what this saw is all about, with plenty of features that make it an absolute legend on-site
The GCD 18V-355 has a cu ing capacity of 127x194mm, making it more than capable for many metal cu ing applications
you’re pushing too hard, helping protect your ba ery and blade so they last longer — saving you money and hassle down the track.
With big cu ing capacities — up to 127mm vertical and 194mm horizontal — it handles thick pipes, profiles, and all sorts of metal like a champ.
You can also chuck it onto any Bosch GTA mitre saw stand with an adapter, so it fi ts right into your existing setup.
Whether you’re cu ing pipe, metal framing, electrical conduits, or HVAC ducts, the GCD 18V355 is built to make your life easier and your work faster. No cords, no mess, just straight-up power and precision where you need it most.
IF YOU HAVEN’T HEARD of Senix yet tradies, now’s the time to check them out.
Looking for tools that can mix it with the top-tier brands quality-wise, while also not burning a hole in your wallet? Get a load of Senix.
WHAT IS SENIX?
“Premium performance at excellent value” — that’s how Senix Australia Vice
President Tim Paton described it.
“Although Senix offers a price that is excellent value, our tools spec right up into heavy trade.”
Senix might have only recently touched down in Australia, but the brand is no stranger to impacting the global trade landscape offering solutions across both Power Tools and OPE through their X2 18V, 2X2
36V, X6 60V, Petrol and Corded ranges in the US and in Europe for years.
Tim said the brand was excited to provide a new option to the unique Aussie tradie market.
“I think the Australian market and consumers have always been very savvy in terms of being able to look at the brand, look at specs, look at the price, and weigh those three things up and make it a fairly considered decision when they make their purchase,” he explained.
Senix has a massive range of 18V power tools as part of its X2 range that’ll pique any tradie’s interest.
Tradies like Paul Swann; a carpenter working for Done Right based in Melbourne’s east.
From bathroom renos to maintenance and warranty work, his work takes him to all kinds of jobs.
Paul had a chance to put a few Senix tools through their paces and loves what he’s seen so far.
“Senix is ahead of the game in that aspect,” he said.
“They’re giving the tools to tradies to try them, give them a good run, and give Senix the feedback on what they need to improve to eventually come into the market with a great tool.”
Drivers, saws, drills — you name it, Senix will have it as it deploys its range Down Under.
A chippy with 14 years under his belt; Paul’s been around the block a few times with plenty of Australia’s favourite tools brands.
He said the Senix products he’s used have been equal to, or in some cases, be er than the other brands.
“We wanted to make sure that tradies are ge ing a product that is fi t for purpose and will outperform some of the bigger boys in the market,” Tim added.
“Now we may not have the width of range of some of those brands, but we’ve always maintained our strong focus is on ensuring have that core foundation of tools that every tradie needs, day in day out, with top end-specs at a great price.”
“We do this core as well as anyone in both Power Tools and OPE.”
SAVE THAT DOSH
As Tim mentioned, the quality of Senix’s tools doesn’t come at a high price point at the checkout.
Despite their comparison to other well-known quality brands, going with Senix can save hundreds for tradies.
“For tradies, that’s something we really look at,” Paul said.
“You don’t want to go for the cheapest option on the market because it’s not going to hold up.
“But Senix is worth it, and sometimes it’s half the price of the other brands.
“If you can save money and get a be er tool, it’s almost a no-brainer isn’t it?”
If you’re a tradie keen to give a new brand a go that’ll save you cash without compromising quality, check out Senix Tools as it expands its footprint in Australia.
STIHL HAS once again redefined professional cu ing performance with the launch of its two most powerful cut-off saws to date: the TS 710i and the TS 910i.
These machines aren’t just upgrades — they’re industry-leading innovations.
The TS 710i is STIHL’s most powerful 14” cut-off saw, while the TS 910i proudly claims the title of the world’s most powerful cut-off saw.
Built for professionals in construction, civil engineering, and
landscaping, these tools deliver unmatched power, reliability, and ease of use.
Both models feature STIHL’s cu ing-edge fuel injection technology, which enables the easiest starting experience ever in a cut-off saw.
With just two simple steps, users can get to work quickly — no more complicated procedures or frustrating pull starts.
The STIHL ElastoStart system, combined with a decompression valve and wear-resistant starter
cord, ensures a smooth, jerk-free start every time.
The TS 910i is designed for cu ing depths up to 145mm, making it ideal for demanding applications such as roadworks and heavy-duty construction. Despite its immense power, the saw remains compact and ergonomic.
The anti-vibration system significantly reduces strain on the user’s muscles and joints, allowing for longer, more precise operation with less fatigue.
Durability and serviceability are key strengths of both models.
The long-life air filter system extends maintenance intervals, keeping the saw running longer between cleanings.
The semi-automatic belt tensioning system simplifies maintenance and extends the life of
The TS 710i and the TS 910i embody STIHL’s most powerful cut-off saws to-date
Both TS 710i and TS 910i Cut-Off Saws can be outfi ed with STIHL’s diamond cu ing wheels, which offer an awesome upgrade in performance, durability and noise reduction
Whether you’re cu ing concrete, asphalt, or stone, STIHL’s diamond wheels deliver consistent, clean results without compromising on costeffi ciency.
the belt and bearings.
For those integrating digital workflows, the TS 910i is compatible with the STIHL Smart Connector, offering real-time data tracking and proactive maintenance planning.
Both saws come standard with high-quality abrasive wheels, but STIHL’s range of diamond cu ing wheels offers a compelling upgrade.
Engineered for global market-leading performance, these wheels combine low noise, high durability, and aff ordability.
In a market where performance, reliability, and value ma er more than ever, the TS 710i and TS 910i stand out as the ultimate tools for professionals who demand the best. With their unmatched power, intuitive starting, and long-lasting components, these saws are more than just tools — they’re investments in productivity.
Innovative tech like the STIHL ElastoStart help make starting up either saw smooth and seamless
* Although Trex Transcend Lineage is designed to be cooler than most other composite decking products of a similar color, on a hot sunny day, it will get hot. On hot days, care should be taken to avoid extended contact between exposed skin and the deck surface, especially with young children and those with special needs.
THERE’S YOUR average trade show, then there’s Carpentry Expo – the first event purely dedicated to hardcore Aussie chippies.
Hi ing the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre on September 17–18, the expo will ignite the floor alongside No-Dig Down Under and the Converge Expo, transforming the venue into the ultimate powerhouse gathering for construction and infrastructure professionals across Australia.
Co-hosted by Prime Creative Media and Carpentry Australia, the event also has valued support from The Tradie magazine.
“From the beginning, our goal was to create a platform that brings together the best of the carpentry industry. We’ve worked hard to ensure that Carpentry Expo is a true cornerstone for the industry’s future.” Said show director Siobhan Rocks.
“It’s designed to offer real value to everyone in the trade, from business owners to apprentices, and we’re excited to see how it will shape the future of carpentry in Australia.”
WHY COME TO CARPENTRY EXPO?
Carpentry Australia’s Operations Supervisor Ma y Spencer previously said “the energy around
the Carpentry Expo is really taking off ”.
“It’s been amazing to see so many of our major sponsors jumping on board,” he added.
“We’re just ge ing started, and we’re commi ed to building this into the industry’s leading event, now and well into the future.”
Hear from the experts: Engage with some of the carpentry industries leading experts, as well as Richmond legend Alex Rance and Essendon icon Kevin Sheedy
Time on the tools: Check out some of the latest tools from the likes of Ramset, Senco and more!
Educational Workshops: Offer hands-on sessions tailored to all skill levels, covering essential topics
like precision measuring, advanced joinery techniques, and innovative materials.
AS THE official partner of the inaugural Carpentry Expo, the Carpentry Australia team will be front and centre at the event this September.
As the national industry association dedicated to supporting carpenters across the country, Carpentry Australia is commi ed to strengthening the trade through advocacy, training, and community.
Their team will be on-site throughout the event – ready to connect with tradies, apprentices, employers and industry leaders. Whether you’re looking to learn more about membership, upskilling opportunities, or the future of carpentry
A qualified carpenter and passionate industry advocate, Jake founded Carpentry Australia to give the trade a stronger voice. With over 20 years in the industry, he’s leading the charge for be er support, recognition, and development for all carpenters. Hear Jake speak about the future of the trade and why it’s time to back yourself and build your career with confidence.
Nathan is driving national programs and strategic partnerships that are changing the game for carpenters. Focused on real-world tools and longterm support, he’ll share insight into how Carpentry Australia is growing opportunities across education, industry and business.
in Australia, the Carpentry Australia stand is a must-visit. Don’t miss your chance to hear directly from the leaders behind
Carpentry Australia, the national association championing the trade and supporting carpenters at every stage of their career.
to the worksite, Alex Rance has believed in the power of connections.
The 35-year-old Richmond legend will be taking the stage at Carpentry Expo, not as a Tiges tackling machine, but as Head of Strategic Partnerships at Loop Logics.
“Loved professional sport, but it was really important for me to identify the things I was good at over just running fast and lifting heavy,” Rance said.
“I realised a strength of mine was connecting people.
“Connecting with other people, seeing how we can help and there’s a mutually beneficial partnership there able to be made.”
Loop Logics is a software
company keenly locked into helping construction companies streamline management.
Rance’s brother-in-law helped bring him aboard Loop Logics, where he was able to help bring his fl avour of expertise to the company.
“It’s been really exciting, we’ve got trades in every single state,” Rance said.
“At the moment we cover the insurance building space, the make-safe space and facilities maintenance — lot of the high volume type work.
“For example, when the cyclones came through, our projects could manage 20,000 jobs in one month on Loop(logics), effi ciently and compliantly.
“That’s the main thing … for everyone to be able to work smarter and faster,
but also more compliantly and make sure that nothing’s lost in between the cracks.”
Gold Coast based; Rance’s pursuits in professional development haven’t completely left the oval, with the full-back also working with the Suns, among other companies, through leadership consulting.
Rance said being able to speak at Carpentry Expo provided him a chance to get face-to-face with an industry that has
“The thing I love most about these big expos is we actually get real feedback,” Rance said.
“’Hey, I’ve used your software before’ or ‘hey, have you thought about this?’”
“It’s almost like a massive think tank of how we can help people more.
“How can we get feedback of what they’re loving and how we can improve on it?
“So anytime we can get exposed at events like
Carpentry Expo, we always love coming along and also learning what else is happening in the industry.”
Come along to the main stage at Carpentry Expo to hear Alex Rance discuss Tech Solutions for Tradies.
carpentryexpo.com.au
Time Session About
DAY 1
10:00am Doors open
10:15am Welcome Address Carpentry Australia’s Jake McArthur and Kevin Sheedy
11:00am Tech Solutions for Tradies Featuring Alex Rance
11:45am Break
12:00pm Carpentry Australia panel
1:00pm Lunch
1:30pm Grants, Tax Breaks and Financial Aid for Tradies
2:00pm Asset Finance
2:15pm Helping Hands
2:45pm Building your work Pipeline
3:30pm Networking session presented by Milwaukee Tools
DAY 2
10:00am Mental Health in trades
How do you go from being on the tools to running a business?
What’s available and how to access funding and support for your carpentry business
What’s available and how to access funding and support for your carpentry business
About the Helping Hands initiative
How to build a reliable pipeline of jobs and materials
Understanding the pressures of running a small business and how to access mental health support
10:45am Redefining Success in Carpentry Presented by Carpentry Australia’s Jake McArthur
11:30am Apprenticeships, Educations and Skills Gaps
Training options to future-proof your business: licensing, safety, sustainability, and supervision
12:15pm Women in Carpentry and Inclusive Workplaces Fostering inclusive job sites and a racting a broader talent pool to combat labour shortages
1:30pm Lunch
2:30pm Contracts
3:00pm Bendigo Bank
4:15pm Closing Remarks & Conference Summary
Providing advice on contract risk positions in the construction space.
Step-by-step guide to se ing up legally, finding clients, and growing sustainably
IF YOU’RE LIKE most tradies running a crew, you’ve probably wondered if your labour rates are actually covering the cost of the job, let alone turning a profi t.
It’s not just about paying wages.
Between super, workers comp, downtime, tax, and admin overheads, the real cost of labour adds up fast.
If you’re charging labour
rates plus a mark-up thinking you’re making bank, you might be breaking even at best. We’ve seen it time and time again: good operators underquoting and wondering why they aren’t making a good profi t on a job.
That’s why the team at NextMinute has put together a free Labour Charge-Out Rate
Calculator to help Aussie tradies work out the right hourly rates to keep their business healthy and profi table. They’ve also put together a short webinar breaking it all down — what to include in your charge-out rate, the difference between markup and margin, and why quoting by the day (not the hour) could save your backside more than once.
This isn’t just for new businesses - even experienced builders are blown away by how much they’ve been missing.
‘The world that we live in’ and we are only ‘human’
‘THE KILLERS’ summed it up pre y well — ‘The world that tradies live in’ requires them to keep receipts and not just bank statements.
The substantiation provisions of Division 900 of the Income Tax Assessment Act 1997 require that certain wri en evidence be maintained in respect of work expenses, car expenses and business travel expenses. This evidence needs to be kept for fi ve years from the due date for lodgement of the tax return in which the deduction is claimed.
by Michael Gallagher TAX TIME FOR
If the return is lodged after the due date, the fi ve years start from this later date.
Tradies are only ‘human’ and after a hard day’s work on the tools they can shove receipts into glove or shoe boxes.
There are electronic apps that can assist tradies – e.g. Xero’s Hubdoc where tradies can snap a picture of a receipt which is sent to an email address accessible by their tax adviser.
The picture becomes a becomes an audit proof document.
It is no good earning big bucks if the tax man gets most of it.
Tradies should only pay the fair tax that they are legally liable to pay …and no more.
The logbook method rather than the ‘cents per kilometre’ method is generally the be er option to maximise claims for
motor vehicle expenses.
A motor vehicle is classified as a road vehicle that carries a load of less than one tonne and less than 9 passengers.
There are electronic apps available that can make the process easier.
The ATO is strict on the completeness of the logbook – odometer readings, reason for and kilometres travelled for the trip etc.
It needs to be retained for at least 12 consecutive weeks meticulously in the tax year. The 12-week period can cross over two financial years, provided the period is representative of your travel throughout the year.
This means if you start
your logbook late in May or early June, you can continue to record information into July through to September to cover the 12 weeks required.
Each logbook you keep is valid for fi ve years, but you may start a new logbook at any time.
If you establish your business-use percentage using a logbook from an earlier year, you must keep that logbook and maintain odometer readings in the following years.
However, ALL road vehicles whether classified as motor vehicles or not should retain a logbook.
As a tax auditor said once ‘how else can you substantiate work related use if you do not keep a logbook?’ This advice applies to vehicles owned by Companies and Trusts as well as sole traders and employees.
WRITING OFF ASSETS IMMEDIATELY-
< $20,000 COST
Employee tradie – can claim depreciation only of each asset used for work related purposes where it costs => $300. This is 15% in year of purchase and 30% subsequently. Assets costing <$300 can be wri en off immediately. Self -employed tradie and assets owned by companies and trading trusts– can claim full cost immediately of each asset in relation to its business use.
BECOME A PROPERTY MOGUL SET UP YOUR OWN SUPER FUND (SMSF )
Consider se ing up your own Self-Managed Superannuation Fund (SMSF) to buy property. Assets within a super fund including SMSFs are protected from creditors. At retirement, there is no capital gains tax payable on the sale of properties within the SMSF where the SMSF is in pension phase. In any case the tax is only 10 per cent on the capital gain if sold before retirement provided it is held for 12 months.
Based at University Hill in Bundoora to Melbourne’s north, Michael works along with his elite team –Operations Manager Ross Walker and Administration Manager Melissa Wright.
DAHLSENS IS no ordinary building supplies group.
As an Australian, familyowned business with a 147 year-old legacy – it’s been a name the trade can count on for great service, support and competitive pricing on materials and prefab truss and frame.
In today’s high-pressure building game, a strong partnership with your materials supplier is crucial to success, and Dahlsens has a proven track record of being irreplaceable to tradies and builders.
RELATIONSHIPS AND RELIABILITY
According to Christian Romano in Sydney, Estimating and Procurement Manager at Fowler Homes – builders of over 100 homes a year – good relationships and
reliability are key. “We want to know everything is readily available and delivered on time. We work closely with our account and branch managers, Moe, Shane and Paul, and all the Dahlsens teams throughout Sydney and the Central Coast - Smithfield, Macarthur, Smeaton Grange, Rydalmere, Kirrawee and Wyong to name a few. They all have our back and keep supply running smoothly.”
“Being on budget and also having the material that we need delivered to our sites on time is essential. That’s how we successfully build the homes that we so proudly boast about.”
“For us, a big thing is cost control. We want a supplier that is not constantly increasing pricing.” In addition, “it helps when there’s a huge range of products that are stocked and we know that if we need something for a certain site, that we can always get it with Dahlsens.”
GOT YOUR BACK
CDK Building has benefi ted from having a dedicated and passionate local Dahlsens Account Manager, Ron. As an ex-builder himself, Ron, backed by the teams at Dahlsens trade stores and truss and frame plants in East Gippsland, does much more than take orders. He sources new products, helps plan the delivery schedule, shares new innovations, hooks customers up with experts and generally
provides the all-essential peace of mind. In short, he is focused on helping customers deliver great projects on time and on budget with the least amount of headaches.
Founded by brothers Chris and David Knowles, CDK Building has a strong focus on bushfire-resistant homes — a mission born from personal experience.
“We started the business in the Yarra Valley after the bushfires back in 2009,” Chris said. “We found these builds were also required throughout eastern Victoria and expanded to the Bairnsdale area in 2022.
“We were in Bairnsdale visiting family and saw the devastation to the community. We thought we could help, and so, we brought our business to the area,” he said.
Relocating meant starting fresh, and Dahlsens played a key role in helping CDK se le in. “My network down here was obviously quite
narrow... I’ve got to say that Dahlsens has helped with 80 per cent of my networking.
“I’ve got a really good account manager, Ron, who has taken me to events and introduced me to the different trades.”
Like Dahlsens, CDK is a proud family business.
“You’re never going to trust anyone more than your brother... If anything goes wrong or gets financially tough... we support each other. It’s a perk of running a family business,” Chris said.
TIME-SAVING QUALITY
Dahlsens doesn’t just look after its customers with top notch service, it also keeps them equipped with some of the best supplies — everything from foundation, to framing, to lockup, to fi t out.
When it comes to framing, if you’re a
chippy who values time, safety, and a clean install, Dahlsens roof trusses and wall frames come standard with Pryda’s SpeedTruss™ and FastFix™ Internal Wall Screw (IWS). This is leading tech that makes your life easier.
SpeedTruss™ is a readyto-go roof truss system with pre-installed screws – a total game changer.
It’s designed to be fi xed from below the top
plate using a step ladder, meaning less time working at heights and no more mucking around with temporary bracing or multi-grips.
On-site, it’s so easy — simply stand the truss, drive the screw, and the trusses are tied down. With big time and money savings and full compliance backed by a Producer Statement, it’s the smart choice for busy crews.
According to chippie and framer Jesse, Director of Mirabuild Solutions, “it’s the best truss system available on the market. It’s a lot quicker for us to do our hardware. We save probably 4 to 5 hours on every frame we do.”
The new FastFix™ IWS is Pryda’s answer to the often-misused L Bracket. It provides strong lateral support between truss bo om chords and internal wall frames — and won’t transfer roof load to the wall. Chippies love it, certifiers do too.
A placement guide ensures perfect vertical alignment every time, while the knurled,
headless shank prevents overdriving and allows for vertical movement.
Even be er, it installs from below with only one screw instead of the fi ve nails required by an L Bracket.
ALL BASES COVERED
Whether it’s a reliable supplier partner, or quality building supplies on a 30 day trade account, Dahlsens knows what builders need to get the job done. Tradies and builders valuing grassroots support from people who get the day-to-day can’t do much be er than partnering with Dahlsens.
RAMSET™’S TrakFast™ 65 is a concrete cordless nailer unlike any other.
The latest tool from Ramset’s arsenal delivers versatility, power and design unlike any other cordless gas-powered concrete nailer available to tradies.
We caught up with Ramset’s Product Manager Simon Babcock to outline the three major things tradies love about the TrakFast™ 65.
CAPACITY THAT KEEPS YOU ROLLING
Versatility is a major factor for tradies when it comes to picking tools.
The last thing they need is to be hauling multiple tools to every job when one can do it all.
“This is probably one-oftwo concrete nailers that can go from 15mm pins right up to 65mm,” Simon said.
“That’s one of the biggest drawcards for the tool.
“The versatility of what it can do across a jobsite — it cuts across not only commercial applications like metal track installation or partition installers, right across to your residential framers where they’re pinning down bond plates.”
What does that mean in practical terms?
Whether you’re shooting into concrete, brick, or hollow blocks, this tool delivers consistent,
powerful shots every time.
Combine that with a ba ery that can deliver up to 10,000 shots on a single charge, and you’re looking at near non-stop productivity for an entire day’s work. For tradies, this is a massive win.
Minimal interruptions for gas cartridge swaps or scrambling to find spare ba eries leaves just steady, reliable power from start to finish.
The Tradie tested the tool with carpenter Nathan ‘Nath’ Dowell earlier this year, and he loved just how much he could accomplish on-site with just one tool.
“No need to go get
Tradie Nath loved using the TrakFast 65 on a residential framing job he was on in Melbourne
PA charges, no more reloading all the time, away you go,” he said.
“It leaves my old tool in the dust.”
This tool is built to keep you moving, whether you’re pinning timber to concrete or fi xing steel c-channels.
POWER THAT PACKS A PUNCH
If you’re a tradie who’s spent hours wrestling
with nailers that just can’t quite deliver the oomph, Ramset’s TrakFast™ 65 is about to become your new best mate on site.
This tool pushes out a whopping 105 joules of impact power — that’s serious muscle for a cordless, gas-powered nailer.
“That’s a bit more power than the ba ery players out there,” Simon said.
“That’s the most powerful concrete nailer there is.”
For those working on track and partitioning jobs or framing tasks — like securing bo om plates to concrete slabs — this kind of power makes a real diff erence.
You won’t be wrestling with pins that bounce out or having to go back and hit the same spot twice.
job quicker and your work neater.
“You can tell this is the most powerful nailer of its kind on the market right now,” Nath said.
“I was really impressed … I can’t fault this at all, it handled everything I threw at it.”
It’s clear Ramset has designed this tool with the tough conditions tradies face in mind, especially when the worksite demands reliability and no-nonsense performance.
Hard work is part of the tradie life, but sore hands and fatigue don’t have to be.
Ramset’s nailed the ergonomics on the TrakFast™ 65 to make those long shifts more bearable.
balanced, which means it feels natural in your hand and doesn’t weigh you down after hours on the tools.
“If you compare it apples for apples on paper, it’d probably be the same weight as ba erypowered nailers out there,” Simon said.
“But when you actually have the tool in-hand, the balance is second-tonone.”
“Weight is one thing, but balance in-hand is another. If you’ve experienced holding a ba ery tool compared to one of these off -the-bat, you’d notice the difference straight away.”
Recoil and vibration have been dramatically reduced, which is a gamechanger for anyone who’s used nailers that beat up your wrists.
keeping the tool steady and perfectly parallel to the work surface so your pins go in straight every time without any guesswork. Then there’s the Start & Go technology — this clever bit isolates the ba ery when the tool’s off, so it saves power and extends ba ery life.
It’s li le details like this that add up to a tool that’s not only powerful and reliable but smart enough to keep working as hard as you do. Finally, safety is front and centre with the TrakFast™ 65.
Unlike some other nailers that need extra safety steps for storage
and transport, this one can be stored securely without fuss, giving you peace of mind on and off the site. On top of that, the tool’s design helps minimise dust and eliminates the need for pre-drilling, so you spend less time cleaning up or worrying about dust exposure. Cleaner shots, fewer delays — it all adds up to more effi cient workdays.
DON’T MISS OUT
If you’re after a tool that combines serious power, all-day capacity, and userfriendly design, Ramset’s TrakFast™ 65 is definitely worth a look.
Instead, the TrakFast™ 65 powers through like it’s nothing, making your Come along to Carpentry Expo for your chance to win a Ramset TrakFast™ 65 or Ramset FrameBoss™ XPM Check it out!
It’s lightweight and well-
well
The removable support leg is a smart feature too,
48 Tools is an Australian-owned company specialising in premium battery and tool storage solutions designed for trade professionals and serious DIYers. Known for our injection-moulded battery holders, tool holders, and charger mounts, our products are built to withstand harsh job site conditions while keeping your gear organised and accessible. Compatible with major power tool brands like DeWalt, Makita, Milwaukee, and Hilti, our holders can be mounted in vehicles, workshops, or anywhere you need fast, reliable access to your tools. Trusted by tradies across Australia, New Zealand, North America, and Europe, 48 Tools products are engineered for toughness, convenience, and longevity. Visit us at stand D07 to see our range in person and find out how 48 Tools can help you work smarter.
Backed by Bendigo Bank, the Community Bank East Ivanhoe is your one-stop shop for all of your finance and banking needs. Our team of experienced lenders and business bankers can provide you with personalized service, ensuring you get the right advice and the best possible rates for your circumstances. Our team are mobile, so we can visit you at a time and place that works for you – at home, a café, work or the job site!
We are proud supporters of Carpentry Australia and their members, sponsoring mental health events, apprentice celebrations, golf days and helping-hand events. Our “profit-for-purpose” model means that unlike other banks, our profits are returned to the community that has generated them. Drop in and see Branch Manager Jon Hyatt at Carpentry Expo and see how we can support you and your business moving forward. Jon can also be reached on 0468 709 968.
Chisholm Institute is a leading provider of vocational training and higher education in Melbourne’s southeast. We proudly serve the diverse communities of this region from our seven campuses in Berwick, Cranbourne, Dandenong, Frankston, Rosebud, Springvale, and Wonthaggi. Our aim is to equip students with the skills and knowledge they need for real jobs in thriving industries. We offer a diverse range of industryrecognised training programs, with many available online, in the workplace, or even overseas.
We know that the small moments of impact are just as important as the life-changing ones. With this mindset, we transform lives through relevant, responsive, and high-quality education.
Through strong industry partnerships, we facilitate real-world experience and project collaborations. We believe in equal access to education and provide comprehensive support services to ensure all learners thrive.
Airco Brands brings together some of the toughest names in the game –Airco, Titan, SENCO, Otter, Colt, and Cobra. We’re 100% Aussie-owned and have been backing tradies for three generations.
From building sites to workshops, farms to factories – we’ve been supplying top-notch tools and fasteners to the people who keep things moving across construction, manufacturing, retail, and rural industries.
We’ve earned our stripes as one of the biggest and most trusted fastener companies across Australia and New Zealand. How? By never cutting corners. We lead the way in quality control, we’re always looking for smarter, stronger designs, and we keep our focus on what tradies actually need – gear that works as hard as you do.
Carpentry Australia is the leading national industry association dedicated exclusively to carpenters across Australia. It connects over 10,000 members, from apprentices and teachers to contractors and business owners, throughout every state and territory.
Carpentry Australia supports the trade across three key pillars: community collaboration, career development, and industry advocacy.
Its membership programs, many of which are free or heavily subsidised for apprentices, provide access to job leads, tools, mentoring, licensing support, and training in areas like sustainable methods and safety compliance .
Through initiatives like Helping Hand Days, women-in-trades programs, and advocacy with government bodies, Carpentry Australia is shaping policy, driving diversity, and uplifting standards in Australia’s construction sector.
Dahlsens is Australia’s largest, family-owned, trade-only independent supplier of building materials and truss & frame. At 147 years old, Dahlsens is committed to making a positive contribution to the building industry and helping builders and building trades succeed.
With 40+ trade stores, truss & frame and roofing manufacturing plants across Victoria, NSW and the ACT, Dahlsens is known for expertise, personalised service and reliable, quality supply on renovation, new build, multi-residential, and commercial projects.
Foundation to fit out: From timber and hardware to cladding and insulation, to doors, decking and much more, get what you need with competitive pricing. Prefabricated truss and frame: As a Pryda fabricator, Dahlsens manufactures quality trusses & frames that save time and money.
Hamer Asset Finance is an award-winning asset finance brokerage based in Melbourne. Founded in 2018 by Director Will Hamer—an ex-mechanic turned finance specialist—the firm serves clients across Australia with vehicle, equipment, machinery, and business finance solutions.
Hamer offers access to an extensive network of bank and non-bank lenders, including exclusive deals unavailable to the public. They guide clients through the entire finance journey—broker selection, application, negotiation, and settlement—while providing ongoing support tailored to long-term goals.
Specialising in challenging credit cases, construction equipment, heavy vehicles, and earthmoving machinery, Hamer simplifies complex lending, ensuring fast, transparent, and effective service.
With a client-first ethos, deep industry knowledge, and award-winning broker expertise, Hamer Asset Finance empowers construction professionals to build and grow with confidence.
Holmesglen’s courses in Melbourne cover essential skills such as using carpentry tools and equipment, reading and interpreting plans, installing flooring systems, constructing wall frames, erecting roof trusses, and applying workplace health and safety practices.
You will also learn about sustainable construction techniques, basic levelling procedures, and how to carry out measurements and calculations. Graduates of our TAFE carpentry courses can pursue various roles, including carpenter (residential or commercial), formwork carpenter, and construction worker.
ITW Construction Asia Pacific is a leading family of industry-leading brands dedicated to innovative fastening solutions across the residential, commercial, and off-site construction sectors. With a strong presence throughout the Asia Pacific region—including Australia, New Zealand, Southeast Asia, China, and Hong Kong—our organisation drives efficiency, safety, and quality with world-class products.
Backed by the global strength of ITW, we deliver engineered systems for wood, steel, concrete, and engineered timber. Key offerings span cordless nailers (Paslode), concrete and steel fastening systems (SPIT), timber connectors (Cullen, Gang-Nail), and high-performance concrete reinforcement solutions (Danley).
We complement our hardware with software tools for structural design and off-site coordination, supporting contractors through increased productivity, compliance, and safety standards.
The HazardCo system will help you to manage health and safety in the simplest way possible, so you’ll feel confident you are keeping your team and your business safe. The system is used by more than 10,000 businesses across Australia and New Zealand and is designed especially for home builders. The system comes with all the reports and template you need, loaded up with advice provided by experts.
At Intergrain, we love doing things right. Building things that last. Doing the best we can possibly do. We understand that timber isn’t just a building material, that’s why we’re dedicated to crafting premium timber finishes that stand up to the demands of Tradies, Architects, and Trade Painters across Australia.
Trusted by professionals in both the commercial and residential sectors, Intergrain has become synonymous with reliability and high performance coatings. Architects and builders alike turn to us for solutions that bring their designs to life, elevating the natural beauty of timber while ensuring longevity and resilience.
NextMinute is job management software made for Aussie carpenters who are ready to ditch the paperwork and get their business running smoother. With NextMinute, you can quote jobs, schedule work, track timesheets, send invoices, and see live actuals vs estimates by job or stage — all in one place. You’ll have full visibility over every job, from first quote to final invoice, and the back-costing and reporting to know where you’re making (or losing) money.
It’s easy to use, works on any device, and your whole crew will pick it up without a fuss. Whether you’re on-site or in the ute, you’ve got everything you need at your fingertips. NextMinute also syncs two ways with Xero and MYOB, so your accounts stay up to date without the double handling. Come see us at Carpentry Expo 2025 for a live demo and a proper look at how carpenters across Australia are using NextMinute to save time, stay organised, and get paid faster.
For over 80 years, Paslode and professional tradespeople have been working side by side. Builders and carpenters have come to rely on Paslode’s performance-proven, high-quality fastening solutions to deliver the best possible results.
Together we have delivered worksite efficiency, satisfaction and business results for customers across residential construction sectors. Paslode fastening solutions are lightweight, easy to use, and have an everyday dependability that only comes from decades of experience.
Pryda is Australia’s leading supplier of design software, equipment, engineering and product solutions to the frame and truss industry. Our innovative approach to making timber construction safer, faster and smarter has resulted in solutions which are loved and demanded by carpenters countrywide. If you haven’t heard of SpeedTruss, Internal Wall Screws and our other FastFix solutions - all innovations that save you time, reduce costs and improve results - visit us on stand B39 to find out more about Pryda and how together with Dahlsens we help make your build easier.
STABILA is a trusted name in measuring tools, known for Germanengineered precision, durability, and innovation. For over 135 years, STABILA has been the go-to brand for professional builders, carpenters, and tradies worldwide who demand accuracy they can rely on, day in and day out. From robust spirit levels and laser systems to reliable measuring tapes and rules, every STABILA tool is built to perform under tough site conditions.
At STABILA Australia, we’re proud to support the carpentry community with high-quality tools designed to make your job easier and more efficient. Whether you’re framing, fitting out, or setting levels on-site, our tools are built to deliver fast, reliable results. Drop by our stand to get hands-on with our latest products and see what makes STABILA the benchmark in measurement.
Tax for Tradies advises Tradies on record keeping, bookkeeping, budgeting, software training, taxation, and tax planning needs. We educate our apprentice clients early on of the importance of record keeping and keeping their tax obligations in check.
We use digital apps to assist tradies with retention of their receipts and maintenance of logbooks for their work vehicles. These apps are invaluable in verifying expenditure for tax purposes.
Upon request, we establish superannuation fund structures for the purchase of property. These properties include factories which are often rented by the tradies’ businesses.
We assist apprentices, employees, self-employed and tradies operating through Company and Trust structures and we advise on the appropriate trading structures.
From making moves on the racetrack, to making moves in tradie diversity, Jason Bright and Taskforce Australia stand ahead of the pack when it comes to the evolving industry
JASON started Taskforce Australia in 2014 while still driving for Brad Jones Racing in the Supercars.
A qualified fi er and turner himself – Jason recognised a gap between connecting tradies with the likes of jobs and materials.
“At the time, there weren’t really any franchises out there that were helping them group together deals and things like that,” he said.
“It evolved very quickly … we had a lot of groups coming to us looking for national coverage in plumbers, electricians and other tradespeople.
“We connect these companies with our network of tradies, and we use them as contractors and it’s up to us to keep them busy with work.
“At the core, we’re a trade service group.”
INSIDE LANE
Taskforce Australia has certainly taken off since then, with about 5,500 tradies nationwide in the network.
Works performed cover a number of tasks from smoke alarm/electrical/ gas safety checks and other rental property compliance to warranty fulfilment, installations and other maintenance.
“One of our strengths is that work is done on an as-needs basis,” Jason added.
“We’ve always been good at identifying tradespeople in the right area for the right job. That’s meant that we’ve ended up with tradies in all corners of Australia where a lot
of other groups don’t necessarily have them.
“Being able to fulfill warranties for ceiling, tap or air conditioning manufacturers etc nationally; if they were doing it themselves, they’d always be having to find someone new.”
“We’ve normally got someone in that area.
Across those plumbing and electrical areas, our coverage is typically really good.”
That’s not to say it’s been a smooth ride for Taskforce, which must constantly adapt to the ever-changing nature of the industry.
“We’ve seen different legislations come in place like Victoria for electrical, gas and smoke checks,” Jason said.
“We were working with
real estate agencies to try and systemise that and be able to provide another stream of jobs around the country.
“As it happened, they weren’t so keen on us so much for the maintenance side, but more so on the safety check side.
“We built a program for that and on-boarded tradespeople … and now we’ve got 30 teams on the road every day doing checks across Melbourne.”
READY TO ROLL
Jason said Taskforce Australia is always looking for more tradies, and this naturally led them to Empowered Women in Trades (EWIT) as the landscape becomes more diverse.
In 2025, Taskforce Australia offi cially became an EWIT Alliance member, commi ed to helping promote more women tradies nationwide.
“We definitely want to
have more women on the team,” he added.
Many of the property managers and renters who Taskforce work with are women and would welcome seeing a female face at their door for checks.
Taskforce has contracts with numerous social housing groups, including women’s-specific projects.
Jason said this connection with EWIT helps connect Taskforce with the tradies and wider community in a meaningful and impactful way.
“If we can use the resources that EWIT has to connect women tradies with jobs, we can take that through different channels,” he added.
Learn more about Taskforce by checking out taskforce.com.au or the EWIT Alliance by visiting ewitrades.com. If you’re interested in working with Taskforce and would like to talk to someone visit taskforce. com.au
Ba ery power continues to amaze in terms of the power it brings and longevity it delivers to tradies.
Bosch’s 18V Brushless Cut-Off Saw (GCS 18V-230) is an epic example, bringing bigtime power to large commercial builds and demo jobs
TRADIES CUTTING into metal or concrete on the big jobs need big time cu ing power and longevity.
The GCS 18V-230 delivers both in spades, as concreter Sco Macdonald found on his site at Mount Eliza to Melbourne’s South-East.
He was cu ing concrete on a large driveway at a new property, and needed a cut-off saw that could handle business.
This cut-off saw is one of the latest tools to use Bosch’s powerful 18V ba ery system.
A C1000 brushless motor ensures the GCS 18V-230 has more than enough power to saw through most concrete, metals and masonry materials with li le resistance.
For something like Sco ’s driveway – it was a piece of cake.
“The power was so good, it did exactly what I needed it to do,” he said.
One thing that caught Sco ’s a ention was the quality of cuts as well.
“We compared this with a petrol-powered cutoff saw, and this was much less aggressive on the concrete,” he said.
“That was good because the concrete we cut was still very green and hadn’t reached its MPA strength yet.
“The petrol-powered saw was flicking out plenty of stones, but when we swapped to Bosch’s GCS 18V-230, the cuts were much cleaner.”
The power was so good
I’m stoked with just how light it is
Not only are the cuts quick and clean, but Sco could also swap out the discs super fast thanks to the
Sco loved how easy it was to handle the GCS 18V-230 from an ergonomics point of view.
Not only was he a fan of the weight, but also the positioning of the disc and guard when it came to making cuts.
“I’m stoked with just how light it is,” Sco said.
“I was a big fan of having the blade on the front and the guard on top. A lot of cutoff saws will have the guard tilted on an angle, and when you try cu ing in, the guard gets in the way.
“Using the GCS 18V-230, it was all done in one clean go.”
Safety is always top-of-mind for Sco , and he appreciated the cutoff saw’s rapid brake function which almost instantly stops the blade upon releasing the trigger. He also loved the tool’s dust reduction system, which connects to a hose and helps keep the concrete/ masonry wet while cu ing.
“Obviously it helps keep things clean, including your lungs because you’re not cu ing that dust up into your face,” he said.
The work might get messy, but the ba eries won’t thanks to the sealed ba ery compartment which keeps them protected from debris, dust and moisture.
Lightweight, clean and powerful – Sco had no complaints about the GCS 18V-230.
“Concreting is a hard enough job as is and lugging around a 25kg petrol-powered saw is no good for my back, so having something nice and light is perfect for prolonged use, and a prolonged career in the trades,” he said.
“We’re here for a good time and a long time.”
CHECK IT OUT
Find out more by searching the Bosch Power Tools Finish cut-off saw online
It was all done in one clean go
out your Bosch ba eries is easy as thanks to this cutoff saw’s spring assisted ba ery removal system
cleanly
The Low Rider ST has been one The Tradie’s favourite Harleys since we first rode one back in 2022. The bike has had some development since then, but our thoughts on it haven’t changed: it’s a pearler. If we died and went to Heaven, this is the bike we’d expect to find waiting for us there
IN 2022 we said of the Low Rider ST: ‘Harley has done an absolutely superb job of ge ing the heart-andsoul/tech ratio spot on with the Low Rider ST. We’re still glowing with the joy and emotion of riding a bike as good as this one’.
We feel like we can stop writing right now.
That’s exactly how we feel about the 2025 model, except it’s even be er.
Whether or not the whole Harley image appeals doesn’t ma er a damn.
If riding and bikes are your passion, the FXLRST Low Rider ST is a bike that’ll blow your hair back and cause some level of dampness in the nether regions.
If you’re big on Hartley heritage and understand V-twin cruisers and what
they’re about…well...this is a family magazine and we can’t give a graphic description of the feeling you’ll get when you ride it. All we can say is, ‘take a pocketful of tissues’.
There’s a distinctive look to a Harley, and the Low Rider ST has captured that look – and feel – as well as any bike on the road. It has the low-slung mean edge to its appearance which has been a trademark of the Milwaukee company for over a century, and which has been copied by wannabes around the world. The finish is fantastic, the motor with its air intake at the rider’s right knee is almost a signature, and the panniers, low and tight to the rear of the bike, give the unmistakable profile which, backlit by a sunrise, whispers ‘freedom’.
It’s a Harley alrighty, through and through. And it’s a damn good one.
STEPPING UP
Harley’s Milwaukee Eight 117 motor is well-proven unit these days, and we’ve loved it on several different models in the Harley range. But where the last Low Rider ST we rode didn’t have any modes –which we rated a big plus for the bike’s simplicity –the new model has three: Rain, Road and Sport. As good as the 117 motor is, the addition of the modes has lifted it in a big way.
The 114-horsepower donk has all the glorious understated grumble which is so awesomely fantastic with Harleys, but where the action used to be in the upper midrange on the tacho, a touch of the
bu on now seems to let this motor rev to heights which we wouldn’t have believed possible if we hadn’t experienced it.
And as our eyes started watering with the acceleration, and our eyebrows rose further and further into our helmets as the revs continued to climb, we were ecstatic to find the handling and suspension answered the call of the motor.
The ‘sport’ part of the ‘sports tourer’ designation is totally justified on the Low Rider ST.
It’s stable in corners, it lunges forward with a will when the thro le’s cracked open, and the brakes offer sensational feel as both front and rear keep the hurtling 320-odd kilos of distancedestroying elegance well under control.
Seriously, this is a beautifully designed and well-thought-out motorcycle by anyone’s standards.
We were a li le surprised
The ‘sport’ part of the ‘sports tourer’ designation is totally justified on the Low Rider ST
to see the redline intervention was set at 5900rpm, but for a big V-twin, that’s actually right up there, and it proved it was obviously a good benchmark to curb overenthusiastic journos with unrealistic notions of their own ability.
The other modes we felt were entirely sensible. Rain mode tamed everything down and, having been in the Sport mode, we rode along sulking with our bo om lips sticking out when we tried it. It’d be ideal on wet tarmac. Road was great for everyday commuting and touring, and in our opinion, offered really strong performance.
We honestly wondered whether most riders would have much use for the sparkling rort of Sport mode, but every time we rode the bike we went for
Sport as soon as we left the city limits.
It’s just so frigging good!
WHAT’S
Aside from the modes, the upgrades for the Low Rider ST, listed as ‘new’ by Harley, include:
• Milwaukee-Eight 117 HO powertrain
• Suspension recalibrated to optimise rider comfort.
• All-LED lighting
• Chrome or black trim
• Single exhaust
• Rider safety enhancements
• Ride modes (Road, Rain, Sport)
• Hand controls and adjustable brake lever
• Four-inch instrument display, and
It seemed to us the most important thing – how the bike felt to sit on and ride – hadn’t changed much from the last Low Rider ST we’d enjoyed, and that’s 100% positive as far as we’re concerned. The mid-positioned footpegs and controls we thought would make things a li le cramped for our 175cm rider turned out to be damn near perfectly positioned, as were the ’bars, which we were sure were too tall when we first looked at them.
In fact, we really couldn’t fault any aspect of the ergos and comfort on this bike – and that’s for sightseeing or going the rat chasing a mate on a 900 Triumph through
Harley’s promotional material says: ‘The HarleyDavidson Low Rider ST model is a weekend escape machine, an American V-Twin sport-touring bike for the rider who digs clean-and-lean West Coast club-style, craves outrageous performance and is ready to cross a few state lines.’
As far as we’re concerned, it delivers all of that and more. It’s a heartthumping, groin-pumping,
leg-humping winner and we’re locked-on fans. There’s an Aladdin’s Cave of genuine Harley accessories available to make it into whatever anyone wants it to be, and the performance and comfort will make pre y much any goal achievable.
It has the low-slung mean edge to its appearance which has been a trademark of the Milwaukee company for over a century
It’s everything a V-twin sports cruiser should be.
TRADIES, IF YOU’RE on the hunt for a work van that works as hard as you do, Renault Trafic should be at the top of your list. It has been a solid favourite for over a decade — and in 2025, it’s be er than ever.
ALL THE ESSENTIALS
Let’s start with what ma ers most for tradies: space.
Renault Trafic boasts the longest load length in its class — up to a whopping 4.15 metres.
That means more room for ladders, piping, tools, and anything else you may need.
With short or long wheelbase options and up to 6.7m³ of cargo space, there’s no need to leave anything behind.
At just 1.97 metres
tall, Trafic slides easily into most underground carparks and tight city spots.
Don’t just take our word for it, tradies everywhere have been singing Trafic’s praises.
“All our Trafics are fully fi ed out with shelves and drawers to take a day’s work with us,”
Airconditioning and Electrical Services’ Bre Wright said.
“They’re fully loaded and drive really well despite carrying heavy loads.
“There’s also room to spare no ma er what, which is great.”
With up to 16 anchoring points and a 12V power socket in the back, it’s built to secure your gear and keep your tools charged and ready.
Step inside, and you’re not just ge ing a van — you’re ge ing a mobile offi ce.
The updated cabin is sleek and practical, with clever seating that flips into a desk so you can bash out a few emails or sort invoices between jobs.
It’s tradie life made simple. Tech-wise, you’re all sorted.
The 8-inch touchscreen comes with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, Bluetooth, USB ports and DAB+ — keeping you connected while you’re on the go. And when it comes to safety, Renault hasn’t cut corners.
You get plenty of gold rated safety features including driver a ention and drowsiness alert, adaptive cruise control,
Bre from Airconditioning and Electrical Service is one of many tradie business owners who loves the amount of space
lane-departure warning, and Active Emergency Braking System with cyclist and pedestrian detection.
Under the bonnet, the 2.0L turbo diesel engine packs plenty of punch, and with fuel consumption as low as 6.5L/100km in the EDC automatic, you’re not blowing your bo om line at the bowser.
“I’ve been driving Renault since day-dot,” VDA Electrical’s Peter Van Den Akker said.
“From my point of view, you want a work van that causes you no grief.
“Running cost and effi ciency is a big thing and if Renault stays on top of that … that’s go a be the main thing for tradespeople when it comes to choosing vans.”
An 80L fuel tank and long service intervals mean fewer stops and more time on the tools.
Reliable, roomy, and surprisingly refined, it’s no wonder more Aussie tradies are jumping into this van. Whether you’re on the tools all day or running between job sites, Renault Trafic has your back.
AMID A dire skills shortage across Australia, the likes of Truck Assist are chipping in to help develop a strong future of skilled tradespeople.
Truck Assist – and parent company NTI – have been active for 50 years, but its involvement in the trades spans beyond providing insurance and roadside assistance.
Truck Assist has also played a major role in promoting and celebrating apprentices in trades such as heavy vehicle mechanics, boilermaking, welding and auto electrical.
NTI National Development Manager Craig Carmody said that a number of years ago NTI noticed the generational challenges Australia faces in terms of shoring up a strong skills pipeline.
“The truck industry is a lot more reliant on the trade industry than many may realise,” he said.
Despite this, Craig said Truck Assist was proud to be part of the solution in a number of ways.
“What we do from a Truck Assist point of view and our National Repairer Network is encourage apprenticeships,” he said.
“To be one of our Premium or local repairers, you have to embrace a strategy that supports tradespeople coming through.”
A former tradie himself; Craig knows the importance of ensuring the tradespeople of today are thinking about the future of the industry.
“How do we encourage the generation that have been skilled tradespeople to share their knowledge and teach?” he said.
BEST OF THE BEST Showcasing the accomplishments of apprentices in the industry is one area Truck Assist has been a strong advocate in for many years.
The Heavy Vehicle Industry Australia’s (HVIA) National Awards - which include the Apprentice of the Year - have been supported by Truck Assist since the ceremony’s inception in 2008.
The awards annually celebrate apprentices and businesses across many heavy mechanical trades.
“The transport industry gets a beat up of not being a sophisticated sector, when – as a whole – it’s a highly skilled and highly motivated industry with a career path which can take you any which way,”
HVIA Skills, Training and Workforce Development National Manager Michael Rose said.
“It’s a very skilled sector,
and I don’t think that’s sung from the rafters enough.”
The awards have expanded over time to encompass many trades in the heavy mechanics sector, including boilermakers and auto electricians.
“I’ve been fortunate to be on the judging panel across the last 10 years,” Craig added.
“Looking at the skillset of technicians coming through has been fantastic.
“They’re motivated young people, many doing multi-disciplined trades … and they’re equipped for the new generation of alternative fuel vehicles such as EVs and hybrids.”
One such example is 2024 Apprentice Trailer & Body Builder of the Year Samantha Hall.
Samantha received her award in front of peers and industry at the HVIA Gala 2024, and was invited
on stage and interviewed at the 2025 Truck Show activation The Depot, with her biggest fan – her daughter - watching on in the crowd.
Michael said special moments such as this highlighted the significance of the awards and their impact on the wider industry.
Not only apprentices, but the businesses that support them are also recognised at the awards.
“It’s been great to see employers who encourage and endorse their young tradespeople as well,”
Craig said.
“It’s a credit to them because it is a cost to the business to bring these people on, and to also put them out there to be recognised at the awards.
“Following that, however, they become an ambassador for the industry, so there’s a lot of reward and recognition as an employer for them and the industry.”
YAMAHA IS KNOWN for its two wheeled dirt weapons – the four wheelers, not so much. This may change following the recent Yamaha SSV (Side by Side Vehicle) Experience in Lithgow, NSW.
The event hosted Australian Yamaha staff and dealers at a private property who were invited to test the entire range of off -road four-wheelers.
Around 120 lucky drivers and passengers had the opportunity to drive the 12-model lineup back-toback on three courses set up specifically to showcase the features and benefi ts of these super capable dirt buggies.
Test driving Yamaha’s range of capable and comfortable off-road four-wheelers
“This is the first time we’ve ever made our entire range available for testing and the reason we did is to show how each unit’s capability and comfort increases as you move through the lineup,” YMA
Land Mobility Marketing Manager Sean Goldhawk explained. “And the best way – maybe the only way - to do this is to offer the opportunity to jump
straight out of one model and into another.”
Three trails were set up with increasing levels of technical diffi culty allowing drivers from beginner to expert to test all the SSVs in a safe but fun environment. The models fall into three categories - Viking, Wolverine and RMAX. The Vikings are the workhorses of the range and are the most popular in Australia -
mostly bought by farmers as utility vehicles. Each is powered by a single cylinder high torque 649cc single cylinder engine and they come in a three-seater and six-seat people mover version. The larger Vikings are ideal for ge ing a crew of six around a property where a 4WD dare not go. To demonstrate typical use, a Viking 3 on test was set up with GreenPRO spraying
From rock crawls to bog holes, Yamaha’s advanced drive systems, FOX suspension, and Maxxis Carnivore tyres proved they’re built for the toughest terrain — and them some
equipment in the tray.
The Wolverine range offers more performance and capability with an 847cc parallel twin engine and longer travel suspension – with both two and four set versions popular among farmers and large property owners who need to access all areas. At the top of the range sits the RMAX which has a 999cc twin cylinder engine, with
sport-focused adjustable suspension, bigger wheels, more aggressive tyres and is aimed at recreational drivers.
Yamaha staff from across Australia and New Zealand were first to test the range and while the speeds were kept low due to the technical nature of the trails, there were plenty of smiles as many were driving off road for the first time. “We like to invite as many staff as possible to sample Yamaha products,” Goldhawk said.
“For us, it’s not just about selling these models, but sharing the experience that they offer.
“So when we talk about our range, we do it with the sort of knowledge that can only be gained by experience.
“And this let’s us share some Yamaha Kando* too,” he adds.
For those who had not driven an SSV before, the ability to descend steep terrain without using brakes was an eye opener.
“Each Yamaha utility SSV is fi ed with our
Ultramatic drive system that allows all wheel engine braking when descending,” Goldhawk added.
“On a steep, muddy hill, braking can quite often lock up the wheels and you can actually speed up and lose control — which is not ideal.
“Our Ultramatic drive system allow our SSVs to descend slowly with no braking and with the driver in full control of the vehicle.”
The appearance of four new models to the lineup added to the excitement at the two-day Yamaha SSV Experience.
Many of the 70 Yamaha dealers who a ended had driven a Yamaha SSV but only two dealers had driven the entire range — and no-one had ever seen all models in one location at the same time.
The new Wolverine X2 1000 R-SPEC that offers a
first step onto the 1000cc twin cylinder platform is a compact and easy to drive vehicle — a value packed proposition that can easily be upgraded with features after purchase.
The RMAX2 1000 Sport is another new SSV that comes with additional drive features such as Turf Mode that unlocks the rear diff and preserves delicate lawn areas, switchable Electric Power Steering
and creature comforts such as an Adventure Pro Navigation system and premium MTX sound system.
The two other new models are RMAX2 and RMAX4 1000 XT-R — a pair of top-of-the-range two- and four-seater 999cc twins that offer a first class car-type driving experience. The RMAX family advanced drive features and switchable
EPS join adjustable Fox suspension that soak up the harshest trails.
The XT-R package includes a trick paint scheme, big Maxxis Carnivore tyres running on 14in aluminium beadlock rims and colour matched full comfort seats. Add
Back-to-back testing is the best way to experience the different SSVs
a heavy-duty winch and you are all set for a day of adventure tackling tough terrain.
“The off -road ability of all the units on test was impressive, but none more so than the RMAX range,” Goldhawk added.
“The long travel suspension soaks up
bumps and offers a premium ride experience.
“The RMAX4 1000 XT-R has space to carry four in comfort plus a tilt tray that adds versatility.”
In addition to hill climbs and descents, there were plenty of rocks to navigate and the odd bog hole, so many of the features such as the steel underbody skidplates, the hi/lo range, the switchable On Command 2WD/4WD and Diff Lock drive system and
Electric Power Steering – three mode switchable on the RMAXs – could be tested.
Course signage do ed around each course helped drives decide which mode to use to tackle various trail features.
Many of the more inexperienced drivers could not believe the ability of these rugged SSVs to climb super steep and rocky terrain.
Several asked organisers if it was safe and if the units would tip over because the angles of approach are so much more severe than in a 4WD.
The answer is yes, these vehicles are safe, but only when following safety protocol and only when wearing a helmet and seatbelt – both of which are non-negotiable items.
No-one rolled or crashed a unit during the event, but
Equipped with Yamaha’s Ultimate drive system, these SSVs handle sloppy terrain with ease — no braking required, just confidenceinspiring control on even the muddiest slopes
if one were to roll over, a seatbelt helps keep you inside the vehicle and a helmet prevents injury against the roll cage.
So while a belt and helmet seem like overkill, both are 100 per cent mandatory.
After a fun day tackling the trails, Yamaha staff headed off for a dinner with their Yamaha dealer partners followed by a sneak peak of the allnew 70th Anniversary 2026 YZ450F and the screening of the last game in the State of Origin NRL series. Some were happier about the result than others.
But they all loved Yamaha’s capable and comfortable SSV range.
WHEN IT COMES to hand protection, Ninja is a trusted name known for its commitment to
quality products and technological innovation.
With a diverse range of general-purpose gloves,
Ninja offers tradies across a plethora of industries reliable and versatile hand protection.
Part of the reason for Ninja’s popularity is largely due to the gloves being manufactured from the latest innovative materials, including lightweight breathable liners which make them feel like a second skin.
Other factors include advanced nitrile and premium foam coatings which are especially breathable, abrasion resistant, and wick away
Among their bevy of safety features, Ninja Maxim Cool gloves are touch screen friendly which means no need to take them off to check your phone Advanced nitrile and premium foam coatings help make Ninja gloves breathable and perfect for those longer, warmer days
moisture to provide an excellent grip.
One such glove is the Ninja Maxim Cool which features a breathable, seamless knit shell that promotes 360-degree airflow, keeping both the front and back of the hand cool and comfortable.
The new technology micro-foam nitrile coating of the Maxim Cool not only provides superior abrasion resistance and grip performance, but also provides excellent tactile sensitivity for those jobs requiring more precision handling.
All of the above features, coupled with touch screen compatibility, make the Ninja Maxim Cool gloves ideal for handling rough materials as well as finer objects that require the wearer to feel and manipulate objects with more accuracy.
Other Ninja gloves in their General-Purpose range include the Ninja Evolution, for jobs requiring gloves that are very low shedding, Ninja Grip X — which provides supreme grip in wet, dry, and oily conditions as well vibration absorption and the Ninja Dex-Tec gloves — ideally suited to contamination sensitive environments which also require excellent grip performance.
There is usually a subtle difference between those who have been brought up fishing and those who take the pastime up sometime later in life. Chances are, if you grew up fishing from a young tacker then bait was involved.
As you got older this became fresher and possibly even live bait. But somewhere in that journey, bait was placed on a hook!
Normally, when we think about bread-n-bu er fishing, we are referring to the type kids might grow up doing to gain a fuller understanding of the pursuit.
But it’s not just kids and in no sense is bread-n-bu er fishing just about bait.
For the purposes of this article, let’s consider bread and bu er fishing to be any activity on the water designed to procure a feed of common, reliable seafood for the family.
Let’s throw crabbing, prawning and trapping in for good measure.
For me as a kid it was pumping yabbies (pink nippers), digging pippies and catching sand worms on a wide open beach.
It’s funny how some of your earliest fishing memories still burn the brightest. As soon as dad could pass on the bait gathering tactics, he did. Which for me left a bossy older brother to traipse after, ready at his beck and call! If you’re fishing obsessed there is clear motivation to get amongst these bait gathering activities.
So many of the keenest fishers I’ve met grew up as kids using bait. It might have been dragging a bait net, throwing a cast net, dropping bait jigs, squid jigs or any method under
the sun to catch bait. And in many instances the bait itself is worthy of being eaten fresh. Australia in many aspects really is the lucky country. What we think of as fish bait would be readily eaten in many more populous countries. As most of us would care to admit, we’ve all had to buy bait from time to time, be it a bag of pilchards or a bag of prawns or squid.
Thoughts that go through the mind of a bait fisherman contain real calculations behind turning food into fish! So it always hurts to start forking out more money before a fish has been landed.
Lets take a quick look at what makes the best baits. Fresh is best, always. Something that is either alive or that has been kept as close to resembling something live will usually work best. Take the humble garden worm, those slimy li le wrigglers that might have caught fish in the creek as a kid. Keeping them fresh, cool and alive in the soil they were found in will go a long way to enticing that catfish, yellow belly or rainbow trout living in your local stream. Beachworms and bloodworms can be kept alive for days if placed in a cool spot, covered in the damp sand they love so much.
A castnet or bait net (always check local restrictions) are responsible for many types of live and dead bait used by fishers around the country. The humble poddy mullet, sardines, hardy-heads, silver biddies, li le whiting and a myriad of prawn species are just some of the targets. It can be tiresome, dirty work and keeping the bait alive equally as daunting, but oh so worthwhile.
In some areas, fishers are allowed to use opera house pots and small mesh traps to catch bait. Most of these small fish, yappies and prawn species will be a racted to scent and something as simple as bread, flesh or cat biscuits are usually enough to a ract your quarry. These traps can prove troubling to species like turtles which become tangled or trapped and drown. Enclosed pots are being phased out in many areas. Try to check them regularly and ensure they are not lost, as ghost traps keep catching and killing.
Out in the deep blue, game fishers will often be found at the ‘bait grounds’ dropping down tiny jigs to bring up yakkas, slimy mackerel, herring, sardines and all manner of small fish that can be used live to a ract larger predators. Others such as pilchards, garfish, mullet, pike and wolf herring are often rigged dead but swimming in a natural fashion.
Most of our bread and bu er species are abundant and relatively easy to catch. Besides the myriad of inland creeks, rivers, lakes, lagoons and swamps our quarry are also found in estuaries, shallow bays, beaches, sand flats and nearshore reefs.
Most of the fishing we are talking about is land based and needs only transport and a sense of adventure to get amongst. But for the more adventurous, we might also be talking about kayaks and canoes being used to access waterways or shallow reefs, gu ers and rubble patches close to the shore.
Man made structures provide masses of fishing opportunities around the Australian coastline. Je ies, docks, weirs and rock walls are some of the more obvious structures, but fishing boats, mooring boys, floats and all manner of objects tend to a ract fish. Contrary to what many believe, fishing can actually be surprisingly good in many of Australia’s more built up areas ,where structure in the waterways and coastal environments is more prevalent.
As many a young fisho will know, an endless game of cat and mouse is possible to reach some of these human modified locations. Security, police and vigilant land owners are just some of the obstacles fisherman are willing to overcome to put a feed on the table. Hiding their pleasure at such blatant disregard for access restrictions in the excuse of sustenance.
Australia is now covered in so many more obstacles to fisherman in the form of closed and restricted fishing areas. Yet these usually have a solid foundation of
sustainability and our fisheries are healthier because of them.
The equipment used by those partaking in bread-nbu er fishing is relatively straight forward, simple to use and suitably priced. A few of the most common set ups include light threadline or spinning outfits, Alvey reels matched with slightly longer beach and bay rods and overhead (baitcast) set ups.
The choice will vary wildly based on location, weather conditions, price point and target species. Lines in most instances will be monofilament main lines with a li le stretch. This provides more flexibility with use and allows less experienced fishers to hook and land more fish. These days however, many have shifted to using braided lines, which offer no stretch and can make knot tying more complex. The huge plus comes in distance casting and a more direct feel between bait and fisher.
The tackle box of a bread-n-bu er fisher need tot be complex. A couple of spools of leader (10-20lb and 30-40lb), a variety of hooks, sinkers and swivels will normally suffice. Some extras like squid jigs, floats, flash / red tubing and metal slices might be mixed into many old tackle boxes li ering the country.
Whiting are a prolific saltwater fish captured in some form right around the Australian coastline. We have a few species including yellowfin, sand, winter and King George whiting. The largest of these, the Kind George is found mainly in Victoria, South Australia and southern Western Australia. Asides from their larger size and impressive eating qualities, they are much the same in diet and abundance as the other whiting species. Sand whiting are common right along Asutralia’s eastern coastline and Winter whiting are a smaller species caught in the larger bays and broad waters. Whiting prefer sandy bo oms, shallow tidal flats and estuarine channels. They love worms, pipis, prawns, and small yabbies. Being quite timid and curious, light rods,
long leaders, and small size 6–8 hooks improve hookup rates dramatically. Growing up, we always put either some red tubing or tiny red plastic beads on our leader to help capture that curiosity and cause a close inspection.
Bream species can be categorised as either Yellowfin of Black bream. Yellowfin bream occur along the eastern seaboard, thriving in tidal estuaries and mangrove-lined creeks. Black bream dominate southern estuaries from Tasmania across to Western Australia. There are also dusky bream which are caught in the northers creeks and bays. Another close relative the tarwhine is found mostly alongside yellowfin bream.
Bream are extremely structure-oriented. Although captures on open beaches are common enough they tend to congregate around snags, pylons, rocks, pontoons, and weed beds. Bream feed on crustaceans, molluscs and baitfish with peeled prawns and tiny crabs amongst the best bait.
Dusky flathead, sand flathead, tiger flathead and bar tailed flathead are all famous in recreational angler circles. They are reasonably prolific in easy to reach areas and can be caught on a wide variety of baits and lures. Flathead of pre y much every variety taste nice if handled with a li le care and cooked simply. Lemon, pepper, salt, bu er kinda stuff.
Dusky flathead are perhaps the most widely targeted. Found from Queensland down to Victoria they fill a wide variety of in-water niche. Their smaller cousins further south once infested the bays and banks in south eastern Australia. They are still relatively easy to catch drifting around just offshore.
Flathead are ambush feeders and will normally move into positions throughout the tidal cycle that provide most opportunities to feed. They will transition comfortably between shallow and deeper waters. Often flathead will be right at your feet when wading in shallow bays, flats, beaches and creek mouths.
Fla ies are best targeted on an incoming tide near dropoffs, drains, and current lines. Their ambush positions are usually on sandy or muddy bo oms, often half-buried waiting for prey. They will take a huge variety of baits such as pilchards, whitebait, prawns, mullet and li le whiting. A slow retrieve of your bait or lure along the bo om triggers a bite response from these ambushing terrors.
Silver trevally are a hard-fighting inshore fish common in southern bays and estuaries. Juvenile giant trevally and golden trevally are prevalent around most tropical creek mouths. Numerous other similar trevally species are found throughout a wide distribution of Australian estuaries. Hunting in packs and being hyper aggressive is in most trevally’s nature. They compete hard over food and a dead bait, live bait or lure might be eaten with equal gusto depending on the mood.
Australian herring (Tommy Ruff) are popular in South Australian and West Australian waters. They are a small yet abundant fish that can be turned into food of bait, depending on your preference. They stack up near je ies and beaches and are easily caught using burley and small hooks with bait like whitebait or worms.
Australian Salmon have both east and west coast variants that run in massive schools during winter and autumn most
years. Salmon can be found off surf beaches, rocky headlands, and occasionally estuary mouths chasing baitfish. Although a marginal table fish, salmon are great sport on light gear with strong surface strikes and powerful runs.
Tailor are another sport fish a li le similar to an Australian salmon, but a touch tastier. They roam sub-tropical beaches in central Western Australia, southern Queensland and central NSW. Aggressive just like the Aussi salmon, tailor have sharp li le teeth that are the cause of frustration for those fishing light leader for other species. And just like salmon, they will feed voraciously on dawn, dusk and sometimes into the late morning if there is a feast to be had.
Most of the fish mentioned can be caught on ultralight tackle, making them ideal for kids or finesse anglers. Burley helps hold species like herring, bream, and trevally in the area. Some simple saw dust and tuna oil might be all thats needed when fish are prolific.
Blue Swimmer Crabs are most common in sandy estuaries, shallow bays and seagrass beds around the southern states. There is a northern variety that doesn’t seem to grow quite as large.
The delicate white flesh is amongst the sweetest of all meats. Mud Crabs dominate mangrove-lined estuaries and tidal creeks from northern NSW all the way around Queensland, the NT and WA. As we all know their flesh is amongst the most prized of all, despite their relative abundance.
Blue swimmers are best targeted during warmer months and incoming tides, especially at night.
Mud crabs are most active after rain or around the new / full moon with larger tide discharges. Most crabbing is done using drop nets, crab pots, or scoop nets with baits of fish frames, mullet, or chicken carcasses as bait. A mud crab sandwich is what many bread-n-bu er fishos are after!
Southern calamari are relatively abundant around weed beds, je ies, and rocky coastlines of most of our southern coastline.
They are best targeted using artificial squid jigs in pink, orange, or natural pa erns. Arrow squid are more common in deeper waters but occasionally make their way closer inshore.
There is a smaller northern arrow squid and tiger squid that congregates enough in nigh ime deck lights and je ies to make jigging them worthwhile. A flash fried fresh tempura
squid tentacle set with a dash of salt and pepper can be memorable; crunchy, chewy goodness.
Dawn, dusk, and night are peak squid feeding periods and many je ies and boats have dedicated squid lights. Use a slow lift-and-drop retrieve with the squid jigs. The alien looking molluscs will often grab on the pause. Beware winding them in too quickly, the ink can really discolour a hull! Fresh squid is excellent bait for snapper, kingfish, mulloway and many other species.
Recreational prawning is a summer night-time activity in estuaries, especially around new moon periods. School prawns dominate east coast estuaries like some famous mid NSW coast rivers. Prawning is best done with a hand-held prawn scoop net and waterproof light or headlamp.
Castanets can be hugely productive wherever these li le crustaceans are congregated. Be sure to abide by local rules and regs regarding prawning. Prawns are delicious eating, especially quickly boiled, sautéed or flash fried and make superior bait for bream, flathead, and whiting.
Freshwater Yabbies of various types are common across inland Australia, especially in farm dams, creeks, and billabongs. Most yabbies are caught using opera house nets, drum nets, or open-top traps (many states now ban enclosed nets). Bait with meat scraps, dry dog or cat food or fish scraps. Pots are best placed near banks or vegetation, old creek beds and submerged timber.
Check nets every couple of hours; overnight soaking increases catches but might a ract freshwater turtles or crocodiles. Yabbies are active during warmer months, especially after rain and during summer breeding season. They are a bush tucker classic—boiled, grilled, or cooked on the open fire. Yabbies are also a popular live bait for Aussi natives such as Murray cod and yellowbelly.
Their saltwater counterpart the crayfish is found right around our coastline, with a cold water and warm water divide in species. The jewel in the crown of most brean-n. bu er hunters and gatherers, crayfish are delicious, amazing looking and within reach of anyone with a sense of adventure. They live in shallow waters around rock and reef structure often quite close in to shore.
Bread-and-bu er fishing is where it began for most Aussi fishers—accessible, affordable, and rewarding. It’s what gets the kids out there and sparks a passion for those whose addiction remains strong today.
Fresh squid at dusk – both bait and delicacy, often caught under je y lights with nothing more than a squid jig and patience
IN OUR 30TH anniversary year, the National Association of Women in Construction (NAWIC) remains commi ed to our mission to drive gender equity in construction through meaningful and long-term culture change.
Earlier this year, we announced the recipients of our inaugural Bright Ideas Grants, which supports initiatives that challenge the status quo and open doors for underrepresented people.
One of those recipients was Amarapave, who received $20,000 to launch their Paving Pathways program — a practical and purpose-led initiative providing paid, on the job experience to individuals often overlooked due to a lack of industry exposure or traditional qualifications.
Founded by Managing Director Jenika Stubelj
(she/her) and Field Director Ash MacMahon (they/them), Amarapave is a social enterprise paving company with a clear mission to deliver exceptional asphalt work while creating real pathways into the industry for those excluded by outdated norms.
Amarapave welcomed their first Paving Pathways participant, Tazmyn Rose, in June with support from delivery partner Downer Transport & Infrastructure. The program combines hands on work with one on one mentoring and wraparound support, recognising that technical training alone isn’t enough.
Culture, guidance, and safety ma er too.
For Ash, the motivation behind the program is both professional and deeply personal.
“Too many women in construction still hear the phrase, ‘you’ll never make it,’” they said.
“This program is about backing potential before it’s fully formed. Because when we invest in people, we don’t just change careers. We change futures.”
They’re quick to acknowledge that visibility isn’t the answer on its own.
Rather than positioning Paving Pathways as a polished solution, Amarapave see it as an evolving response to a complex problem
“Visibility without support is not progress. It’s pressure. People
are being hired into environments that were never designed to hold them, let alone grow them,” Ash said.
“You can post about a new hire, say the right things, tick a box — but if there’s no structure or culture behind it, then it’s not a real opportunity.
“We don’t pretend to have all the answers. That’s why we started this program not as a showcase, but as a question: what could it look like to build something with people, not just for them?”
It’s early days, but the team is commi ed to
NAWIC’s new Organisational Strategy
building a model that reflects what inclusion should feel like, not just what it looks like on paper.
Ash said Amarapave’s early success is a powerful reminder of what’s possible when good intentions are backed by action.
“If your business keeps losing the very people you claim to support, ask yourself what they walked into,” they said.
“The real test of culture isn’t how someone is welcomed. It’s whether they’re backed when it counts.”
their grant project up and running. Supporting and sharing innovation is an integral part of our achieving our mission at NAWIC. If we want an industry
where people of all genders, backgrounds, and abilities not only enter but stay, then programs like this are an important step towards making culture change a reality.
Congratulations to Amarapave on ge ing To learn more about NAWIC’s work or become a member, visit www.nawic.com. au or follow us @NAWICAU.
IF YOU’VE EVER wondered what empowerment looks like in real time, it’s this: eleven individuals, boots on ground, standing on the factory floor at CSR, eyes wide, soaking in the manufacturing process
behind every sheet of gyprock.
As part of the Freestyle Program in collaboration with North Melbourne Football Club, Empowered Women in Trades recently teamed up with the CSR team at their Yarraville manufacturing facility to go beyond the walls to deliver a hands-on Discovery Day that did more than just inform; it ignited something.
We’re all about breaking barriers at EWIT. Not just the physical kind, but the invisible ones — fear of not belonging, not being “trade material”, or thinking you’re too old to start.
This day sha ered all of that and that was all before lunch!
Participants toured CSR’s manufacturing facility, ge ing a rare, behind-the-scenes look at how gyprock is made, from raw materials to finished product.
Then we rolled up our sleeves and learned how to patch small holes in gyprock, giving a endees practical, transferable skills they can take with them.
But it wasn’t just about the tools. It was about connection. Through interactive sessions, participants explored real career pathways into manufacturing and construction.
Apprenticeship Support Australia unpacked entry points into trades via apprenticeships, and the team at Brick and Block Careers inspired
us with pathways in the bricklaying space. At every turn, people were met with possibility, and more importantly, with people who believed in them. As our favourite saying goes; it takes a village.
One participant said, “I would just like to congratulate you on your uplifting and enjoyable educational day. You have inspired me now more than ever to move onward and upward.” Another shared, “I learnt you’re never too old to take up an apprenticeship.”
That’s the impact we live for.
We heard repeatedly how welcomed and seen participants felt. That speaks volumes not just about EWIT’s approach, but about our incredible partners. A huge thank you to the CSR team, whose warmth, passion, and willingness to share their expertise made this day so impactful.
When industry opens its doors, magic happens. People discover new versions of themselves. They make informed career choices. They go home knowing they belong and there are a whole lot of good humans who want nothing more than to see them succeed.
That’s what empowerment really is.
This Discovery Day was more than just a programit was a reminder of what’s possible when we show up, share knowledge, and reimagine who the trades are for. And trust me, if this group is any indication, the future is bright, skilled, and powered by purpose.
IF YOU’VE SPENT any time recently inside a workshop, classroom, salon, kitchen or tech lab, you’ll know this: Australia’s future is in capable hands.
As CEO of WorldSkills Australia, I’ve had the privilege of seeing firsthand what’s possible
Trevor Schwenke CEO, WorldSkills Australia
when young people are empowered through skills — real, practical, highquality skills that don’t just build careers, but build industries, communities and innovation.
Recently, we brought together the country’s most talented young trades and technology professionals for the 2025 WorldSkills Australia National Championships & Skills Show in Brisbane.
It was a celebration of excellence, yes — but more importantly, it was a reminder of what’s possible when the right people, training and support come together.
BEYOND THE COMPETITION FLOOR
Events like these go far beyond medals and rankings. They create moments that shift perceptions.
We saw school students trying their hand at trades they’d never considered.
Parents asking questions they hadn’t thought to ask. Educators reconnecting with the ‘why’ behind their teaching.
At its heart, WorldSkills is about changing the way Australia sees vocational education. And we’re seeing progress.
More and more, we’re witnessing young
Apprentices across a
Australians choosing skilled pathways not as a fallback, but as a first choice.
THE ROAD AHEAD: SKILLAROOS AND SHANGHAI
Now, we shift our focus to the next chapter: preparing a new generation of Skillaroos to take on the world.
These outstanding individuals, selected from among the highest performers at our Nationals, will undertake intensive training with some of the country’s best industry experts.
Their technical ability is remarkable — but just as impressive is their drive, resilience, and
commitment to continuous improvement.
In 2026, they’ll travel to Shanghai for the 48th WorldSkills Competition, where they’ll represent Australia on a global stage. It’s a life-changing opportunity — for them, and for all of us who believe in the power of skills.
WHY WE NEED INDUSTRY MORE THAN EVER
To get there, we need more than talent. We need partners.
We’re calling on industry leaders, training providers, and organisations who believe in a future driven by skilled professionals. By partnering with WorldSkills Australia, you’re not only supporting a team — you’re helping shape the future of Australia’s workforce. You’re investing in innovation, resilience, and excellence.
And in return, you become part of a global movement that recognises the power of skills to change lives.
If you’re ready to be part of that movement, we’d love to hear from you.
Together, we can ensure that skills remain at the centre of our national conversation — not just during competition season, but every day.
HAVE YOUR SAY!
insolvencies are a notable threat in Australia.
In the 2023/2024 financial year, over 2,800 construction related companies became insolvent nationally. There are a number of
Jodie Rebbechi – MPAV General Manager
factors contributing to this alarming trend — the ATO ramping up its efforts to collect the billions owing to them, tight margins due to higher operating costs, payment delays and supply chain disruptions just to name a few.
Whether your a plumber, plasterer or painter protecting yourself starts with due diligence.
Before doing business with a new builder, developer or construction entity, obtain a contractor risk report. These reports give key business intelligence on prospective clients like insolvency warnings, ATO-reported tax debts, company director relationships, court actions, debt collections
and insolvency risk factors.
This kind of insight can help you avoid taking on work that ends in unpaid invoices and legal disputes.
You can also protect your business from bad debt with Trade Credit Insurance.
When businesses go under, the impact is immediate and Trade Credit Insurance can play a role in minimising the impact on your business. It replaces lost cashflow and safeguards profi ts, ensuring policyholders stay resilient. It provides Security to offer financiers, suppliers and shareholders.
And valuable information about your customers to assist ongoing credit
ACROSS AUSTRALIA , carpenters are facing the same challenges, finding consistent work, growing their businesses, staying connected, and navigating an industry that is rapidly evolving.
But what if there was a
way to tap into something bigger?
A community of carpenters and industry professionals working together to create opportunity, drive progress, and give back where it ma ers most.
That’s exactly what Carpentry Australia is building, and if you haven’t linked in yet, now is the time.
Carpentry Australia is here to support your growth on and off the tools.
We’re working every day to create real opportunities, champion your work, and strengthen the industry through programs that deliver impact in workplaces, schools, and communities.
HELPING HAND DAYS: MAKING A REAL DIFFERENCE IN SCHOOLS
One of our most rewarding initiatives this year has been Helping Hand Day. These events give Champion members the chance to lend their time and skills to support schools and communities in need.
Our most recent Helping Hand Day took place at Eynesbury Primary School. The school had long struggled to secure funding or support to build proper play areas for students.
That changed when Amber, the school’s business manager, put the school forward.
Stepping in to help were some of our incredible
Champion members: Beau Bugeja, Michael Ferguson, Cam Fraser, Ma Sablinski from Limitless, and Jack Gallagher from Glencoe Group.
Together, they constructed two brandnew Gaga pits for the students.
The result was incredible.
Teachers and staff have shared how the new play spaces have transformed the schoolyard.
The students now have safe, engaging spaces to play, and the positive impact on their wellbeing is already clear.
The Helping Hand Day initiative continues to grow, and we’re excited to see how much more we can achieve by working together.
If your business is in another industry and you’d like to be part of something
meaningful, we invite you to reach out.
Visit carpentryaustralia. com.au to connect and learn more about future projects.
OPENING DOORS: THE WOMEN IN CONSTRUCTION NSW PROJECT
Over the past 12 months, Carpentry Australia partnered with the NSW Government to lead the Women in Construction NSW initiative. This program supported employers with diversity and equity training, held statewide networking events, and provided The Helping Hands initiative continues to support communities, from home renovations to school upgrades
practical tools to help create more inclusive workplaces.
The result has been a growing group of businesses who are not only hiring more women but actively reshaping the industry for the be er.
We’ve seen firsthand how effective this support can be when matched with purpose. More women are entering the trade and thriving on the tools.
A huge thank you goes to our NSW team for delivering this project. Special recognition goes to Carpentry Australia’s Hannah Kiel and Chris Durrant, whose leadership
Carpentry Australia and the NSW Government have been working together to promote the Women in Construction project
and energy made this work possible.
And to the NSW Government, we are grateful for the opportunity to contribute to this important initiative.
One year in, and we are only beginning to see what’s possible.
The countdown is on for the Carpentry Expo, set to be our biggest event of the year.
We’re welcoming AFL legends Kevin Sheedy and Alex Rance, who will be joining us on the day to help celebrate the people shaping the future of the trade.
A major highlight will be the interschool carpentry competition, where Victoria’s leading trade schools will put their skills
to the test in a series of friendly challenges. It will be a great chance to cheer on the next generation and see just how much talent is coming through the ranks.
We’re also hosting a special interactive panel with some of our Champion members who have grown and scaled their own carpentry businesses.
They’ll share their experiences navigating challenges like staffing, business growth, and financial sustainability — offering insights and advice that will be helpful for anyone looking to take the next step in their trade career.
This is a chance to hear directly from those who have been through it and
come out stronger on the other side.
The Expo will also include a dedicated networking session where carpenters, builders, suppliers, and other industry professionals can come together to connect and share ideas.
Whether you’re looking for new work, new connections, or simply want to be part of the conversation, it’s the perfect space to get involved.
If you’re a carpenter looking to take the next step or simply want to be part of something bigger, now is the time to connect with Carpentry Australia. And if you’re part of another industry and want to support the future of carpentry in Australia, visit carpentryaustralia. com.au to find out how you can get involved in our upcoming projects and initiatives.
the hammer swinging – Carpentry Australia
Australia’s productivity growth is at its lowest level in 60 years.
Despite decades of dialogue around reform and investment, we continue to fall behind our global competitors.
Productivity is one of the most powerful levers we have to improve living standards and control infl ation. HAVE YOUR SAY!
Yet, growth has stagnated at just 0.5 per cent over the past year.
To simply match the already modest gains of the last decade, we’d need to quadruple that rate to around 2 per cent annually by 2030.
This downward trajectory is eroding our economic prosperity, placing pressure on national infrastructure programs, and weakening real wages and living standards.
It doesn’t have to be this way.
Productivity isn’t a mystery.
It’s a policy choice. And right now, some of our choices are holding us back. Among them, fragmented occupational licensing schemes and a patchwork of standards that add cost and
complexity without clear benefi t.
As Australia’s national authority on welding, Weld Australia recently made a submission to the Productivity Commission’s National Competition Policy Review.
In it, we highlighted two key opportunities that could drive real, lasting productivity gains across construction, fabrication, manufacturing, and engineering: a unified national licensing framework for tradespeople, and greater clarity and consistency in the application of Australian and international standards.
Across the trades, Australia’s licensing arrangements are
ineffi cient at best and dysfunctional at worst.
For example, bricklayers must be licensed.
Electricians can become licensed straight out of TAFE.
Yet every state and territory applies different rules, overseen by different bodies, often with inconsistent competency benchmarks.
The Productivity Commission has rightly identified occupational licensing as an area ripe for reform. In theory, licensing protects safety and quality.
In practice, it’s a broken system that delivers neither. There is li le assurance that licensed individuals meet real-world competency expectations, and virtually no national consistency.
In welding, we’ve taken
Productivity continues to be a struggle across many trades a different path: an industry-led approach to certification.
For decades, Weld Australia has overseen certification of welders to recognised Australian and international standards, ensuring they are competent to carry out high-risk, highconsequence work. This process is robust, auditable, and backed by accreditation bodies like JAS-ANZ and the International Institute of Welding (IIW).
It works — and more importantly, it works across borders.
Certification to ISO 9606 or AS/NZS ISO 1554 ensures a welder is
job-ready anywhere in the country.
A national licensing scheme should adopt this same philosophy: assess competency, not just coursework; enable mobility, not bureaucracy; and demand rigour, not red tape.
The current system enables a person fresh from TAFE to undertake complex electrical work, while simultaneously requiring licensed trades in areas where competency has not been adequately tested.
This lack of consistency not only compromises safety and quality but stifles productivity.
Employers must navigate a maze of licensing bodies, pay duplicate fees, and absorb unnecessary delays in project delivery.
We support a national licensing scheme, but only if it puts competency first.
It must be tied to practical, standardised assessments that are recognised across jurisdictions. Otherwise, we’re simply reshuffling the deck chairs on a ship that’s already listing.
Weld Australia recommends the following:
1. State based licensing should be replaced by a national licensing system run by the appropriate trade body.
2. Qualification and certification must be mandatory for all trades.
3. Trade training must include a test to standard.
4. Uncertified tradespeople must not work unsupervised.
The Productivity Commission also asked
whether Australia should abandon national standards in favour of international alternatives.
Our view is clear: the idea is not only impractical, but deeply misguided.
There’s no doubt that harmonising certain standards can support trade, particularly in regulated product markets.
But to suggest we abandon Australian Standards altogether is to misunderstand their value.
Our standards are designed for Australian conditions, be they environmental, industrial, or economic.
They reflect decades of experience in construction, engineering, and manufacturing under our unique regulatory and climate se ings.
Weld Australia collaborates closely with Standards Australia and international bodies like ISO.
In fact, many of our national welding standards are already aligned with ISO equivalents where appropriate.
But adopting international standards wholesale would introduce unnecessary complexity, especially when those standards are bureaucratic, inconsistent, or irrelevant to Australian industry practice.
What’s more, the real issue isn’t which standards we use — it’s whether they’re being complied with.
Right now, many imported fabricated steel components enter the Australian market without meeting any recognised standard, Australian or international. This not only
creates a safety risk but undermines compliant Australian businesses that are doing the right thing. The priority for reform should not be a switch to ISO for the sake of appearances. Instead, we need to strengthen compliance mechanisms, invest in quality assurance, and ensure fair competition by holding all market participants to the same bar, regardless of origin.
The overarching problem in both licensing and standards is fragmentation. Every state and territory runs its own licensing agenda.
Every procurement agency seems to interpret compliance differently.
The result? Costly ineffi ciencies, lost productivity, and a national workforce that struggles to move where it’s needed most.
Consider this: in the construction industry, while the number of workers has increased in the past decade, output per worker has reduced.
On average, people are working two hours less per year with 25.4 per cent lower output—calculated as construction work completed divided by the number of workers. For example, worker output in 2023 was $180,100, compared with $196,800 in 2018. With demand for skilled workers continuing to outpace the available supply, greater productivity is key to raising worker output.
Skilled labour shortages
persist, yet our systems prevent qualified people from moving between jurisdictions or gaining recognition for their skills.
The solution isn’t another layer of policy.
It’s simplification.
A national licensing system, based on real competency.
A clear framework for standard adoption, focused on outcomes, not politics.
Stronger enforcement of quality expectations, not weaker ones. And training systems that prepare workers for real jobs, not just hand out certifications on paper.
Weld Australia is leading by example.
We’ve proposed a new productivity-based training scheme that gives fabrication businesses the resources to train staff internally, supported by our advanced learning modules and instructor accreditation.
We are also fasttracking certification for production welders so businesses can access qualified workers in weeks, not years.
At the same time, we’re conducting research into welder productivity across jurisdictions.
Our findings suggest that Australian welders average just two hours of arc-on-time per day, compared to fi ve hours in Germany or the US.
We’re investigating how technology, such as collaborative robots (cobots) and Trades Assistants, can help overcome bo lenecks in materials handling and prep work, freeing qualified welders to focus on high-value tasks. These are tangible, grassroots solutions, designed by industry, for industry. If we truly want to lift Australia’s productivity, we need to move beyond theoretical policy debates and start acting on what works.
The Productivity Commission’s review is an important opportunity. But it must be more than just another report. If we are serious about revitalising productivity, we need bold action.
That means unifying trade licensing around demonstrated competency.
It means safeguarding Australian standards where they serve us best. And it means enforcing compliance to protect local jobs and communities.
The reforms we need aren’t radical — they’re rational.
But they require leadership, collaboration, and a willingness to put practical outcomes ahead of politics. The future of Australian industry depends on it.
Elyse Stindl has always loved the tradie life, and now she’s following the family and taking up the trades
ELYSE COMES FROM a long line of fi ers and turners. Her Opa migrated from Austria and started his own machining business.
Together with his three sons, including Elyse’s father, they ran a successful family business.
“When I young I used to go to the factory floor and sweep floors and watch what they did and learned stuff,” Elyse said.
When she finished high school, Elyse wanted to join her father and uncles as a fi er.
However, her father convinced her to accept an offer to study nursing at university.
CHANGE OF CAREERS
During Covid, however, certain events led Elyse back to the trades.
Her father passed away; having lost her aunty six
weeks prior, the family business had to shut down.
Elyse saw this as a chance to come back to something she had always cherished, and envisioned for her future.
“It felt like fate – it felt like it was time to pick that back up and learn about everything and keep the family trade alive,”
“It was definitely the right path … I started my Cert III Mechanical Engineering which is effectively fi ing and machining.”
When Elyse’s father and aunty passed away, the business was left untouched for months.
Taking up the tools herself; Elyse blew the dust off the workshop.
“When I went back for the first time months later, there was even a garbage bag at the front door with the overalls ready
to be washed,” she said.
“I went through and kept everything of importance, including everything that would come in handy in the future like dial indicators, vernier calipers, micrometres.
“Even down to a simple set of pliers that were his, I use them every day.
“I even have a pair of verniers that were my Opa’s which are 40 years old.” Her family is never far from her heart, and in this case, her toolbelt.
Elyse has been completing her apprenticeship through another family business, AGM Engineering in Emu Heights, north of Sydney.
With boss Anthony and TAFE NSW Mt Drui helping her along the way, Elyse is realising
Elyse is one of a growing number of women taking up trades in traditionally maledominated industries
her talents as a fi er and turner.
The 36-year-old mightn’t be your typical trade apprentice, but that’s something she hopes to see change.
Elyse was one of 15 female students Certificate III in Engineering – Mechanical Trade (Fi ing/Machining) at TAFE NSW.
“It would be great to be a part of that process to and bring female trades into the spotlight,” she added.
“When I started 18 years ago, I don’t think the world was ready for females in the trade back then, it was a very different time.”
Her career as a fi er/ turner might just be ge ing started, but Elyse might have a future lined up already on-campus.
“Because I’m older and a mum, I do tend to help the other students,”
“Eventually, when I retire, I want to teach the trade.
“Hopefully I can pass it down and there’s more women coming through.”
