Edition 4-2014

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Every tool, every trade

WITH ACCESS TO OVER 60,000WITH ACCESS TO OVER 60,000YOU’LL ALWAYS FIND THE TOOLS YOU NEED YOU’LL ALWAYS FIND THE TOOLS YOU NEED

TOOLSTOOLS

TOTAL TOOLS FYSHWICK 103 Gladstone Street, Fyshwick ACT 260930/10/14 11:03 AM

contents

Master Builders Association of the ACT1 Iron Knob St, Fyshwick ACT 2609PO Box 1211, Fyshwick ACT 2609Tel: (02) 6247 2099Fax: (02) 6249 8374 Email: canberra@mba.org.auWeb: www.mba.org.au

Advertising enquiresDirector Commercial Operations David LeitchTel: (02) 6175 5970Mob: 0437 379 391Email: dleitch@mba.org.au

© This publication is copyright. No part of it may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means including electronic, mechanical photocopy, recording or otherwise without the permission of the Master Builders Association of the ACT. Disclaimer: readers are advised that the Master Builders Association of the ACT cannot be held responsible for the accuracy of statements made in advertising and editorial, nor the quality of the goods or services advertised. Opinions expressed throughout the publication are the contributors own and do not necessarily reflect the views or policy of the Master Builders Association of the ACT.

Master Builders executive council

President Valdis Luks

treasurer Frank Porreca

commercial Builders council chair Peter Naylorcivil contractors council chair Andy Crompton

residential Builders council chair (acting) Marc Roland

Professional consultants council chair Bryan Leeming

suppliers & subcontractors council chair Graciete Ferreira

Master Builders ManageMent teaM

executive director John Miller

deputy executive director Jerry Howard

director industrial relations & in-house legal counsel John Nikolic

Work Health & safety advisor Philip Edwards

senior Management accountant Louise MacCallum

director commercial operations David Leitch

Master Builders grouP training general Manager Wendy Tengstrom

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news&eventsMaster Builders annual dinner 22Hosted at the National Museum of Australia, guests were treated to another fantastic nightannual charity golf day 28Another successful day of raising funds for another worthy charity - The Apprentice HouseKids assist graduation 46Graduation ceremony for the class of 2014national update 56An overview of the construction industry from the National office

of interestWorldskills 2014 held in Perth 38Apprentices shine at national competitionMBa apprentice lends a hand 40Brad Fleming help build equipmentfor school in Vanuatuchinese delegation visit nishi 54Chinese government officials responsible for government office building energy savings, visit Canberra

featuresdealing with asbestos 14Demolition and disposal of Mr Fluffyhouses a big challengeasset construction Hire 34Keeping it real by keeping it localcraftsmanship is thriving 36Paul Barnett looks at Canberra’s talented pool of resourcesestimating software 42Effective management of labour costs is a continuing challenge for builders, project managers, estimators, foremen, and sub-contractors

forewordsPresident’s report 6Valdis Luks thanks Executive Director John Millerexecutive director’s report 8Looking for local involvement with procurementir director’s report 10Other industries don’t close so why should the construction industry?WHs advisor’s report 12Changes to the Australian Government Building and Construction Work Health and Safety Accreditation Scheme announced

Hans sommer - life Member 23Our newest life member Hans Sommer becomes only the tenth person to be awarded this honour in the nearly 90 year history of the Master Builders in Canberra. Certainly a well-deserved recognition for Hans who has provided over 20 years of long and distinguished service to the Association in many capacities. This has included being a long serving member of the Executive Committee, a member of the Peak Council, Chair, Deputy Chair and member of the Professional Sector Council, and representative for members on numerous other working groups with government agencies and other bodies. He has represented the Professional Sector on our Work Health and Safety Advisory Group in addition to contributing substantially on many submissions provided by the Association to Government and others.

This award was presented to Hans at the recent Annual Dinner.

p30

p38

editor’s note

5

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WITH ACCESS TO OVER 60,000WITH ACCESS TO OVER 60,000YOU’LL ALWAYS FIND THE TOOLS YOU NEED YOU’LL ALWAYS FIND THE TOOLS YOU NEED

TOOLSTOOLS

TOTAL TOOLS FYSHWICK 103 Gladstone Street, Fyshwick ACT 260930/10/14 11:03 AM

prEsidEnTVALdis LUKs

As we prepare for the end of another busy year, look forward to the Christmas break, and take on board the news of the recent resignation of our Executive Director, John Miller, we have the opportunity to reassess where we are heading as an organisation.

John will finish in his role with the Association in March after leading us for the last eight years. He can be very satisfied with the sound structural and financial position of the MBA and its associated entities.

The Association is currently one of the most respected industry bodies in the region with the ACT Government and other industry associations, organisations and government department representatives regularly seeking advice and input from John and the MBA.

During his time he has been instrumental in strengthening and/or initiating a number of the services we provide to our members.

some of these include:

• Industrialrelationsguidanceandadvice• Marketinganalysisandtrends• Contractservices• Industrytraining• Housingandconstructiontechnology• Technicalandregulatoryadvice• Corporateservicesand• Information,mediaandgovernment/industryliaison

MBA Group Training provides a very important service to our members and also importantly to our industry, where we help determine the quality of training provided in this region. The training includes building licence courses, apprenticeships and the new On Site Construction Management course. Many tailored industry based short courses are also offered.

The Association and its members have a well-earned reputation for quality and commitment to training. As a result we have been able to build a very close working relationship with the University of Canberra, including support of the building and architecture programs through various financial and resource commitments of a number of member companies.

The home warranty insurance service has been very important to our members and in turn very important to the industry as a whole. This service has given the Association the opportunity to help

foreword

President’s Message

set standards within the industry and assess the risks in providing insurance cover to companies in this region.

We have composed five policy papers to be used to highlight areas of concern in regard to particular issues that are affecting our members. The papers inform government and stakeholders of our formal position in relation to industry issues and provide our recommendations as to how we can best work with government and others in addressing them. Two of the papers, “Procurement” together with “Land and Planning” have been finialised and presented with the final three papers, “Building Quality”, “Safety” and “Training” on the agenda to be completed prior to John’s departure.

MBA ACT is in the unique position of providing support and services to five distinct sector councils.

• Commercial• Residential• Subcontractor&supplier• Civilcontractorsand• Professional

The ACT is the only MBA in Australia that represents such a broad base of industry, which in turn gives us a greater position of respect and representation when dealing with Government and industry. With some 1200 members to represent, it’s important we utilise this position for the most effective benefit of our members.

Another area where the Association and its members work very hard but are not always duly recognised is in the area of support for the local community. Over the past ten years over $1m has been raised in support of local charities and other organisations.

some of these include:

• Boundless–arecentlyopenedallabilitiesplaygroundproject• ApprenticeHouse–supportedaccommodationforyoung

apprentices• CharityHouses–proceedsfromthesaleofthesehouses

has gone to provide support for numerous local charities and organisations

• VariouslocalcharitiesandorganisationssupportedviaourannualGolf Days

• KidsAssistProgram–aninitiativesupportedbyMBAGroupTraining together with PBS in assisting young adults in their later school years

WhatI’veoutlinedabovegivesabriefsummaryofsomeoftheservicesthe Association is providing to its members and in turn this community.

John Miller’s leadership over the past 8 years has ensured we have focused on servicing and representing our members and we are in a sound position as we look to position ourselves for the future. We need to continue to build upon this foundation and make sure servicing the needs of our members and providing leadership for the industry continue to be two of our main priorities.

OnbehalfoftheExecutiveandAssociationI’dliketothankJohnforthe dedicated leadership and service he’s provided over the past eight years and wish him and his family all the best for his future endeavours.

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ExECUTiVE dirECTorJohn MiLLEr

Formanyofusconsumedbythemoresimplejoysoftheboxinthe 60s and 70s and even into the 80s, you might remember one of the great catch-cries on television. The ultimate nutty Professor, Julius Sumner-Miller used to finish off his television science experimentsaskinginhisinimitableAmericanaccent–“Why is it so?” That was indeed the name of his syndicated and very popular television program that had started in the US much earlier.

Be it out of frustration, sheer desperation or even anger, a lot of local building and construction industry practitioners are now asking the same question when they can’t seem to get a look in on significantcapitalworksprojects–“Why is it so?” The emotions are heightened when so often the rhetoric is of support but the action is a million miles apart. Too often the propensity is to look big for the solution when all that does is weaken the local economy.

Recently,theSouthAustralianTreasurer,TomKoutsantonisannouncedaseriesofreformsincludingthatthecreationofjobsin South Australia will be a key future criterion in evaluating tenders forStateGovernment-fundedprojects.Theannouncementincluded the statement that “While price is one factor in ensuring Government receives value for money from its procurement, successful contracts should also support local employment andinvestment.Inaddition,whenevaluatingtendersforlargercontracts,agreaterweightingisnowgivenforlocaljobs,investment and supply-chain opportunities.”

ItwillbeinterestingtowatchthatsituationunfoldinSouthAustralia.Theseannouncementsdon’tjustcomeoutoftheblue,somethingor someone is pushing for change. For the recently re-elected government in South Australia, their ‘aha moment’ came in the formofadeterioratingeconomy,joblossesandtheescapeofmoney from the State.

Since the release of the Master Builders ACT Procurement Policy paper in the middle of the year, a significant amount of discussion that has been occurring with both Government and the opposition hasbeenaboutlocalcontentinprocurement.Iknowit’snotonlyimpacting on the building and construction industry as it has been a long-term frustration for instance in the information technology world. The local economy needs commitment and it is evident that South Australia believes that economic restitution means heading down the path of clearly demonstrating local commitment.

What we are beginning to see is somewhat disturbing for local industry. The lack of access to government work is impacting on pre-qualification levels for local contractors under new arrangements. How can this promote local industry development? Surely the procurement process should be the lever that state and territorygovernmentscanusetoensurelocalprosperity.It’snotinanyone’s interests to use competition policy to ignore opportunity for local businesses seeking to not only maintain a stable employment base but to grow their businesses if that is indeed their desire.

The industry is watching with great anticipation at the roll out of theupcomingroundofmajorprojects.ThereisthenewACTLawCourtsproject,theUniversityofCanberraPublicHospital,LightRailandpossiblytheAustraliaForumorConventionCentre. Just how much local participation will result from any of theseprojects?Onthepositiveside,therehasbeenagreaterawareness of local participation and content in procurement, on the downside the opportunity for local contractors to lead has been ruled out too often and manifestations of change are so far largely invisible. So many excellent pieces of significant Canberra and region infrastructure have been delivered by local head contractors but how do we possibly prevent this from being a thing of the past under current arrangements?

There is no apology for the recent relentless pursuit by Master BuildersACTforagreatercommitmenttolocalindustry.It’snot about a walk up start, it’s about an opportunity and sadly we are seeing too much opportunity escape. Our Procurement Policy Sub-Group has been working tirelessly toward much better accessforlocalbusinesseswithregardstocapitalworksprojects.This process has been met with goodwill although industry needs signs of change to emerge sooner rather than later.

Inclosingmylastcolumnfortheyear,andpossiblymylastonebeforemydepartureattheendofMarch,Iwouldfirstlyliketowisheverymemberandyourfamiliesaverysafe,enjoyableandrestful Christmas and New Year break. There is no question for many that it has been a tough year and no doubt a break will be welcomed as you prepared for the challenges of 2015. Clearly there are still bumps on the road ahead however, history tells of better times ahead and with so much still to be done to build this city and region. This will translate into much success for those in the industry who maintain the appetite and thirst for the challenge ofwhichIknowisthevastmajorityofourmembership.

Ican’tfinishwithoutthankingeveryoneIhavebeeninvolvedwith during my time at MBA which come the end of March will verge on eight years. Building and construction is an incredible industryandMasterBuildersACTisagreatorganisation.IthasbeenaprivilegetobeExecutiveDirector,aresponsibilitythatIhavetakenenormouslyseriouslyandoneofwhichIamproud.Itisdifficulttonameindividualsamongthemanyhundreds,probablythousandsoffantasticpeopleIhavemetandbeeninvolvedwithovertheyears-havingsaidthat,Imustsingleoutafew.

RossBarrettasPresidentformuchofmytimehasbeenawonderfulsourceofinspirationandpositiveenergy.Rosshas also been a great mentor stemming back to my Canberra BusinessCouncildays.SimonButt,JohnHaskinsandValdisLuks have also played a big part in my MBA life along with the incredibly dedicated President of MBA Group Training, RodMitton.IalsoappreciatethegreatsupportandinputfromJohn Hailey, Col Alexander, Peter Middleton, Bob Winnel and MBAnationalCEO,WilhelmHarnisch.Icertainlynoteallthoseexecutive and board members, past and present, who have given so much to the industry and the organisation.

Ithankallofthestaffwhohavebeenonthejourneywithme.There have been ups and downs but we have usually arrived at ourdestination.Iwouldliketothinkthatthischangewillpresentnew challenges and inspiration for all of you.

Finally,Iacknowledgeonelastperson–JerryHoward.Everyorganisation, every industry needs a Jerry Howard. He is without doubt the mastermind behind much of Master Builders ACT’s success and someone the industry can ill-afford to lose. His knowledge, insights and commitment are those of legends. Hopefully more people who are making critical decisions can listen even more closely to Jerry’s wisdom to ease some of the frustration that resides across industry. Thanks, Jerry.

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foreword

2015 RDO calendar – Other industries don’t close so why does the construction industry?

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dirECTor indUsTriAL rELATionsJohn niKoLiC

This year Master Builders will be publishing two rdo calendars, to reflect the different obligations that apply to employers covered by the Building and Construction General on-site Award (on-site Award) and those covered by the pattern CFMEU enterprise agreement (CFMEU EBA).

on-site Award calendar

The2015On-SiteAwardRDOcalendarcanbeaccessedbyvisiting the Master Builders ACT website at www.mba.org.au

The above rdo calendar only applies to members covered by the on-site Award. The On-Site Award provides for a defaultcalendarof13RDOsperyear,tobetakenonthefourthMonday in each four week cycle, or the Tuesday if the Monday is a public holiday.

Please note that, under the On-Site Award, the default rdo calendar can be changed to allow for a company-specific roster, where agreed between the employer and the majority of its employees. For example, this can allow for employeestotakeRDOsondifferentdays,ratherthanonthesame day, so that that construction can continue. This is the norm in other industries, to ensure that services do not stall, e.g. hospitals do not close.

CFMEU EBA calendar

Lock-down weekends

TheCFMEUEBAprovidesforadifferentRDOcalendartothedefault calendar under the On-Site Award. Most importantly, the CFMEU EBA lists six so-called ‘lock-down weekends’, where six RDOsareschedulednexttothefollowingpublicholidays:

• Australia Day (26 January 2015);• Canberra Day (9 March 2015);• Good Friday (3 April 2015);• Easter Monday (6 April 2015);• Anzac Day (25 April 2015);• Queen’s Birthday (8 June 2015); and• Labour Day (5 October 2015).

All employees in an enterprise covered by a CFMEU EBA are generally required to take rdos adjacent to the six long weekend periods listed above, which means that the commercial construction industry largely grinds to a halt at those times.

MasterBuildersiscurrentlyattemptingtonegotiateanRDOcalendarwiththeCFMEU,todeterminewhentheRDOsforthe lock-down weekends listed above will be scheduled. Unfortunately, Master Builders has not received any response from the CFMEU to its last two offers. Master Builders anticipatesthat,iftheCFMEUfailstonegotiateanRDOcalendar,the CFMEU will probably publish its own calendar. Master Builders will also publish any such calendar by way of Member Alert.

Inanyinterim,toallowforprojectschedulingformemberswhoare covered by the CFMEU EBA, they should plan for their employees to take leave for at least four days around the six public holiday long weekends listed above (or five days for the Easter long weekend).

ItshouldalsobenotedthattheANZACDayandtheEasterlongweekends are three weeks apart in 2015, and that, contrary to the advice of the CFMEU, the Family and Community Day long weekend (28 September 2015) is not a lock-down weekend, as it is not listed as such in the CFMEU EBA (see clause 21.7). That means that construction should be more fluid during April and late September / early October in 2015.

Alsonotethat,fortheremainingRDOs(i.e.thosenotusedduringlock-down weekends) employers covered by the CFMEU EBA cannegotiateaflexibleRDOschedulewithemployees,andthatemployeesarealsoeligibleto‘bank’uptoatleastsixRDOs.

Advance release Commonwealth procurement Code

Master Builders has received advice from the Commonwealth Department of Employment that lock-down weekend clauses in enterprise agreements will be prohibited under the advance releaseBuildingandConstructionIndustry(FairandLawfulBuilding Sites) Code 2014 (Code). The Code will apply to all enterprise agreements made on or after 24 April 2014, once it

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comes into force. Employers found not to be compliant with the Code face exclusion from federally-funded construction work.

Although the Code has passed through the federal House of Representatives,ithasnotyetbeenpresentedtotheSenate,whichisexpectedtooccursometimeinearly2015.Itisnotyetclear whether the Code will be passed by the Senate, but Master Builders strongly supports the introduction of the Code.

TheCodecanbefoundat:

http://docs.employment.gov.au/system/files/doc/other/fair_and_lawful_building_sites_code_2014.pdf

TheCodedoesnotappeartoindicatethatRDOsshouldbe abolished (after all, they are a legitimate entitlement for employees who work long hours in a physically taxing industry). Instead,theCodeappearstobesuggestingthatRDOsshouldbe staggered (rather than taken by all employees on the same day)sothatprojectsarenotunnecessarilyinterrupted,andsothat taxpayers in turn get value for money on federally-funded constructionprojects.

Master Builders agrees with any such policy and encourages members to utilise the flexibility provisions under the On-Site Award and the CFMEU EBA, to ensure that the needs of employees are balanced against members’ needs to meet very real construction deadlines. This would not mean that employeeswouldnotbeabletotakeRDOs,evenforextendedperiods, but simply that employees would flexibly negotiate such leave-taking with their employer, rather than being dictated to about when leave is to be taken. That is a freedom which would benefitbothparties–especiallyifdeadlinesweremet.Afterall,what’s good for the goose is good for the gander.

IfmembershaveanyquestionspleasecontactMasterBuilders’IndustrialRelationsDepartmenton62472099.

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When you need room for a business meeting or a training program, there is always a professional solution in the Master Builders ACT training facility located next to the DFO in Fyshwick.

We offer rooms of various sizes, from comfortable one-on-one interview rooms, training and meeting rooms accommodating up to 60 people, or for that very special meeting the Master Builders ACT Boardroom is also available for hire. Your guests will not have to find or pay for parking as our site has 120 free car parking spaces.

With flexible room lay-outs and seating arrangements, choose classroom, theatre or boardroom style.

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foreword

Changes to the Australian Government Building and Construction Work Health and Safety Accreditation Scheme announced

WorK hEALTh & sAFETy AdVisor phiLip EdWArds

on Wednesday 22 october 2014, senator The hon Eric Abetz and The hon Josh Frydenberg Mp published a joint media release, Better safety and less red tape under streamlined building scheme.

The media release announced changes to the Australian Government Building and Construction Work Health and Safety Accreditation Scheme (Scheme) in response to the review conducted by the Office of the Federal Safety Commissioner, A review to modernise the Office of the Federal Safety Commissioner and the Australian Government Building and Construction OHS Accreditation Scheme. The media release announced changes that “will cut red tape, boost competition and ensure safety standards are enhanced from 1 January next year”.

The key improvements announced, and should come into force shouldnextyearinclude:

• increasing financial thresholds The Scheme’s financial thresholds will be increased to reflect price movements since they were last set in 2007 (direct funding from $3million to $4million, indirect funding from $5million to $6million). The Government also announced the thresholds will be reviewed every three years. This should makesureincreasingly‘lower-value’projectsarenotbeingcaptured.

• domestic housing The Scheme will no longer apply to Commonwealth-funded projects involving the construction of ‘individual-dwelling’ houses. The Government believes it has limited involvement in the residential sector and the basis of using Commonwealth funding to influence broader improvements in health and safety is believed to be less relevant than other sectors. This should increase competition in the sector, particularly for Defence Housing Australia (DHA) construction, by allowing smaller builders to compete alongside larger builders who can afford the cost of

accreditation. Other residential developments, such as multi-unitprojects,willcontinuetobecovered.

• removing the prerequisite for As/nZs 4801:2001 Companies seeking accreditation under the Scheme will no longer be required to obtain Australian Standard AS4801 (or equivalent) as a prerequisite for accreditation. This should save companies seeking Scheme accreditation time and resources.

• Extending maximum period of accreditation The maximum accreditation period will be increased from three years to up to six years for consistent ‘high performers’, with the introduction of a revised reaccreditation process that should minimise paperwork and compliance costs. The Scheme’s compliance arrangements will move to a targeted, risk based model instead of the current one-size-fits-allapproach.Allcompanieswillbesubjecttomoreregular site audits, but more audit resources and support will be directed to companies requiring further improvement. High-performing companies will have the opportunity to be accredited for up to six years. The concern to our industry is what constitutes ‘high performers’ has not been defined.

• A targeted, risk-based compliance model A risk-based compliance model will be introduced to better target audit resources at companies requiring additional support or with poor safety performance. While allcompanieswillcontinuetobesubjecttoregularaudits,the compliance burden should be reduced for companies with a ‘demonstrated good safety performance’ over time. No information has been published on the risk-based compliance model.

• Extendingjointventurearrangementstodomesticfirms-Domestic unaccredited builders will have the opportunity to undertake Commonwealth-funded building work where theyareinajointventurewithanaccreditedcompany,andoperate under the partner’s Scheme-accredited system. This should mean smaller regional builders, for example, which

12

might have only an occasional opportunity to tender for Government work, can operate as a head contractor in a jointventurewithaScheme-accreditedpartner.

• streamlined application processes and improved guidance material A range of administrative improvements are planned to be introduced by the Office of the Federal Safety Commissioner. These include new guidance material to assist companies to understand the requirements when applying for accreditation, and to better prepare for on-site audits. The guidance material will need to be written to guarantee common understanding between the auditor and accredited company. Online application and guidance material is planned to be introduced in early 2015. The revised processes should reduce time taken to become accredited.

• Expanding recognition of scheme accreditation During 2015, it is anticipated that Scheme accreditation will be recognised as meeting the initial work health and safety application requirements for all State and Territory prequalification Schemes (for civil and commercial constructionprojects).

• international companies The Federal Safety Commissioner will undertake consultations to identify further opportunities to improve access for international firms to increase competition and utilisation of international expertise, while ensuring competitive neutrality for domestic firms.

Master Builders ACT, through our National Office is continuing to engage with Office of the Federal Safety Commissioner to ensure the Scheme is workable and adds value to the health and safety of accredited companies, and clearly define such items as ‘high performers’, risk-based compliance model and the new guidance material.

Further information, including the review report, can be found at www.fsc.gov.au

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The ACT government has estimated the buy-back program will cost in excess of $500M but this figure is yet to be confirmed and will depend on valuation, take-up and participation. The commonwealth government has provided a $1B concessional loan to assist with the financing of buy-back, demolition and remediation of these properties. Hopefully the $1B loan will be enough and the ACT government will be able to recover some of the expended funds through re-sale and possible re-zoning of the remediated land.

There is considerable ongoing discussion regarding the capacity of existing ACT tip facilities to handle the waste and there are still numerous issues to be resolved regarding the safe demolition and transport of this waste.

Itisestimatedthatatleast150,000tonnes of waste will be generated from the more than 1,000 Mr Fluffy asbestos-affected homes which will need to be disposed of within the next five years.

AnAsbestosResponseTaskforcespokeswoman told The Canberra Times thattheWestBelconnenResourceManagement Centre was the only location in the ACT capable of disposing of friable

asbestos and privately demolished waste had been disposed of there in previous years.

From early 2015 Mr Fluffy homes purchased and demolished by the Government will be disposed of at the WestBelconnenResourceManagementCentre. This facility is located approximately 1.2km from the surrounding residential suburbs and is in reasonably close proximity to the proposed new RiverviewEstate.

Mark McCabe, ACT Work Safety Commissioner, said “the ability of the Belconnen facility to process and dispose of this waste material could be a determining factor in how quickly the government’s demolition and buy-back program can be completed.

“Thisreallyisacomplicatedprojectwhenyou consider all the factors. Getting the materials in the gate is one aspect and storing them safely is another key aspect in the process.”

A spokesperson from the ACT Asbestos Taskforce maintained that there was sufficient capacity at the tip to safely dispose of all waste generated from Mr Fluffy homes in the ACT, if required.

dEMoLiTion And TrAnsporT

Master Builders ACT has representation ontheAsbestosResponseTaskforceandis actively involved in discussions with all the key parties regarding the demolition process.

Itisestimatedthat,onaverage,eachdemolished house will generate an average of 70 cubic metres of waste, excluding the soil which will also have to be removed, depending on test results and levels of contamination. Waste disposal will need a careful and detailed management plan with cooperation and detailed liaison with the key players.

The affected houses are scattered throughout existing suburbs and the AsbestosResponseTaskforcemustagreeon transport arrangements, including routes and safeguards such as required covering and speed limits, as these materials will be transported through existing suburbs.

At this stage it is estimated that about four houses per week will be demolished overafiveyearperiod.Inadditiontothe demolition waste, there will also be a need to strip, potentially, up to 300mm of soil from each site. This potentially

Demolition and disposal big challenge with ‘Mr Fluffy’ plans

Demolition and disposal of asbestos-contaminated building waste is emerging as a key challenge in the ‘Mr Fluffy’ asbestos response.

Jerry howard, Deputy Executive Director, Master Builders ACT

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contaminated soil will have to be replaced and re-graded in the final site remediation process. This process in itself will generate an enormous amount of activity in removing the potentially contaminated soil and then replacing at the original grade.

The demolition and remediation process willrequirecarefulprojectmanagementandthe involvement of local companies with provenprojectmanagementskills.Thekeypriority must be to identify and involve local

companies with the appropriate skills and involve them in this work to the maximum extent possible.

Specific legislation will need to be implemented to manage this unique process. This will mean the ACT Legislative Assembly will need to pass a significant amount of legislation covering the asbestos buy-back in time for it to be in place by January 2015.

The Dangerous Substances (Asbestos SafetyReform)LegislationAmendmentBillwas presented to the Legislative Assembly on 30 October and was due to be passed by the Legislative Assembly on 4 December. Together with the Work Health and Safety (Asbestos)AmendmentRegulation2014,the Bill seeks to harmonise the ACT’s asbestos management framework with that ofotherjurisdictionsandtoimprovesafetyoutcomes and reduce compliance costs for business.

The current bill being introduced is only a step to harmonise the laws across jurisdictionswithregardtodangeroussubstances including asbestos. The Bill removes asbestos-related workplace obligations from the [Dangerous Substances] Act, as these are now contained in the Work Health and Safety Regulation2011.TheBillstillretainscertain obligations that relate to the non-commercial handling of asbestos. The Bill also harmonises terminology across Territory legislation with the preferred national model terminology, and removes now unnecessary definitions, as asbestos-related definitions are now consolidated in the WHS regulation.

The Bill further removes provisions related to the licensing of asbestos assessors and removalists from the Construction Occupations (Licensing) Act 2004. This is because asbestos assessor and removalist licensing is now regulated by the WHS regulation.

MAsTEr BUiLdErs GroUp TrAininG proVidinG A KEy roLE in AsBEsTos AWArEnEss TrAininG

Master Builders and Master Builders Group Training have been actively engaging with industry and the regulator for the past year to ensure that industry participants are provided with the best possible advice in the management and control of materials containing asbestos. Since 1 July this year, Master Builders Group Training have delivered Asbestos Awareness training toover5000people.Itisestimatedthatanother 2000 will be trained before the end of January 2015 and this should account for around half of the total ACT construction industry workforce. As well as those working in construction roles, others associated with the industry, such as those who are required to enter building sites, are also being trained. Since 1 September it has been mandatory for construction industry workers to undertake Asbestos Awareness training and they must provide evidence, if requested, of having undertaken such training.

Arthur Watson from AAC Environmental hasdeliveredthemajorityofthistrainingonbehalf of Master Builders Group Training and he has commented that the training has been very well received by the participants. He is in no doubt that the training that is being delivered will raise awareness and prepare those in the industry with a greater understanding of the risks and hazards associated with materials containing asbestos.

Arthur Watson said that it was mandatory for those working in the construction industry to undertake Asbestos Awareness training, however, he still has some grave concerns regarding home owners potentially undertaking remedial work on their properties without being aware of the risks and the possibility that some of the materials they are confronted with could contain asbestos. He is convinced that the regulator needs to do more in promoting the hazards associated with work on all the houses. Arthur said that some of the rules regarding

the disposal of asbestos by homeowners is very confusing and is certainly of the view that homeowners should not be encouraged to dispose of asbestos as this is, potentially, encouraging homeowners to remove asbestos themselves.

Intheindustry,asbestossheetsshouldberemoved as a whole wherever possible. Nobody should be allowed to remove and dispose of asbestos unless qualified and licensed to do so. At present the arrangements are exposing homeowners, who do their own removal, to unnecessary risks.

Other than in relation to individual homeowners and the specific rules applying to them, asbestos can only be removed by a licenced asbestos removalist. Where there is uncertainty as to whether material contains asbestos, it should be tested by an accredited testing laboratory. Materials for testing should be double-bagged (using a sandwich bag), labelled with as much information as possible, including where removed from and dropped off at the AAC office,withintheMasterBuildersInformationCentreatIronKnobStreetFyshwick.(seecorrect handling procedure over the page).

rE-ZoninG And dEVELopMEnT

PaulPowderly,AustralianPropertyInstitutePresidentandheadofColliersInternationalin Canberra, said the valuation process for affected properties has been established butwarned,“Thisisalong-termprojectandpeoplejustcan’texpectanswersimmediately. Everyone needs to be patient

“In the Industry, asbestos sheets should be removed as a whole wherever possIble. nobody should be allowed to remove and dIspose of asbestos unless qualIfIed and lIcensed to do so” - arthur watson, aaC EnvironmEntal

15

and measured as this proceeds.”

The valuation process determined by theAsbestosRemovalTaskforceappliesonly to those who have accepted the Government’s voluntary buy-back. Those who don’t want to sell to the government should obtain their own independent valuation.TheAustralianPropertyInstituteis able to advise these people, he said.

While homeowners will be paid as if their homes did not contain asbestos, the process concerning sub-division, amalgamation of sites and re-zoning will

depend on how many owners accept the buy-back offers and where properties are located.

“Isolatedpropertieswillnotbere-zonedbutifyougetalargenumberofhomes–say20–inoneareawantingto,thatareacould then be rezoned,” he said. “There will then be some issues to be resolved about whether homeowners get together and sell to developers and get some benefit from the re-zoning.”

He said that possible sales to developers are unlikely to be sorted out for at least a year. “At this stage it is impossible to know which properties will become available for rezoning.”

Under the Buyback Program the ACT Government has offered to purchase all affected Canberra houses to enable government-facilitated demolition and siteremediation.Remediatedblockswillbe offered for sale in due course to assist in defraying overall Scheme costs. The Buyback Program is open until 30 June 2015.

The recent use of a pre-finished board containing asbestos in ACT building projectshighlightsthecontinuedfailureoffederal, state and territory governments to agree on a workable program to prevent

the import and use in construction of non-conforming building products, including the most recent case of an imported material containing asbestos.

The Master Builders Association has been raising concerns about non-conforming and non-complying materials finding their way into the marketplace for at least the last two years. However, state and federal authorities continue to refuse to accept responsibility for banning and policing of such products and seek to shift responsibility to other levels of government. The unfortunate scenario for builders who construct buildings in good faith, assuming that these materials are compliant, continue to bear the brunt of this inaction. The most recent example,

regardingtheInfinityCablefiasco,highlights our concerns, especially now that the importer is no longer in business.

There is a lack of proper responsibility between state and federal governments on this matter. We need a proper system of responsibility to prevent constant buck-passing. We need a system to determine who is responsible for introducing these products into the construction process and who will be responsible for their removal.

We don’t know how much of this illegal material has gone into buildings, but this practice is totally unacceptable, given that we have a National Construction Code and relevant Australian Standards that must be complied with.

The federal government says that the states and territories have responsibility

for the performance standards of products used in building and construction work across Australia. However, many in the industry believe the only practical solution is for these products, which are primarily

imported, to be inspected and stopped at the point of importation, which is a federal government matter.

The problem was highlighted in a recent announcement by Mark McCabe that he had issued a Prohibition Notice after the presence of chrysotile asbestos in feature panels was discovered.

However, the action was only taken because a Canberra builder working with the material became suspicious and had it tested. This matter is now being investigated by regulatory agencies throughout Australia in an effort to track down the source.

Materials containing asbestos in exposed feature panels is still being importedWith the ACT community – including the building industry – and Government grappling with huge problems from asbestos fibres introduced by ‘Mr Fluffy’ to properties more than 40 years ago, a new problem has recently come to light with asbestos products being used in new construction in the ACT in 2014.

“there Is a lack of proper responsIbIlIty between state and federal governments on thIs matter. we need a proper system of responsIbIlIty to prevent constant buck-passIng. we need a system to determIne who Is responsIble for IntroducIng these products Into the constructIon process and who wIll be responsIble for theIr removal”

- JErry howard

16

Breathe a little easier knowing you have completed the best Asbestos training. CoMpULsory As oF 1 JULy 2014

AsBEsTos AWArEnEss

The aim of this one day course is to provide participants with an awareness of the hazards and health effects of asbestos and its possible location in ACT homes and the community. Under the current Work Health and Safety Act an employer must provide information and training to protect all persons from risks to their health and safety arising from their work.

This course provides participants with an ability to identify and understand the dangers of asbestos, an awareness of its possible locations and the procedures followed if presence is detected.

For more information contact MBA Group Training on:

T 02 6280 9119 F 02 6280 9118 E canberra@mba.org.au W www.mba.org.au/training

Asbestos testing handling procedure

AAC Laboratory Services’ NATA accredited asbestos testing laboratory shares office space with a number of tenants within the Master Building Information Centre in Fyshwick. To ensure the safety of all personnel within the facility, the following conditions MUST be met before a sample can be received by AAC Laboratory Services for asbestos analysis.

• All samples MUsT be double wrapped in zip-lock bags prior to delivery;

• All samples must be delivered directly to the AAC Laboratory Services laboratory. They are noT to be delivered to MBA receptionpersonnel.Ifthelaboratoryisunattended,samplescan be submitted via the locked letterbox at the front of the laboratory;

• All samples must be clearly identified with a unique sample number and sample location details;

• An AAC Laboratory Services “Asbestos Sample Analysis Request”formmustbecompletedinfullforeachbatchof samples. The form is available at the laboratory sample submission area;

• Samples must be representative of the material to be analysed;

• Bulk samples should be greater than 4cm2 where possible and soil samples should be less than 100g;

• Payments must be received before the results of the analysis can be released, EFTPOS facilities are available at the laboratory;

• Analysis certificate will be emailed in PDF form to the listed email address.

Where AAC Laboratory Services has not collected the sample, AAC Laboratory Services accepts no responsibility for the sampling procedures and sampling locations.

Due to the nature of vinyl tiles, mastic and sealants, AAC Laboratory Services recommends that secondary independent analysis is conducted on the abovementioned materials where no asbestos has been detected within the sample.

At the outset it is worth emphasising that thepurposeorobjectoftheActistoensure that a person is entitled to receive and is able to recover progress payments iftheperson:

• Undertakes to carry out construction work under certain construction contracts; or

• Undertakes to supply related goods and services under certain construction contracts.

This entitlement to a progress payment exists, whether or not a construction contract provides for progress payment. The party who has carried out construction work (or supplied related goods and services) is given a statutory right to a progress payment. The definition of a construction contract is verybroad:

“A contract or other arrangement under which one party undertakes to carry out construction work, or to supply related goods and services, for another party”.

This definition includes not only formal contracts, but also “other arrangements”.

The Act also applies to a construction contract whether written or oral, or partly written or partly oral. However, the Act does not apply to “a construction contract for carrying out residential building work if a resident owner is a party to the contract, to the extent that the contract relates to a building or part of a building where the resident owner intends to live”. Definition of “construction work” and “related goods and services” is also very broad. More information is available at www.adjudicate.com.au and click on the relevant State.

Ifyouintendtomakeapaymentclaimitis important that you identify, not only the work to which the payment claim relates, butalsotheamountclaimed.Importantly,if you are making a claim under the Act then the payment claim should state that “This is a payment claim made under the {insert name of Act of State where the work was performed}”.

Prior to making the claim, give careful consideration as to how you can establish your entitlement, not only to a progress payment, but also to the specific amount claimed.Rememberthatiftheotherpartyrejectsyourclaim(orschedulesan amount less than you have claimed) and you decide to refer your claim to adjudication,thenyoumustsatisfythe

adjudicatorastoyourentitlementoftheclaim and how the amount claimed is calculated.

Astheadjudicatorwillmakehis/herdecision based only on the documents and written submissions. There won’t be a hearing or oral testimony. Therefore, the success of your claim will very much depend on the quality of your written submissions and the documentation you providetheadjudicator.

Rememberthattheonusisuponthepartymaking a particular assertion to satisfy theadjudicatorregardingthecorrectnessof a particular assertion or matter. Simply making an assertion, such as stating that you have carried out certain work, or that the work comprised of having spent 100 hours on site, does not prove an entitlement–youneedtoprovidesomeform of written material substantiating such a claim (by, for example, providing copies of site diaries, work sheets etc.). Similarly, if your claim comprises of a variation to the original contract then you will need to provide material and /or written submissions demonstrating that the work you had carried out was additional to your original scope and that the value of the additional work claimed has been assessed in accordance with thetermsofthecontract.Ideally,itwould

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enhance your case if you can provide a copy of any written variation order together with copies of time sheets, invoicesofsuppliersetc.If,however,the direction to carry out the variation was given verbally then you should set out the circumstances in which such directionwasmade,viz:whogavethedirection, on what day etc.

Iftheotherpartyhasrespondedtoyourpayment claim by way of a payment schedule and if the payment schedule states that the amount that the other party proposes to pay is less than the amount that you have claimed, then the Act requires that the other party sets out all the reasons for scheduling a lower amount. For example, it may be that the reason that the other party had given forrejectingthepaymentclaimisthatthe claimed work was defective, or that the value of the amount claimed has not been properly assessed. Whatever

the reason you should, when submitting youradjudicationapplication,specificallyrespondtothosereasons.Iftheotherparty alleges that your work is defective then you may wish to address this by providing photographs that clearly show that the works had been carried out in a workmanlike manner, or alternatively, you may wish to engage an independent industry expert to provide a written report endorsing the quality of your workmanship.Remember,ifyoudonotaddress the reasons that the other party hasgivenforrejectingyourclaimthentheadjudicatormaydeterminethatyoudon’t disagree with the reasons and therefore your claim can’t succeed.

So our message is that you should give careful consideration on how you can substantiate the progress payment claim you are making and whether you can provide the necessary documentation to support the entitlement of your claim,

especially where the other party is contesting such entitlement. Spending time and money in ensuring that your case is presented in the best possible manner is money well spent.

Finally, remember if you have any enquiriesontheadjudicationprocessthenyoucanalwayscontactAdjudicateToday on 1300 760297 or visit their website–www.adjudicate.com.au. Their staff provides free advice on how to comply with the security of payment legislation and there is no obligation

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“IamexceptionallyproudofwhatMasterBuilders has achieved for Canberra builders in my time as Executive Director. After nearly eight years as the organisation’s CEO, the organisation is financially strong and poised for the next phase of its future,” John Miller, Executive Director of Master Builders ACT said.

“Now is the perfect time for both Master Builders and myself to embrace new pastures,” John Miller said.

ValdisLuks,PresidentofMasterBuilders ACT, said “John has been a tireless and successful advocate for Canberra’s builders. His leadership will be sorely missed by Master Builders’ members and the territory’s building and construction industry.” “His departure will close the curtain on nearly eight years of achievement and open them on an organisation in great shape, to welcome a new era,” he said.

“He has successfully championed policies that helped the industry through the Global Financial Crisis and has worked closely with the ACT Government to achieve reforms for a stronger building industry and a stronger ACT economy,” he said.

“Under John’s watch the industry’s commitment to safety has been reinforced and Master Builders has taken a leading role in responding to the challenges set outintheGettingHomeSafelyReportandtheMrFluffyasbestosissue,”Valdissaid.

“John’s tenure has also seen Master Builders build on its 40 year commitment to providing pathways to rewarding careers for Canberra’s young people and a sustainable skilled workforce for the industry’s future,” he said.

“Master Builders’ Group Training’s highly successful model for providing high level building trade training to apprentices remains crucial for the industry and under John’s leadership the development of our new offices and training facility puts us up there with the best. The forging of a relationship with the University of Canberra to create career pathways for those seeking to advance in the industry has also been a significant achievement,” Valdissaid.

“John’s belief that a strong construction industry is essential for a strong ACT economy and enhanced community amenity has seen Master Builders take an increasing leadership role calling for policies to cut red and green tape in home building regulations to boost the housing

supply and tackle housing affordability issues,” he said.

“John has earned the right to depart at a time of his own choosing and leaves with our thanks and best wishes. His legacy is a stronger Master Builders Association that is well positioned to continue as the building and construction industry’s principaladvocate,”Valdissaid.

“The Board of Master Builders ACT will conduct an appropriately thorough and rigorous process to recruit John’s successor,” Mr Luks said.

Master Builders ACT Executive Director announces resignation.John Miller, Executive Director of Master Builders ACT has announced that he will leave the territory’s peak building and construction body after nearly eight years, effective from 31 March 2015.

John Miller: After eight years with the organisation, John Miller will resign in March 2015.

“SINCETAKINGTHEHELMATMASTERBUILDERSIN2007,JOHNHASBUILTANENVIABLERECORDOFACHIEVEMENTTHATWILLLEAVETHEORGANISATIONANDTHEINDUSTRyINCANBERRAINVERyGOODSHAPE,”-valdis luks

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Member Milestones, Life Membership, the Build the Community Award and a very educational speech by John MacKayAMwereallpartofanotherfantastic Master Builders ACT Annual Dinner in October.

Comedian Cal Wilson was in fine form keeping the audience entertained throughout the evening.

The Annual Dinner is the Master Builder’s premier networking event, where industry comes together for a social and networking evening. This function provides an annual forum for the industry to take stock of its performance over the past 12 months and to consider the outlook for the coming year.

The Build the Community Award was also presented during the evening. This award is given to a business or person whose achievements have contributed

to the community. This year’s award went to a number of organisations and individuals (pictured above) who have helped build the Boundless Canberra - The All Abiilities Playground. Stage 1 is now complete, with construction oftheremainingstagesoftheprojectunderway.

JohnMacKayAMwastheevening’sguest speaker and wowed the audience with tales from his life in the building and construction industry.

John has been a prominent member of the Canberra business community for nearly 20 years. During this time hehashadamajorimpactonseveralbusinesses, charities and community organisations. He had an unusual childhood (which he touched on during the evening) and a very interesting career in the federal government prior to joiningACTEWasCEOin1998.Hehaslived in Canberra for 45 years and has

occupied some of the highest profilejobsintheCity over the past 20 years. He is a currently Director on the boards of the Canberra InvestmentCorporation Pty Ltd, Little Company of Mary Healthcare,SpeedcastInternational,DataPod Pty Ltd and the Canberra Raiders.

John Mackay’s story is told in a book titled “Living on the Edge” written by Graham Downie, a former Canberra Timesjournalist.

The book is for sale at www. johnmackay.com.au

Master Builders ACTAnnual DinnerThe 2014 Master Builders Association of the ACT Annual Dinner was held at the National Museum of Australia. Comedian Cal Wison kept the guests entertained with her comedy throughout the night, whilst John MacKay AM shared his experiences in the building industry to an enthralled audience.

Build the Community Award: This year’s recipients of the Build the Community Award recognised for their

ongoing support of Boundless Canberra.

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An institution of Canberra’s building and construction industry was awarded Life Membership of Master Builders ACT at this year’s Annual Dinner.

“Hans Somer has provided over 20 years of long and distinguished service to the industry and Master Builders,” John Miller Executive Director of Master Builders said.

“Hans’ leadership of the Master Builders Work Health and Safety Advisory Group is an outstanding service to both Master Builders and the industry. His advocacy and promotion of improved safety on construction sites demands recognition,” he said.

“Master Builders has benefited enormously from his long period of service on the Association’s peak councils where the depth of his knowledge and expertise were invaluable and his wise counsel often sought,” John Miller said.

“These forums included the Associations Executive Committee, Peak Council, Chair and Professional Sector Council of which he was also Deputy Chair,” he said.

‘Hans has also represented Master Builders on numerous industry and government working groups where his contributions are widely respected by all parties’

- John Miller

“Hans has been a Director on 14 different ACTGovernmentjoint-venturelanddevelopmentboardspriortojoiningVillageBuildingCompanyin1998.Inmanaging their Wollongong office he had considerable involvement with both the EdgewoodandBulliprojects,”hesaid

“Hans’ contribution and commitment to industry and the Association has been invaluable and we at the Master Builders Association of the ACT are proud to welcome him as a Life Member,” John Miller said.

Life Membership: At this year’s dinner Hans Sommer was presented with a Life Membership to the Master Builders Association of the ACT, pictured here with fellow Life Members.

Cal Wilson: Comedian Cal Wilson entertained the audience with her hilarious comedy.

Events such as these are not possible without the generous and continued support of our sponsors.

23

Member AnniversariesCelebrating 35 years as Master Builders Association of the ACT members was Cercol Construction Services, one of the MBA ACT’s longest continuing members.

There were a number of members in attendance on the evening who had reached their silver anniversary (25years),includingManteena,RobinsonBuildingGroup and Wilde and Woolard (pictured below).

Celebrating 20 years membership included Stramit Industries(notinattendance),TrendWindows&Doors and Capital Landscapes Supplies.

35 year members: This year Cercol Construction Services celebrated 35 years with the Master Builders Association of the ACT.

20 years: Capital Landscape Supplies

25 years:RobinsonBuildingGroup

20 years: Schiavello (ACT) Pty Ltd

25 years:VillageBuildingCo.

20 years:TrendWindows&DoorsPtyLimited 25 years: Manteena Pty Ltd

25 years: Walpett Engineering 25 years:RiderLevettBucknallPtyLtd

25 years: Wilde and Woolard Pty Ltd

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Monday 17 November saw the Master Builders Association of the ACT hold its annual charity golf day at Federal Golf ClubinRedHill.Treatedtobeautifulweather, around 170 players took to the course to help raise funds for the Apprentice House. Several individual prizes were on offer such as nearest the pin and longest drive, as well as team trophies for best score.

Following the golf there was a three course dinner followed an hilarious speech from guest speaker , former AustralianTestcricketerRodneyHogg(41wicketsat12.85!).Rodneyhadthecrowd in stitches with his recollection of past tours, teammates and of course his (almost) unbeatable record of 41 wickets at 12.85 during the 78/79 summer. The auction on the night was well supported by the members, and by digging deep, the Apprentice House is in a fantastic position to assist four young apprentices in their housing needs whilst working for their qualification.

We very much appreciate the help with the auction from Andrew Mills of Bellevue BuildingandRowanGlanvilleofPeterBlackshaw, Woden.

At the end of the eveningtheBIGraffle prize was drawn–thewinnerof the Amarok Ute!RodneyHogghad the honour of drawing the winning

ticketwhichwenttoAndrewKerecofRenaissanceHomes.Andrewhasbeena long supporter of the MBA and a deserving winner of the raffle. Thank you to all those who supported this raffle, helping raise funds for the the Master Builders Skills Centre Building Fund.

Thank you to our Platinum Sponsor, Asset Construction hire, whose generosity in supporting this event has been incredible. The effort that Hunter and his team put into the day is amazing.

Toourothermajorsponsors,one steel, seears Workwear and Commonwealth Bank, thank you.

To all of our other sponsors, these days are not possible without your support. Again, we thank you for your generosity and effort in helping make these days the success they are.

Finally to our members. By supporting this day, you are helping some next generation builders achieve their dreams that may otherwise not be possible. Thank you.

Annual Charity Golf Day supporting Apprentice HouseThe 2014 Master Builders ACT Charity Golf Day was again held at Federal Golf Club, this year helping to raise funds for the Apprentice House.

A big thank you: Thanks must be made to the team from Asset Construction Hire. Their support of this event was incredible, and helped raise over $11,500 for the Apprentice House. Pictured above fromL-RareGrahamWilson,RodenyHoog,andHunterCocks.

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SETTiNG THE trend FOR WindoWs & doorsTREND WiNDOWS & DOORS iS AN AuSTRALiAN OWNED COMPANy ESTABLiSHED iN 1968 WiTH OVER 40 yEARS ExPERiENCE iN ALuMiNiuM, TiMBER AND ENERGy EFFiCiENT WiNDOWS & DOORS MANuFACTuRiNG.

Feature

photo: Trend Windows were used in the design and construction of this energy efficient home in Dickson.

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xtreme Bushfire Windows & doors Due to bushfires our living environment isbecomingmoreextreme.Infactmany homes lost to bush fires actually survive the main fire, only to fall victim to embers floating through shattered windows or doors.

That is why Trend has developed the Xtreme bushfire range of aluminium windows and doors. They take the top quality Quantum aluminium windows and doors range a step further - changing the design to protect Australian homes against the extremes of nature.

Timber Windows & doorsTrend have a large range of cedar, meranti and rosewood products available.

Trend thermAL Energy Efficient Windows & doorsAustralia is progressing rapidly towards a more energy efficient future. To improve energy efficiency in construction, significant changes have been made to the Building Code of Australia, including the introduction of mandatory 6 star ratings for new housing.

Trend®Windows&Doorshasundertaken extensive research and development to produce a more advanced and energy efficient product that enables these new building requirements to be achieved cost efficiently.

Trend thermAL® is a revolutionary hybrid window product combining the strength and security of aluminium with ERP,anewpatentedinsulatingskin.ERPisanadvancedExtrudedRigidPolymer, which incorporates a number of innovative properties.

These properties include pre-stressingto eliminate expansion and contraction, UVstabilisationtoprotectfromsunexposure and impact modification to protect against accidental damage.

Trend thermAL® has been designed toaccommodate double glazed units up to 24mm for maximum energy efficiency. With over 60 glazing options available, there is one to suit any situation or climate zone in Australia.

For design and aesthetic purposes, Trend thermAL® enables selection of a two colour option. One colour for

the aluminium exterior and a separate colourfortheERPinterior.Thecolourshave been tested for non-degradation and steadfastness in order to withstand harsh climatic conditions.

This innovative feature allows for a bold exterior colour choice while a more subtle and complimentary colour can be used for the interior.

When compared with existing energy efficient window options, Trend thermAL® is a more cost effective solution by far. Trend thermAL® is available in awning, casement and fixed windows as well as sliding, sliding stacker, hinged and bifold doors.

Xtreme® Bushfire Protection is available for Trend thermAL® awning, casement and fixed windows as well as hinged and bifold doors. All of which have been tested to BAL-40 to withstand extreme temperatures of up to 40kw/m2 in bushfire prone areas.

Aluminium Windows & doorsAluminium has always offered the advantage of durability and affordability. Now Trend’s latest range of aluminium windows and doors sees this versatile material come of age - setting new benchmarks for style and performance.

Trend has a range of different styles ofaluminiumwindows&doorstosuitanyprojectyouundertake.Theirrangeisendless,choosewindows&doorsfromSynergyResidentialSeries,Quantum Architectural Series, Crestlite Commercial Series or Trend thermAL Energy Efficiency Series.

You will find the crisp, clean lines of Trend’s contemporary aluminum look equates to timber when it comes to capturingjusttherightaspectorfeeling.

Trend Windows and Doors offer the widest range in Australia. So whatever type of home your are creating - traditional or modern, Trend aluminium windows and doors are the perfect solution for your needs making it simple to add the essential sense, light and space that has become the hallmark of the classic Australian home.

And when it comes to practicalities you will find everything you expect from aluminium and more. Everything from energy efficiency to security is enhanced by the latest thing in frames, glazing and hardware.

ConTACT dETAiLs

hume - sales showroom (sales, deliveries, service etc)74 Sheppard Street, Hume ACT 2620Tel: 61 (02) 6260 1266 Fax: 61 (02) 6260 1381

showroom hours - humeMon-Fri:8:00am-4:30pmSaturday:9:00am-12noon (not open Public Holiday weekends).

www.trendwindows.com.au

Trend Windows & doors were integral in helping withthebuildoftheFranklinCharityHouseproject

(pictured here and main photo).

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Strong business foundations Strong business foundations are built on quality are built on quality are built on quality insurance adviceinsurance adviceAs the preferred broker of the Master Builders As the preferred broker of the Master Builders As the preferred broker of the Master Builders Association, let Austbrokers Canberra provide your Association, let Austbrokers Canberra provide your business with specialist advice and local knowledge business with specialist advice and local knowledge for all your insurance needs.for all your insurance needs.

We can help you with:

Construction Insurance

Earthmoving, Quarrying, Plant and Machinery

Business Insurance

Workers Compensation (NSW & ACT)

As a leading national insurance brokerage, with a base in the heart of Canberra, your business can benefit from the expert knowledge of our local team, as well as the national bargaining power Austbrokers Canberra offers.

Having helped MBA members for over 15 years, our brokers understand the needs of your industry. We also understand the importance of maintaining the right cover for the right price.

Ausbrokers Canberra Pty Ltd. ABN 36 123 669 992 | Corporate Authorised Representatives of Austbrokers Sydney Pty Ltd. ABN 14 061 968 090 AFS Licence No 244244

Professional Indemnity Insurance

Commercial Motor Fleet

Public, Professional and Directors Liability

Sporting and Licensed Clubs

Talk to us today to ensure your needs are adequately covered.

P (02) 6280 5477 | www.austbrokerscanberra.com.au | @AustbrokersCBR

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Strong business foundations Strong business foundations are built on quality are built on quality are built on quality insurance adviceinsurance adviceAs the preferred broker of the Master Builders As the preferred broker of the Master Builders As the preferred broker of the Master Builders Association, let Austbrokers Canberra provide your Association, let Austbrokers Canberra provide your business with specialist advice and local knowledge business with specialist advice and local knowledge for all your insurance needs.for all your insurance needs.

We can help you with:

Construction Insurance

Earthmoving, Quarrying, Plant and Machinery

Business Insurance

Workers Compensation (NSW & ACT)

As a leading national insurance brokerage, with a base in the heart of Canberra, your business can benefit from the expert knowledge of our local team, as well as the national bargaining power Austbrokers Canberra offers.

Having helped MBA members for over 15 years, our brokers understand the needs of your industry. We also understand the importance of maintaining the right cover for the right price.

Ausbrokers Canberra Pty Ltd. ABN 36 123 669 992 | Corporate Authorised Representatives of Austbrokers Sydney Pty Ltd. ABN 14 061 968 090 AFS Licence No 244244

Professional Indemnity Insurance

Commercial Motor Fleet

Public, Professional and Directors Liability

Sporting and Licensed Clubs

Talk to us today to ensure your needs are adequately covered.

P (02) 6280 5477 | www.austbrokerscanberra.com.au | @AustbrokersCBRW O R KW E A R

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60 Barrier StreetFyshwick ACT

Tel: 02 6280 4111Fax: 02 6280 9111

Canberra’s largest workwear outlet. Your one stop workwear and safety shop.Full range of:

Order nowTrade and Master Builder member discounts apply

02 6280 4111www.seearsworkwear.com.au

W O R KW E A R

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Wid

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> Harnesses> First aid kits> Safety equipment> Protective clothing

> Corporate and trade uniforms> Wide range of protective gear> Workwear for all trades

Master Builders 2010Supplier of the Year Winner

paul Barnett, Paul Barnett Design Group

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On Wedesday 19th November, I presented a body of work spanning 22 years in the field of Architecture and Building Design at the Orana School Overture Hall.

TheHallitselfwasaprojectIcreatedduring the Building The Education Revolution(BER).Thepresentationcoveredadiverserangeofprojects,with particular insight into the Hall, anddemonstratedjusthowtalentedmany of Canberra’s artists, artisans and trasdespeople really are.

We have an enormous pool of talent in Canberra that is created by the Canberra School of Art, our Universities and Training Facilities and the ability to exercise these skills on many high profile public buildings and monuments that are part of Canberra’s heritage.

WhenIstartedmyfirmweprimarilyfocused on Education and Government work. My background was as a furniture maker and with a family of builders, it was in my blood.

WehaveworkedontheRAAFMemorial,Sliver 6, Australian of the Year Walk andIndigenousAboriginaldisplayatthe National Museum, all of which were wonderfulprojectstobeinvolvedin.Most of our work however, has been in education and we are finding an increased enthusiasm from trade’s people in this field.

Oneofourmostrecentprojectswasanew Trade Training Facility which was completed this year.

Daramalan College required a new facility to replace their aging metalwork and automotive facilities.

The new building has been designed to fit against the existing Gymnasium building and graduate in scale down from the relatively high mass of the Gymnasium to thesmallerscaleadjacentbuildingsaswellas allowing light into the courtyards to the south of the building.

The entry has been aligned to the natural pedestrian flow across the diagonal of the courtyard and creates a sheltered low level space at the entry foyer that opens up to the higher workshop spaces.

The building houses a metal workshop and automotive workshop complete with welding bays, fume cupboards and soldering bays.

The mechanical systems have been designed in stainless steel and created with a high level of precision and craftsmanship to demonstrate the skill and artisanship that is part of the metalwork and automotive trades.

Adjacenttotheautomotiveworkshopisthe vehicle hoist, maintenance areas and parts stores to assist demonstrations during class.

The building incorporates solar passive design with state of the art environmental controls and ceilings spaces that are raked to allow natural light to the work surfaces.

The detailing introduces recognition of the Design and Technology curriculum taught in these spaces.

Fine craftsmanship is evident from the moment you see the building and approach its entry.

Craftsmanship is Thriving in Canberra

“We have an enormous pool of talent in Canberra that is created by the Canberra School of Art, our Universities and Training Facilities and the ability to exercise these skills on many high profile public buildings and monuments that are part of Canberra’s heritage”

- Paul Barnett

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The entry awning is connected to the groundwithaVshapedsetofpostsandaheartshapedslabofRedgumheldbetween these posts.

The entry floor is comprised of blasted granite, recycled ironbark and 6mm thick mill finish aluminum checker plate.

The steel trusses in the main workshops are shaped in a bow reminiscent of 19th century steel bridges and workshop ceilings when steelwork was at its peak decoratively.

The building envelope is completely wrapped in insulation with sub-floor, connected to thermal insulation brick at slab level and high level insulation in the walls.Furthermore,theroofhasR7.5insulation.

The windows are made with high performance glazing with thermally broken frames and the orientation is north for solar passive gain.

External brickwork patterns to the east face refer to the cam chain and timing belt on a car motor.

AttheGymnasiumjunctionreferenceis made to a motors cam cover in brickwork and an exhaust manifold made up from 4 hot dipped galvanised steel downpipes and rainwater heads.

The symbolism refers to what is taught in the building, while the level of skill refers to the artisanship and craftsmanship required in a trade.

Overall the building was finely crafted and functional in design.Itisalowmaintenancebuildingwithmainly face brick walls, a finish preferred by school building owners.

The team work was inspiring on this project.

Itsitsasacredittothecollaborationbetween Client, Architect and Construction Manager and highly skilled Trades.

Daramalan College Business Manager Mr. Barry Smith, TPC Construction Manager Phil Carey, Site Foreman Pat Bourkeandmyteamhavejoineduptogether again this year to build a new food facility and recreation area on a ground floor podium inserted between 3 existing buildings and a new open learning area auditorium on the first floor.

We have introduced brick patterning to the interiors, bamboo paneling and custom made up lights as well as finally detailedcarpentry,joinery,partitionsandceilings.

Thiscurrentprojectisdueforcompletionin January 2105 and will be showcased at the next MBA Awards.

Ihavereallyappreciatedtheinputofallthetradespeopleontheseprojectsandithasbecomeanextremelyenjoyableprocess to create beautiful buildings with talented, dedicated and highly skilled professionals. Love your work everyone!

new facility: The new trade training facility at Daramlan College,Dickson.

The 2014 WorldSkills Australia National Competition was held in Perth recently. Themajoreventsawalmost500ofAustralia’s most talented trade and skill technicians representing 49 specialised skill categories at what is known as Australia’s largest trade and skill competition.

MBA Group Training Apprentice of the Year, Bradley Monkhouse, competed in the Carpentry category and after 18 hours of constructing a complex and challengingprojecthefinishedinaveryrespectable 11th place. The carpentry projectrequiredthecompetitorstobuilda triangular shaped gazebo, comprising a deck, three posts and a 20° roof which included a dormer section. The tolerances were extremely tight, with all lengths having to be within 1mm of thecalculatedlengthandalljointstohave no greater than a 1 mm gap. Brad put in a massive effort and should be congratulated for his achievements. He was interviewed during the competition andstated:

‘I’d like to thank MBA Group Training’s Brendan Lampard and my father Steve Monkhouse for all their help and support’

- Bradley Monkhouse

WorldSkills is the only event on the national events calendar which showcases the skills of Australia’s best youngVocationalEducationandTraining(VET)studentsandapprenticesandunites a diverse range of professions under the one roof including automotive, building and construction, computing and business, client services and hospitality services industries.

Throughout the competition, the competitors battled it out for the prestigious title of ‘Nation’s Best’, as well as the chance to become a 2015 Team Australia Skillaroo. The 2015 Skillaroos will be heading to Brazil to represent

Australia and their industry at the 43rd WorldSkillsInternationalCompetitioninSão Paolo in August 2015.

MBA Group Training would like to congratulate Bradley and all the apprentices and trainees who competed at the National Competition. Their achievements are a reflection of the commitment and passion they have demonstrated towards their chosen vocation.

Apprentices show their class at WorldSkills 2014WorldSkills Australia (WSA) aims to develop and nurture the skills of young Australians. Its purpose is to promote and build a skills culture by inspiring young people, celebrating skills excellence and providing them with an opportunity to showcase their trade and skill talent. We achieve this goal through competitions held on a regional, national and international level.

Well placed: MBA Group Training Apprentice of the Year, Bradley

Monkhouse during competition at the 2014 WorldSkills in Perth.

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hAZArdoUs ChEMiCALs

Workplace hazardous chemicals are substances, mixtures and articles used in the workplace that can be classified according to their health and physicochemical hazards. Health hazards are hazards like skin irritants, carcinogens or respiratory sensitisers that have an adverse effect on a worker’s health as a result of direct contact with or exposure to the chemical, usually through inhalation, skin contact or ingestion. Physicochemical hazards generally result from the physical or chemical properties, like flammable, corrosive, oxidising or explosive substances.

CLAssiFiCATion oF WorKpLACE hAZArdoUs ChEMiCALs

Since the introduction of the NOHSC modelRegulationsforthecontrolofworkplace hazardous substances (1994) and the Dangerous Goods Standard (2001), and their adoption by jurisdictions,hazardouschemicalshave

been classified by the Approved Criteria for Classifying Hazardous Substances and the Australian Code for the Transport ofDangerousGoodsbyRoadandRail(ADG Code).

With the adoption of the National model Work Health and Safety (WHS) Regulationsin2012,anewsystemof chemical classification and hazard communication on labels and Safety Data Sheets (SDS), based on the Globally Harmonised System of Classification and Labelling of Chemicals (GHS) will come into effect.

TrAnsiTionAL ArrAnGEMEnTs

There will be a 5 year transitional period for moving to the new GHS-based system, which will allow for the two systems to be used concurrently by industry.

Workplace chemicals will not need to be re-classified or re-labelled immediately. During the 5 year transition period, manufacturers may use either the GHS

for classification, labelling and SDS, or the previous hazardous substances and dangerous goods classification systems. After 31 December 2016, at the end of the 5 year period, all workplace chemicals must be classified according to the GHS and labels and SDS must be updated. This is illustrated in the above diagram, including the relevant documents to use for classification, labelling and SDS.

Further information on the transitional arrangements and how they apply to classification, labelling and SDS is provided on the safeWork Australia website.

Ifyouwouldliketodiscusstheseclassification changes, please contact phil Edwards, Work Health and Safety Advisor on (02) 6175-5905.

Globally Harmonised System of Classification and Labelling of Chemicals (GHS)A new standard for classification and labelling of chemicals

CODE OF PRACTICE | LABELLING OF WORKPLACE HAZARDOUS CHEMICALS86

The nine hazard pictograms that are representative of the physical, health and/or environmental hazards are shown below:

Pictogram Hazard Pictogram Hazard

Exploding bomb

- Explosive

Gas cylinder

- Gases under pressure

Flame

- Flammability

Corrosion

- Corrosive

Flame over circle

- Oxidising

Skull and crossbones

- Acute toxicity

Health hazard

- Chronic Health hazards

Exclamation mark

- Certain health Hazards (e.g. sensitisers)

Environment

- Environmental hazard

Chronic health hazards include carcinogens, reproductive toxins, mutagens, specific target organ toxicants, and aspiration toxicants.

APPENDIX F - HAZARD PICTOGRAMS

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seven years ago, rotarian susan Alexander was visiting the village of port resolution, on Tanna island, Vanuatu. While having a picnic lunch with the principal of the local Village school they talked about what could be done to support his remote school. Both agreed that a new school hall, kitchen and library would benefit this isolated community – and the initial plans were drawn with a stick in the dirt.

The most recent enhancement to the projectwastoinstallsolarpower,lightingand15computersandtoprovideITtraining for the teachers at the school on how to best teach these skills to the children.

Inintegralpartoftheprojectwasalsoto build a computer bench and seats in thelibrary.TheRotaryClubofHallwaslooking for a skilled carpenter to take on the team to undertake this side of the

project.JohnKenworthyoftheRotaryClub of Hall, approached the MBA to make available a third year apprentice for thetwoweekproject.TheMBAselectedBrad Fleming to take responsibility for thispartoftheproject.TheRotaryClub of Hall paid for the airfares and accommodation and MBA Group Training covered Brad’s wages whilst he wasontheproject.

AfterarrivinginVanuatu,Brad’striptoTannaIslandincludeda30minflightfromPortVila,thenaliftonthebackofatruckfor2.5hourstoPortResolution,on a road that is similar to a fire trial in Australia. This road disappears into rivers, swamps, over mountains, travels across a volcanic ash plain, past an active volcano that erupts every 10mins. An amazing adventure for the first time overseas traveller.

Once at the school Brad supervised the building of the computer bench andseats.TheaimofprojectsRotaryundertakes in developing countries is to provide training to the local people. Therefore, Brad worked with a couple oflocalcarpenterstoprovideonthejobtraining and to develop their skills. He showed them how to use power tools, “they had good hand skills developed from their traditional ways, initially we had some language difficulties, but it all worked out well” Brad said.

Rotary Club of Hall asks MBA Group Training apprentice to help in Vanuatu. From Weetangera to remote Port Resolution for community service project made an interesting two weeks for MBA Group Training apprentice, Brad Fleming.

Brad Fleming: Brad pictured here building some units and bench

seating for the computer classroom.

Job well done: Students try out the newly fittedcomputerclassroomonTannaIsland.

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Being responsible for purchasing the hardware and having the appropriate tools forthejobwasanimportantpartofBrad’sroleasPortResolutionisoneofthemoreremote islands and the nearest hardware storeisallthewaybacktoPortVila.

The timber they worked with was quite wet and not easy to use “The milling was not

consistent and the thickness ranged 10mm atleast,soIhadtodoalotofplanning”hesaid.Noelectricity,justgeneratorsforpower made life interesting especially when the locals wanted to charge their mobile phones.Bradsaid“Itwasfunnytheydidn’thave much but everyone seemed to have a mobile and nowhere really to charge it”.His accommodation was no tourist resort, BradstayedatthePortResolutionyachtclub,justsixbungalowseachwithabedandnoTV,“Theviewsweregreatandthefood was all fresh but got repetitive, so it was good to get home for a steak”.

Whenthecomputerfurnitureprojectwasfinished Brad undertook a number of jobsattheschool.Henegotiatedwithagroup of architect students from South Australia,alsoworkinginPortResolutiononaconstructionproject,toassistwiththeir equipment and expertise to determine the best solution to fix the guttering which was draining in the wrong direction. He built a lectern for the school and a storage frame for the gas bottles so they could be relocated outside the kitchen. He also designed and built a prototype seat for the kindergarten classroom.

Meeting lovely people, passing on skills and seeing another country was extremely worthwhile for Brad “They don’t have what we have, but love life and are the happiest peopleIhavemet”.WhennotworkingBrad got to see the island, had some long lunches, swam in the ocean and hot springs, visited the active volcano and did some fishing. As a parting gift Brad left some of his tools with the locals so they could further improve their skills.

Home again in Canberra, Brad is hosted by Brett Lentfer working on the John Paul College site. He says more travel is on the cards and thinks helping on another overseasprojectissomethinghe’dlike.

‘they don’t have what we have, but love life and are the happiest people I have met’ - Brad Fleming

TANNA

CANBERRA

VANUATU

Clockwise from left: Brad with the finished computerdesks.Bradworkingontheprojectwiththelocals.ThelocationofTannaIslandinthe Pacific.

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Widely accepted workflows in the construction industry are often a bad match with modern computer software. Many available software packages are difficult to learn and require yearly maintenance or license fees. Few are available over the internet or directly from a website. Even fewer are modularized to the extent that single functions, such as wage estimation, are immediately available.

When combined with the requirements for regular backups, the continual updating of anti-virus protection, and the remote use of software from a tablet, the maintenanceanduseofITinfrastructurecan quickly become time consuming and expensive. These hidden costs will significantly complicate the expense and managementofconstructionprojectsand budgets.

ConcapisanewInternetbasedservicethat addresses this problem. As an

online service it is available everywhere to provide accurate estimation of trade and labour base nett hourly rates for the AustralianConstructionIndustry.TheConcap website helps you to create spreadsheet based reports tailored to your specific requirements. These are immediately available for download through any popular web browser, e.g. Chrome,InternetExplorer,Firefox,orSafari.IndoingthisConcapprovidesmuchneededassistanceforprojectmonitoring.

Concap is the easy way to create accurateBaseNettHourlyRateEstimates. Here, “Base” means that not every worker award entitlement has been costedintotheNettHourlyRate.Thisis because over 40 years of experience has been distilled to provide the most significant, practical, and important entitlements. They are included as user-modifiable defaults at the website and are itemized in every generated spreadsheet report. “Nett” means cost only, so overheads and / or profit margins are not included.

InadigitalagetheConcapwebsiteisdesigned by a construction professional for construction professionals and talks yourlanguage:Theanswerstofivesimple questions define the contents of each report. 1. Which Trade or Labour type? Here, all classifications recognized bytheAustralianConstructionIndustry,suchasCivilandCivicjobclassifications,are available. 2. Which Agreement? Enterprise Bargain (the default is based

Concap-Base Nett Hourly Rate Estimating Software for the Australian Construction IndustryEffective management of labour costs is a continuing challenge for builders, project managers, estimators, foremen, and sub-contractors.

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on the CFMEU agreement) or Federal Award? 3. Which Application? Broad Estimate‒a materials and labour estimate in broad sheet format, Charge Out‒when an employer hires out one or more employees onhourlyrate,orIndividualWage‒employee remuneration as a base nett hourlyrate.4.WhatHourlyRate?Ordinarytime, overtime hours time and a half, or overtimehoursdoubletime.5.Includeorexclude a detailed and unique Productivity Factor? The Productivity Factor is defined as the fraction of a working day for which an employee is actually productive.

The Concap spreadsheet parametrizes the answer to each of these questions, and where they are useful, supplied default values can immediately be used. You can alter these default values to create reports adjustedtothepreciserequirementsofan estimate. For example, the number of paid days off per annum can be checked andadjustedasrequired,e.g.publicholidays, rostered days, annual leave, personal leave, and inclement weather. Other modifiable data and parameters used tocreatethereportinclude:awardrates,travel allowance, redundancy entitlement, superannuation entitlement, payroll tax percentage, worker’s compensation insurance premium percentage and associated stamp duty, and cost of summer and winter issue work clothing and safety boots.

Non-productive time is taken into account when calculating the costs associated with the Productivity Factor, for example, time taken at the start and end the work day, crib time (smoko), lunch time, toilet periods, and even details such as the time taken for the weekly toolbox safety talk, foreman’s instructions, and workface relocations. Finally, to facilitate management of the hard copy you obtain, reports can be individually named and titled.

AmajoradvantageoftheConcapwebsiteis that, even for a novice user, a report canbecompletedwithinafewminutes:Importantly,thereisnoregistrationorinstallation of expensive software required on your computer. You only pay for exactly what you want, a PDF printable report which gives a permanent record itemizing all relevant details of each nett hourly rate estimate.

These reports are not only highly useful forbuilders,projectmanagers,estimators,foremen, and sub-contractors, but also forIndividualWageApplications,asremuneration, in the format of an “all-in hourly rate”. They are invaluable for management, budget tracking, and communicationwithinalargeproject.

Concap is the brainchild of Nicholas Diakonoff who has almost 40 years of experience in the construction industry. During his career he has worked as a tradesman, leading hand tradesman, self-employed sub-contractor, construction supervisor, site manager, estimator, contract administrator, construction manager, and fitoutandpropertydevelopmentprojectmanager.

Nick currently holds Queensland Building Services Authority Builder Open (Nil Restrictions),NomineeSupervisor(NilRestrictions),PlastererDryWallandCeilingsContractor(NilRestrictions),andPassiveFire Construction Building Certification Licences. He also holds an Australian Capital Territory Builder Class A (Nil Restrictions)Licence.

Throughout his career, Nick’s ultimate goal has been to formalize his knowledge, experience, and resources to develop moreobjectiveandquantifiedconstructionestimating procedures and outcomes. He is experienced in all aspects of the AustralianConstructionIndustryandknowsthejobinsideout.Hebringsthenecessaryexpertise into the 21st century and with his software and website development partners makesitavailableontheInternetfromauser-friendly interface.

To bring this dream to fruition Nick has recently partnered in a collaboration with Hugo Cornelis and Allan Coop. Hugo is a highly experienced scientific software architect and developer with an international reputation while Allan has recently returned to Canberra bringing more than a decade of international experience with concept design, interaction design, user interface and information architecture, prototyping, and workflow specification development.

Together the choices they have made about the Concap website and the parametrization of its functions and algorithms reflect more than 80 man years of experience.

The collaboration has resulted in Concap Industriesreleasingawebbased,“AustralianConstructionIndustryBaseNettHourlyRateEstimatingProgram”.Itcanbefound at www.concapindustries.com.au and is the first module of an estimating software platform which now provides accurate and current estimates of base nett hourly rates for trades and labour in theAustralianConstructionIndustry.Asan introductory offer, all reports are free to download until the end of January 2015. Afterwards, the cost of reports will be $9.95 each, paid online by credit or debit card.

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My name is nathan spencer and i am a proud second generation builder in the ACT. i successfully applied for a scholarship placement with the Master Entrepreneur program and with the intention of meeting new people, learning new skills and building relationships with the MBA and its mentors, i found the program exceeded all my expectations.

Iattendedthedaymentoringsessionand met a lot of builders and industry leaders who generously gave their time to tell us their stories and answer ourquestions.Iwasthengiventheopportunity to select a mentor for ongoing coaching. Two mentors stood out in my mind - Mark McConnell and Jim Sell. Although Jim Sell’s reputation asabuilderisuniqueIfeltthathavingtwo high quality traditional builders as directors and mentors here at Cercol, IwouldbenefitfromchoosingMarktoget a different perspective on so many issues.AyearonandIcouldn’tbehappier, having achieved many of the goalsIsetmyself.Markhasprovided

general business advice which got me focussed on thinking of the future for myself and Cercol. He is a great bloke and always takes the time to chat, hang outandhaveabeer.Ilookforwardtomany years bouncing ideas off Mark. As it turned out Mark had Jim building his

newfamilyhomeandIhaveseveralsitevisits spending time on site with Jim. His attention to detail and the respect he has from his clients, staff and sub-contractors is inspiring. Meeting and spending time with Jim has reassured me that reputation and fortune doesn’t

Master Entrepreneur program leads young builder to amazing opportunity.A recent chance to be mentored by two incredible businessmen has led to one young builder grabbing the opportunity with both hands and it’s already paying dividends.

opportunity: Nathan Spencer (pictured centre) from Cercol Construction Services says working onprojectslikethiswithabuildersuchasJimSell(picturedthirdfromleft)isanopportunitytolearnfrom one of the best in the business.

iconic build: An iconic country residence being constructed by Jim Sell (Quality Country Homes).

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comeovernightandthatthegoalsIhavesetareattainable.Ibelieve the MBA Master Entrepreneur program has fast tracked me5yearsandhasmaturedmeastothewayIwillapproachbusinessinthefuture.IthanktheMBAforseeinganeedforsuchaprogramandIhopeithasbeenasusefulforotherbuildersasithas for me.

Why MEnTorinG is iMporTAnT by Jerry howard

Master Builders has been around for over 100 years and in this period we, as an association, have developed an incredible knowledge base. This knowledge has been gained through generations of builders passing on their knowledge and skills to second and third generation builders. When we, at Master Builders, in partnership with the Master Builders Fidelity Fund, conceived the concept of establishing a mentoring program to mentor and assist our younger builders, our first thoughts were why not use the incredible resources of our local business people to mentor these young and aspiring individuals.

The concept of the program, which is managed by Mary-Anne Waldren, MAW Action Pty Ltd, received strong support from the MasterBuildersFidelityFund.Oneoftheprimaryobjectivesofthe Fidelity Fund is to assist young builders in particular with their business development to ensure financial viability and prosperity.

Inexcessof30scholarshipswereofferedtoemerging,youngbusiness people and those lucky enough to be selected gained an excellent insight and additional one-on-one mentoring from some of Canberra and the region’s most successful business entrepreneurs.Thefeaturestoryisjustaboutonesuchindividual–NathanSpencer–andtheincredibleknowledgethathehasgained, firstly from his primary master mentor, David Maxwell and secondly, through his association with Jim Sell, Master Builder.

Nathan will tell his own story to many of his close business associates. So, in a sense, Nathan will pass on his acquired knowledge to other young and aspiring business entities. What a great business story.

“a year on and I couldn’t be happIer, havIng achIeved many of the goals I set myself.” - nathan spEnCEr, CErCol

About the Master Entrepreneur program

An elite group of over 30 of Canberra’s brightest young business people have been mentored by five of the best in the building business recently, in a high-octane workshop that past participants have reported to have been career changing.

Most of the award-winning builders in the Master Entrepreneur Program (MEP) are under 30 years of age. The Master Mentors, who command billion-dollar budgets, are pioneers in their fields. The MEP was conducted on 31 October at the Canberra Business PromotionCentre,RegattaPoint.

The five Master Entrepreneur were:

Mark McConnell,whohasmadetheBRWyoungRichListninetimes. He operates private equity funds, owns a cattle farm near Hall and is developing export channels for beef products into China.

DirectoroftheRiverviewGroup,david Maxwell, oversees large developmentprojectsintheACT,NSWandVictoria.Hespentmore than a decade as Woolworth Limited’s National Development Manager (Property Development).

Chief Executive of the Green Building Council of Australia, romily Madew,waslistedasoneofthe100WomenofInfluencelastyear.RomilyisontheWorldGreenBuildingCouncilBoardandchairstheWorldGBCInternationalRatingTollsTaskGroup.

ManagingDirectorandCEOofCICAustralia,Col Alexander oAM,turnedCICAustraliaintooneoftheregion’slargestandmostsuccessful land subdivision and development companies.

Multi-award-winning builder, Jim sell, is renowned as the builder who constructs the multi-million-dollar homes of the rich and famous in the Southern Highlands of NSW.

The designer of the MEP, Mary-Anne Waldren, is the ultimate business matchmaker. She delivers the mentors, the knowhow andpersonaladviceforparticipants.Runthisdynamicprogramforthe leaders in your organisation or business field. Mary-Anne can facilitate the program or train you to run it yourself and make a profit doing so.

Contact Mary-Anne Waldren Web:www.maryannewaldren.com.auEmail maw@maryannewaldren.com.au Mobile:0412340622

Future Leaders – 30 of Canberra’s brightest young business people attend a Master Entrepreneurs function. Photo Courtesy of Hilary Wardhaugh photography.

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AnotherhighlysuccessfulKidsAssist Program has seen twenty four enthusiastic students graduate on Friday, 21 November at the PBS Building Site in Harrison. A graduation ceremony and breakfast was held on the construction site students have been working on throughout the program. The event also coincided with National Carpenters Day. The MBA Group Training hosted a jointeventcomplementarytoattendeesin celebration of the graduation and National Carpenters Day.

“The continued support this program receives from our industry is encouraging for the development for future generations of tradespersons” John Miller, Executive Director of Master Builders ACT said.

‘The Kids Assist Program has an emphasis on providing young school students, who are at risk of not completing school, the support and mentoring they need to strive in their future personal and professional endeavours’

- John Miller

“The program enables students to complete their Year 10 certificate whilst developing fundamental life skills” Mr Miller said.

“On behalf of Master Builders ACT, particularly our Group Training staff, it gives me great pleasure for to have executed such a successful apprentice program. The dedication, commitment and passion these students display is encouraging for the longevity and high quality standard of the industry in the

nearfuture.Iwishallstudentswellontheir future ventures and am excited to see their careers flourish”

A special thank you to Warren Ahrens of PBS Building who has continually supported this program for the past 10 years. Warren was again pleased to be able to offer an apprenticeship to one of the young adults that had completed the KidsAssistprogram.

A big thanks also to Jono at Total Tools, who came out to showcase some of the products they have in store, and to OzHelp for providing the barbecue and food and drinks for the breakfast. These events are not possible without this type of support, and it is much appreciated.

Kids Assist program another successThe 2014 MBA Group Training Kids Assist program has once again been an outstanding success. With the dedicated MBA Group Training staff, working with PBS Building, another class of students has graduated from the program.

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The inspiration for this calendar is Gerald “Geza” McClinton; Geza is a dynamic young man in his mid- twenties employed as a site Foreman at Monarch Building solutions.

InMarch2013Gezatookataxihomeafteradinneranddrinkswithfriends in Dickson, on the taxi ride to his home he and the taxi driver argued about the fare, but upon arriving home, Geza paid what was owed and started to walk to his home.

The taxi driver drove up the street and did a u turn then drove back to where Geza was walking and ran over him. Geza was caught under the car and dragged approximately 50 metres along the street causinglifethreateninginjuries.Geza’slifewassavedbyaneighbourwho heard a noise and came to investigate and upon finding Geza on the road called for an ambulance. The taxi driver is currently serving a prison sentence as a result of his actions.

Gezareceivedextensiveandlifethreateninginjuriestothisarms,torsoandlegs,andsincetheaccidenthasendured12majoroperations and a multitude of skin grafts. Unfortunately he still has further surgeries ahead of him to get him back to close to “original condition”. He has recently started back at work on a return to work program that involves restricted hours and duties.

As a testament to the character of this young man he has tried to return to work “to do anything to help”, since returning to work he has been physically working as hard as his body will allow. He is obviously frustrated by the restrictions that he has to encounter but he is very determined to succeed and get back to a normal working life.

The accident has had a huge financial impact on Geza, so the Monarch Building Solutions Directors have been supporting him as much as possible during the period he has been recovering. Geza has not received any insurance payments to date, therefore the staff of Monarch Building Solutions have decided to produce a calendar with tastefully nude photographs of a number of staff members that will hopefully raise some seriously needed funds for Geza. We have been well supported by a number of suppliers and contractors who have sponsored the production of the calendar. These very generous donations will allow us to direct all money that is raised from the sales of the calendars to Geza. We would strongly suggest that if you are looking for a supplier or contractor please see those who are listed on the calendar as they are good honest people who are prepared to help others.

Ifyoucouldhelpuspromotewiththesalesofourcalendars,itwouldbe immensely appreciated.

Let’snotforgetthatGezaenduredhorrificinjuriesmentallyandphysically that no one in their right mind deserves.

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To whoever can help? Geza needs it.

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www.mba.org.auThe MBA web site is our principal medium for supply of information and advertising the Association. Training opportunities, member benefits including IndustrialRelationsandWork,Healthand Safety advice, news items, events, publications and our products can all be viewed online. We post NEWS items on a daily basis and are looking to increase our online presence through social media.

Mobile device accessThe new website will allow for changes in both technology, and the way people accesstheirinformationonline.Includedin the redesign is a cross-platform friendly capability. This means you will be able to view the site on your mobile phone or tablet, and the site will reconfigure to the device’s dimensions tomakeitamoreenjoyableuserexperience (i.e. no more zooming in).

social mediaWe are also developing a social media presence online, including Twitter (@MBA_Canberra),ayouTubeChannel,Facebook and a Blog called iBuilder.tips. As this is an opinion platform, we will be looking for contributions from members to provide material for this blog.

We hope to launch the new website in January 2015.

New Master Builders ACT website coming online soonIn keeping up with changes in technology, and the way users access information on the web, theMaster Builders Association of the ACT has been developing a new website for its members.

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A group of 25 Chinese government officials, who are responsible for government office building energy savings, visited Canberra to learn about Australia’s relevant policies, regulations, technologies, techniques and tools as well as practice.

ProfessorPatrickZou,Chairofbuildingandconstructionmanagement at University of Canberra presented a series oflecturesentitled“Buildingenergysavings:anAustraliaPerspectives”. These lectures were coupled with a visit to the Nishi development site in which the federal government DepartmentofIndustryislocatedwithin.TheNishivisitwasarranged by Master Builders Association of the ACT. During

theNishivisit,twoprofessionalsfromColliersInternationalprovided an overview of the building’s green technologies to the delegates, who also asked many questions. Ms Jane Montgomery-Hribar,DirectorStrategicProjectsinAPCCalsoprovided a session on “Australia National Green Leasing Policy” to the delegates.

Overall, the Chinese Delegates, that were drawn from national and provincial offices, were very satisfied with the visit and lectures, and indicated their strong willingness to develop mutual and on-going collaborations for research and practice in the field of government building energy saving.

Chinese delegation visit Canberra for Building energy Savings Forum

COMMERCIAL BUILDING RECOVERS TO HIGHEST LEVEL SINCE G.F.C.

and sectors before the building industry can play a sustainable role in underpinning GDP and jobs growth after the resources boom.

Business conditions edged higher in the September quarter although the rate of recovery slowed (see chart). The result

-ers’ own business activity.

It appears the ‘pulse’ of building and construction at the national level is being affected by different conditions at state and sector levels.

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Sep-99 Sep-02 Sep-05 Sep-08 Sep-11 Sep-14

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housing Market Cools As new supply Begins To Come on stream

The slight fall in the latest ABS housing finance data is further evidence that claims of an unsustainable housing boom are exaggerated.

“Thefallof0.7percentseasonallyadjustedinthetotalnumberof owner occupied housing finance commitments for September shows such fears to be misguided,” Peter Jones Chief Economist of Master Builders Australia said.

“Builders welcome the slight cooling as excessive speculative activity can lead to undue price pressures and difficulties sourcing materials and labour inputs,” he said.

“For new building, what is needed is a solid and sustained flow of finance over a number of years to redress the previous period of underbuilding which resulted in the current housing undersupply and affordability pressures,” Peter Jones said.

“This is why the good news story in the latest data is the 2.1 per cent increase in owner occupier new housing construction and purchase of new building in September that confirms a sustainable annual increase of 10.0 per cent,” he said.

“Investorcommitmentsfornewbuildingcontinuestotrendhigher, up by more than 20 per cent through the year increasing their share of new borrowing, builders remain concerned at the continuing absence of first home buyers from the market,” Peter Jones said.

“Finance for construction and purchase of new building grew steadily in Queensland and Tasmania in the three months to September compared to the same period in 2013,” he added.

Unit Volatility signals housing Market shift

Builders remain confident despite a fall back in the September quarter as the housing upturn consolidates and responds to changing market conditions.

“The residential building upturn looks set to hold at strong levels as apartment approvals ‘take a breather’ after the previous red hot growth phase,” Peter Jones, Chief Economist Master Builders Australia said.

“The11percentseasonallyadjusteddeclineinSeptemberwasdriven by a fall of 22 per cent seasonally in units and apartments due mainly to the longer lead times in gaining approvals for apartment developments and is expected to bounce back,” he said.

“Builders will be looking for a lift in approvals for detached houses to keep momentum in the housing upswing,” Peter Jones said. “InthethreemonthstoSeptemberthenumberofapprovalstopped 50,000 for an annualised 200,000 following on from the 194,000 recorded in financial year 2013/14,” he said.

“Ingoodnewsfortwoofthenation’ssmallerhousingsectors,Tasmania and South Australia respectively recorded rises of 7.1 percentand2.8percentseasonallyadjusted,”PeterJonessaid.

reforms reinforce primacy of safety on Building sites

ReformsannouncedbytheGovernmenttorebalanceandfine-tune safety regulations in the building and construction industry will lead to better safety outcomes.

“The reforms will reinforce the primacy of safety on building sites,” Wilhelm Harnisch CEO of Master Builders Australia said. “Eliminating counter-productive paper based compliance and regulatory duplication will allow builders and contractors to focus on what is important which is improving safety not sitting in site sheds completing unnecessary compliance paper work,” he said. “The changes to the Government’s Building and Construction Work Health and Safety Accreditation Scheme will streamline regulatory requirements for builders with good safety records, freeing them up to implement practical measures to enhance safety,” Wilhelm Harnisch said.

“The reforms will improve the ability of the Federal Safety Commissioner to work with builders and contractors to improve compliance with safety laws while lightening the regulatory load for those who do the right thing,” he said.

“Inadditiontomakingtheindustrysafer,themeasureswillprovidefurther community benefits such as reducing unnecessary increases in building costs which only exacerbate housing affordability pressures,” Wilhelm Harnisch said.

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“Master Builders fully supports the Government’s steps to improve safety by responsibly cutting red tape for building and construction contractors, particularly small firms that comprise 98% of the industry,” Wilhelm Harnisch said.

Commercial Building recovers From GFC

Commercial construction has recovered to the highest level since the Global Financial Crisis (GFC) according to the latest national survey of the building and construction industry.

“Master Builders Australia’s National Survey of Building and Construction shows commercial building has ticked into positive territory for the first time in five years since the GFC,” Peter Jones Master Builders Chief Economist said.

“For the second consecutive quarter the Survey shows improvement in the current business conditions of commercial builders while the index measuring expectations of future activity also rose sharply,” he said.

“Driving the recovery is increased confidence in the prospects for commercial construction as the upturn in residential building strengthens and evolves”.

“The Survey shows the transition to non-mining related investment in the economy is gaining traction but that the recovery in building activity needs to broaden across states and territories for the industrytosustainablyunderpinincreasedGDPandjobsgrowth,”Peter Jones said.

Jobs Growth The Winner From rebounding Building Activity

Job opportunities are set to improve on the back of rebounding building activity according to the latest national survey of the building and construction industry.

“Master Builders National Survey of Building and Construction for the September quarter shows that the recovery in commercial building to the highest level since the Global Financial Crisis (GFC) and the continuing positive outlook for residential building should proveafillipforjobprospectsintheindustry,”PeterJonesChiefEconomist, Master Builders Australia said.

“The Survey index recording builders’ employment intentions for the next six months increased in the previous quarter while the apprentice index also crept higher with nearly 23% of builders indicating they are likely to put on more apprentices,” he said. “With forecast growth ahead for both residential and commercial building the economy, ‘tradies’ and the community are poised to reap the benefits,” Peter Jones said.

Master Builders Welcomes Action on secondary Boycotts

Master Builders Australia welcomes the legal action launched by the ACCC against the CFMEU and its officials for secondary boycotts against Boral.

“Master Builders strongly supports the ACCC in seeking to make the CFMEU comply with the law, particularly in the light of the evidenceheardbytheRoyalCommissionandCounselAssisting’ssubmissions to Commissioner Dyson Heydon on this matter,” Wilhelm Harnisch CEO of Master Builders Australia said.

“Secondary boycotts are brutal industrial tactics that inflict financial damage on employers to cow them into submitting to unreasonable union demands. Master Builders has consistently called for action by regulators to suppress this conduct,” he said.

“Building unions must understand that there is not one set of laws forthemandanotherfortherestofthecommunity.Itistaxpayerswho suffer because secondary boycotts force them to pay more for less community infrastructure,” Wilhelm Harnisch said.

“The ACCC has indicated that it has experienced difficulties in gathering sufficient evidence to mount this legal action. That is why Master Builders is calling for a building industry watchdog with the stronger powers of the Australian Building and Construction Commission to be given responsibility for secondary boycotts in the building and construction industry,” Wilhelm Harnisch said.

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Valdis Luks Master Builders ACTKaty Gallagher MLA Chief Minister of the ACT Paul Powderly Colliers International

Thursday 21 AugustSponsored by Colliers International

Valdis Luks Master Builders ACTSimon Corbell MLA Minister for Light Rail, EnvironmentJohn Randall Indesco

Tuesday 2 SeptemberSponsored by Indesco

Valdis Luks Master Builders ACTMick Gentleman MLA Minister for PlanningDavid Kimmorley Balmain

Thursday 4 SeptemberSponsored by Balmain

Andrew Stewart CBREDavid Dawes Economic Development DirectorateValdis Luks Master Builders ACT

Tuesday 21 OctoberSponsored by Village Building Co.

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Tuesday 14 OctoberSponsored by Village Building

Senator Eric Abetz Federal Minister for Employment

Friday 28 OctoberSponsored by Meyer Vandenberg Lawyers

Valdis Luks Master Builders ACTDavid Atken CbusSteve Bracks AC CbusStephen Tunley Balmain Investments

Friday 21 NovemberSponsored by Master Builders

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The Master Builders Fidelity Fund was established in 2002 to protect the interests of both consumers and builders in the ACT.For Builders, the Master Builders Fidelity Fund provides financial certainty as money held by the Fund remains in the ACT. It is securely invested and used for the betterment of the ACT builders and consumers and is therefore not subjected to the vagaries of international markets and events.

The Fidelity Fund issues Fidelity Certificates which provide consumer protection for owners of new homes and those making significant changes to homes. The Certificates protect the owner during construction and for up to six years from the date of practical completion.

Master Builders members receive reduced premium rates and we also offer special discounts for volume users of the Fidelity Fund. For more information contact the Master Builders Fidelity Fund.

Go online and find the cover that is right for you.www.mba.org.au/fidelity_fund

Peace of mind.

Master Builders Fidelity Fund1 Iron Knob St, Fyshwick ACT 2609 | PO Box 1211, Fyshwick ACT 2609Tel: (02) 6175 5995 Fax: (02) 6257 8349 Email: mbff@mba.org.au Web: www.mba.org.au

You’re invited to join Master Builders from around Australia to be part of the most exciting and rewarding building Industry Event in 2015! The Master Builders biennial National Conference will be held 12-14 November 2015 at Jupiters Hotel Convention Centre Broadbeach Gold Coast, a fully appointed one stop conference venue with over 540 superbly appointed accommodation rooms with easy access to beaches, restaurants, shopping centres, Theme Parks and attractions.

The National Conference ‘Building Australia’ will deliver a comprehensive program of high profile speakers that will examine the building industry outlook and topics relevant to today’s building and construction industry. The conference includes a fully incorporated partners program, an exhibition and an exciting social program.

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