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In fact, it accounts for almost 30% per cent of home energy use. The Australian Government is helping Australian households install environmentally friendly hot water systems. Rebates are available to eligible households when a solar or heat pump hot water system is installed. Different eligibility criteria exist, depending on the rebate being applied for.

Replacing old electric water heaters with a more efficient and sustainable hot water solution may save you money and help the planet too, which is why the Federal and some State Governments are offering substantial rebates for a range of environmentally friendly hot water systems.

Rebates help more people convert to energy efficient hot water and increase our chances of adhering to internationally accepted emission levels (like the Kyoto agreement). Compelling reasons to convert to energy efficient hot water include:

Reduce your carbon emissions significantly �by converting from an electric storage system to a solar or heat pump system.

Significant running cost savings (versus a �standard electric hot water system) may be achieved if installing a solar or heat pump system.

Financial rebates are available at the �moment. Some of these rebates will come to an end in the next 12 months. The rebates on offer could mean that you end up paying less for an environmental system than if you purchased a standard hot water system.

It is likely new legislation will be �introduced in the next 3-5 years, which will ban traditional electric storage water heaters from being installed in domestic households. When this occurs, chances are some of the rebates currently on offer will be discontinued. So the smart choice is to install a more efficient hot water system in the next 12 months and capitalise on the rebates while they are at their peak.

For more information visit www.hotwaterrebate.com.au

Water heating via a standard electric hot water heater is the largest single source of greenhouse gas

emissions from the average Australian home.

Reduce Carbon Pollution

SolaR Hot Water Systems

Ed

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Master Builders Association of the ACT1 Iron Knob St, Fyshwick ACT 2609

PO Box 1211, Fyswick ACT 2609Tel: (02) 6247 2099Fax: (02) 6249 8374

Email: canberra@mba.org.auWeb: www.mba.org.au

MASTeR BuIlDeRS exeCuTIve COunCIl

President – Ross Barrett

Treasurer – Simon Butt

Commercial Builders Council Chair – Sam Delorenzo

Civil Contractors Council Chair – Peter Middleton

Residential Builders Council Chair – Andrew Kerec

Professional Consultants Council Chair – Hans Sommer

Suppliers and Subcontractors Council Chair – Peter Fairburn

MASTeR BuIlDeRS MAnAGeMenT TeAM

executive Director – John Miller

Deputy executive Director – Jerry Howard

Director Industrial Relations – Frank Gillingham

Director Skills Development & Research – Grant Daly

Marketing & Membership Development Manager – David leitch

MASTeR BuIlDeRS GROuP TRAInInG

General Manager – Wendy Tengstrom

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The report identifies the five main priority areas for Government-funded training as: the government services industry; construction and property services industry; community services and health industry; innovation and business skills industry and; the services sector.

The veT Priorities Report analyses areas of skills and skills needs in the ACT. It is used by the Department of education and Training to determine its priorities for training funding support.

In addition to the five training priority areas the report also identifies five areas of “enabling skills and priorities” which are required

across industries and sectors to facilitate skills development and the establishment of a training culture. The enabling priorities for 2009 are: business services, particularly supervision and management; information technology; employability skills; recognition of existing skills and; training and assessment.

In discussing the ACT building and construction industry, the report says “the demand for training in the ACT construction and plumbing sector remains strong. The industry must also meet the challenge of

replacing experienced workers as they retire. Regulatory and licensing

requirements are another major driver for training in this industry sector.”

It says there have been ongoing skills shortages in most of the construction trades over the past

10 years, although this is slowing,

especially in trades such as solid plastering and stonemasonry where employment opportunities are declining. There will be continuing strong demand in carpentry/joinery, bricklaying and roof tiling.

The report also says the ACT plumbing industry is trialling an innovative approach to attracting students through the Certificate III in Plumbing as an Australian School-based Apprenticeship (ASBA). The Building and Construction Industry is developing close links to schools in order to attract students to the trades, it says.

The veT Priorities Report says a contributing factor to local skills shortages is the lack of qualified employers to employ and/or host apprentices. This also impacts on the ability of schools to source suitable placements for ASBAs.

The report says the Council of Australian Government’s reforms to national licensing arrangements are likely to have a significant impact. existing workers and employers may require up-skilling and/or retraining in order to meet the licensing requirements.

Within the industry it says priority occupations are:

Bricklaying �

General Plumbing �

Roof Tiling �

Painting �

Construction Project Managers/Builders �

The ACT Government has published its annual veT Priorities Report for 2009. Construction and property services industry are one of the five priority areas

for Government-funded training for 2009.

Building andconstructionPart of act

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The Bill was passed by the Senate and into law after independent senators nick xenophon and Steve Fielding agreed to a compromise over the definition of a small business for the purposes of unfair dismissal rules.

A small business will be defined as one with fewer than 15 full-time equivalent workers until 2011, when the definition will change to 15 workers (irrespective of the hours each work).

The Government’s preferred position had been 15 (full or part-time) employees.

A transition bill annuls the current Workplace Relations Act 1996 except for schedule 1 (which deals with registered organisations) and schedule 10 (which deals with transitional registered associations).

General protections, unfair dismissal, right of entry and stand down frameworks will be the first elements of the legislation implement. They will take effect from 1 July 2009.

From 1 January 2010 provisions in relation to the national employment Standards (neS) and modern awards will commence.

Fair WOrk Bill passed by parliamentThe Government has secured passage of its controversial Industrial

Relations changes, the Fair Work Bill, through parliament.

December 2009, will be known as ‘transitional instruments’.

The Australian Fair Pay Commission, Workplace Authority, and Australian Industrial Relations Commission and the Australian Industrial Registry will cease to exist on 31 July 2009, 31 January and 31 December 2010 respectively. The Fair Work Ombudsman will take over the functions of the Workplace Ombudsman and Workplace Authority from 1 July 2009.

Alert on uncommerciAl property trAnsActions

Tax Commissioner Michael D’Ascenzo has issued two “Taxpayer Alerts” warning that the Australian Taxation Office is closely examining “uncommercial property arrangements” that try to obtain unintended GST benefits.

The Alerts cover arrangements where a landowner and its associate delay invoicing and payment for construction services in an attempt to claim input tax credits and/or avoid GST.

“We are concerned that these arrangements try to use the GST

provisions in a way that is not intended under the legislation,” Mr D’Ascenzo said. “using an associate in this way is often a feature of aggressive tax planning arrangements and we currently have doubts about the effectiveness of the arrangements.”

The first Taxpayer Alert covers arrangements designed to minimise GST under the margin scheme and maximise credits. The second covers the use of an associate to construct residential premises for lease.

While the political debate focused on the symbolic issue of the definition of a small business for the purposes of unfair dismissal, the legislation implements a sweeping reform in Australia’s industrial relations framework.

The purpose of the Bill is ultimately to replace the current Workplace Relations Act 1996 with industrial legislation designed to promote collective bargaining and broader workplace rights for employees.

Master Builders Australia CeO Wilhelm Harnisch, in the Senate inquiry into the bill before its passage, warned that some clauses in the Bill had the potential to increase the level of industrial disputes and make it harder to reach agreements. He stressed that the Bill had many good features that Master Builders supported, but that some of its provisions were too favourable to union interests and could lead to a revival of unwarranted union power.

The Bill provides for the referral at a later (unspecified) date, of powers from the states to the Commonwealth for private sector workplace relations, laying the basis for a uniform national approach to workplace relations regulation.

The minimum conditions of employment in the neS and minimum rate of pay contained in the “modern award” will prevail over existing regulations. Individual Transitional employment Agreements made before 31

Fair Work Australia is empowered to make ‘take-home pay orders’ for individuals or groups when their pay has been reduced as a result of moving onto modern awards.

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The Blueprint, outlining the Master Builders’ key OH&S principles has been developed against the background of the recent Council of Australian Government’s agreement to work towards uniform national OH&S regulation.

The ACT legislative Assembly last year also passed new ACT Work Safety legislation, introducing new OH&S requirements in the ACT.

The Master Builders Blueprint will form the basis of the Master Builders’ negotiating position on uniform national OH&S legislation.

The Blueprint says the Master Builders’ two main OH&S policy objectives are:

improved building and construction �industry OH&S performance; and

a national, consistent OH&S regulatory �framework that is reasonable and fair to employers.

It says the Master Builders supports the development of “a nationally consistent regulatory framework that will reduce the complexity of the regulatory burden on businesses operating across jurisdictions”. It says “the content of those national mode| laws must be reasonable and fair to employers”.

The Blueprint calls for:

Commonwealth funding of the OH&S �component of vocational training to be tied to the requirement that OH&S training be part of nationally consistent endorsed training packages

OH&S training be vested in the �agencies responsible for vocational education and training

Authorities such as the Federal Safety �Commissioner monitor OH&S

nationally consistent hazard based �standards instead of industry-based OH&S standards

All governments should adopt a consistent �legislative approach to the management of alcohol and other drugs in the workplace

Any right of entry for union officials for �OH&S purposes should be subject to their being accompanied by an inspector from the relevant regulatory body.

There are different rates that apply depending on how you use fuel in your business. Follow these steps to correctly claim fuel tax credits on your business activity statement (BAS).

STEp 1: ClAiM For EligiBlE FuEl TypES, uSAgE And BuSinESS ACTiviTiES

Work out how many eligible litres of fuel you have acquired for each business activity that has a different fuel tax credit rate.

STEp 2: Apply ThE CorrECT rATE

The correct rate is:

17.143 cents per litre for fuel acquired �on or after 1 January 2009 and used in vehicles with a GvM greater than 4.5 tonne travelling on a public road

38.143 cents per litre for fuel used in �specified activities that have been eligible since 1 July 2006

19.0715 cents per litre for fuel used �in other activities, machinery, plant and equipment.

STEp 3: CAlCulATE your FuEl TAx CrEdiT AMounT

You can work out your fuel tax credits using the fuel tax credit calculator or manually using this formula:

litres of eligible fuel x Relevant fuel tax credit rate =Fuel tax credits

Fuel tax credit calculatorThe fuel tax credit calculator is an easy online tool that calculates your entitlement. You can find this tool on the ATO’s website under ‘Rates, calculators and tools’ or at www.ato.gov.au/fuelschemes

Write your calculated amount at label 7D on your BAS.

Heavy diesel vehicles and environmental criteriaIf you use a heavy diesel vehicle on a public road and your vehicle is manufactured before 1 January 1996, you must meet one of the environmental criteria to claim fuel tax credits. For example, you can do this by servicing your vehicle in line with the manufacturer’s maintenance schedule or endorsed generic schedules and keeping your records.

Keep good recordsKeep accurate records of your fuel acquisitions and how the fuel is used in your business activities, also keep records of your calculations.

For more informationTo check the current rates or for more information on calculating fuel tax credits visit www.ato.gov.au or phone 13 28 66 between 8.00am and 6.00pm Monday to Friday.

make the most of your

Do you claim fuel tax credits for your business fuel expenses?

MaStEr BuildErS Unveils OH&sBlueprint

Master Builders has unveiled a new Occupational Health and

Safety Blueprint.

Fuel tax creditS entitlementS

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The program forms part of the Government’s Third Appropriation for 2008-09, which is designed to provide additional stimulation to the local economy in the face of the economic downturn. The 2009-10 Capital upgrades program was included in the Third Appropriation rather than in the 2009-10 Budget to be delivered in May, to bring forward the programming of the projects.

Information on the content of the Capital upgrades program is available on the Procurement Solutions and ACT Treasury websites.

The upgrades are separate to routine maintenance and designed to extend the life or improve service delivery using territory assets.

Major projects in the Capital upgrades Program include:

$2.17 for building improvements at CIT �

$1.86 million for Alfred Deakin High �refurbishment

$2 million for Canberra High School �refurbishment

$500,000 for pre-school �refurbishments

$450,000 for toilet upgrades at various �primary schools

$440,000 for Hawker College �refurbishment

$1.1 million for pavement rehabilitation �

$2.9 million for stormwater �augmentation

$1 million for City Centre infrastructure �upgrades

$1.56 million to upgrade sports facility �infrastructure

The Third Appropriation also includes the $25 million local Initiatives Package

Capital Upgrades ProgramThe ACT Government has unveiled details of its $44.2

million 2009-10 Capital upgrades Program.

Planned arrangements for tendering the second stage of the Gungahlin Drive extension and the first stage of Majura Parkway were outlined at a recent presentation for Master Builders members at the Master Builders’ new Fyshwick headquarters.

The presentation was conducted by ACT Transport and Municipal Services and ACT Procurement Solutions.

The second stage of GDe will be an $83 million project to be completed over three years. The project will be broken into four or five smaller packages, with work to commence in 2009-10.

The first tenders are expected to be called shortly.

Stage one of Majura Parkway covers work in the vicinity of the Majura Parkway and Fairbairn Avenue intersection and includes entry and exit ramps to Monaro Highway and Fairbairn Avenue and bridges over Molonglo River, Hopkins Drive and Fairbairn Avenue.

Stage one of Majura Parkway is a $36 million project and due to commence in early 2009-10. Tenders for construction are expected to be called in mid-July 2009 with construction to commence in October 2009. Planning and design and the eIS commenced in September 2008.

which the Government said will provide $25 million worth of capital projects over two years, and which will be delivered by a range of tradespeople in the Canberra region such as builders, plumbers, roofers, painters, electricians, plasterers and landscape specialists.

The local Initiatives Package “is in addition to the already significant work that this Government has announced and programmed into our budget, and comprises works that are already at an advanced stage of procurement or design, or can be leveraged off existing procurement contracts," ACT Treasurer Katy Gallagher said.

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The Centre and Master Builders headquarters are adjacent to the DFO in newcastle Street Fyshwick.

The Master Builders Information Centre was re-opened following its relocation from the former Master Builders headquarters in northbourne Avenue, where it had operated since 1995.

The Information Centre is purpose-built and features exhibits by members of the Master Builders Association. It offers a range of building and home improvement information and advisory services to the general public and to the industry.

The MBIC is open every day – from 9am to 5pm during the week and from 10am to 4pm on weekends. The Information Centre is owned and operated by the Master Builders Association (ACT) and run as a free service from the Master Builders’ membership for its community.

The Information Centre provides a permanent and accessible public face for Master Builders members and showcases many excellent home-related products and services.

The MBIC promotes and displays local building-related services, home design innovations, Australian building materials and new products and services. It is also an adaptable venue for industry-related promotions, product

Master Builders has recently met with representatives from the ACT Government Intergovernmental and Regional Development department, to specifically discuss the possible implications for industry if Stage 4 Water Restrictions come into force. We have also examined the process for extraction of lake water specifically to service the needs of our civil contractor members and this process is currently being reviewed by Territory and Municipal Services (TAMS).

Currently our dam levels sit at about 45% capacity and approximately only 10mm of rainfall recorded for the month of March. If we do not receive reasonable rainfall over winter and if our dam levels obviously continue to recede, it is likely that we could be confronted with Stage 4 Water Restrictions in november/December 2009.

Conserve, Value, EnjoyWe can all do our part to minimise the impacts of more severe water restrictions by saving water now. There are benefits to saving water in all construction projects – from remodelling to new houses to commercial buildings to construction of roadways and land development.

Why save water? Whether your project is a house, a small remodelling project, a roadway or land development, your decisions can have a big impact on how water is used now and for years to come.

Water is worth conserving, not only because it is essential for our health and well being and that of our environment, but also because as individuals and businesses, we must pay for the water we use.

Best practice in construction to save water for all

launches and public and industry seminars. It is well positioned to help new home builders and renovators early in their decision-making process - usually just after they've actually made the decision to buy or to renovate, but well before they've given much thought to the details, like sizes or lay-outs, interior design, furnishings, landscaping, gardening, building materials or financing.

On prearranged information days expert builders from Master Builders are available to offer advice on building new homes or renovations. The public can also talk to Master Builders members including architects and designers, building suppliers and finance consultants.

The construction and development industry in the ACT is in a unique position to influence future water use. By implementing water conservation measures, the construction and development sector can ensure that this investment delivers significant ongoing dollar savings for water users now and into the future.

Benefits So what are the benefits of saving water if you are in the business of building or constructing roads, housing or commercial developments?

By minimising water usage in all aspects of your project, you can gain a marketing advantage over your competitors by:

Delivering ongoing savings to �building owners;

Reducing the need for water, �wastewater and stormwater infrastructure, which reduces the overall construction cost for the client;

ensuring that clients are prepared �for future water restrictions, and will be able to avoid the need for costly retrofitting in years to come;

Demonstrating your commitment �to responsible project management,

which may accelerate the land-use approval process;

Addressing the needs of clients with an �interest in protecting water resources, such as ACTeW and government agencies; and

Marketing your business to clients �who value environmental and social performance.

If you have any great water saving ideas please share them with us so that we can promote your best practice to other industry practitioners.

Jerry Howard – Master Builders, Deputy Executive Director

The new Master Builders Information Centre opened in March in the new Master Builders Headquarters and Skills Centre at Iron Knob Street, Fyshwick.

opening of Master Builders information Centre

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A series of web pages are now available with a range of information and support in regard to the new Work Safety Act 2008. The new Act takes effect on 1 July this year and it replaces the existing Occupational Health and Safety Act 1989.

The new web pages can be accessed by going to the OHS Commissioner's Home Page (www.worksafety.act.gov.au) and clicking on the icon in the bottom right hand corner entitled 'new legislation', or you can just click on the following link: www.worksafety.act.gov.au/about-new-legislation

The new web pages, which will continue to be updated and expanded as the year progresses and more information becomes available, contain:

The Australian Government announced a range of new initiatives under the nation Building and Jobs Plan on 3 February this year, including construction funding for infrastructure, education, roads and housing.

Head Contractors thinking about taking up opportunities under the nation Building and Jobs Plan should find out now whether they need accreditation under the Australian Government Building and Construction OHS Accreditation Scheme (the Scheme).

Builders that:

are planning to contract for work valued �at $3 million or more funded by the Australian Government and

will be the head contractor �

may need to become accredited under the Scheme.

The good news is that there is still time for non-accredited companies to become accredited if they wish to take advantage of the opportunities under the economic stimulus package. But the Federal Safety Commissioner recommends they act quickly.

Who needs to be accredited?A head contractor must be accredited under the Scheme if they sign a Government funded construction contract over a certain dollar value.

For directly funded projects, the threshold is $3 million. Where the Government contributes funding indirectly via a third party such as a state government, the threshold is generally $5 million. Only head contractors need to be accredited. If contractors require further information about whether they need to be accredited, they should contact the Office of the Federal Safety Commissioner (OFSC).

links to the new and the existing �legislation

an overview of the changes �

information sheets on specific important �changes in the new Act

the answers to Frequently �Asked Questions

details of Information Sessions to �be run over the coming months in the lead-up to 1 July

contact details for further �enquiries or feedback.

Why is the Scheme needed?Building and construction industry workers make up almost 9 per cent of the Australian workforce, yet they accounted for 24 per cent of all notified fatalities reported for the 07/08 FY.

The Scheme enables the Government to use its influence as a major construction client and provider of capital to improve the building and construction industry’s OHS performance.

The Australian Government aims to promote a culture where building work must be performed safely, as well as on budget and on time. Good OHS practices in the building and construction industry protect workers from illness and injury, and also save contractors money by avoiding lost time and reducing workers’ compensation insurance costs.

Getting AccreditationAchieving accreditation is a two-stage assessment process comprising a desktop assessment and on-site audit. The OFSC aims to complete each accreditation as quickly as possible, however the Scheme sets a high benchmark and some applicants may need several months to reach the OHS standards required for accreditation.

For more information or how to apply visit www.fsc.gov.au, call the FSC Assist line on 1800 652 500 or email the OFSC at ofsc@deewr.gov.au

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new work sAfety Act 2008

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New Homes

Multi Unit

Garages, Pools, Decks and Similar Structures

Commercial Building Work

Additions and Alterations (Residential)

Act priVAte sector Building ActiVity

The above graph and table below summarise private sector building activity for the various building sectors in the ACT over the past 12 moths. The values for each month are depicted in millions of dollars.

Apr-08 May-08 Jun-08 Jul-08 Aug-08 Sep-08 Oct-08 Nov-08 Dec-08 Jan-09 Feb-09 Mar-09Additions and Alterations (Residential) 4.45 4.00 6.21 20.34 2.86 4.67 4.89 4.19 2.79 2.03 4.74 3.87Commercial Building Work 106.60 38.13 20.71 116.18 9.40 196.82 125.86 28.18 21.94 15.63 27.61 10.06Garages, Pools, Decks and Similar Structures 1.80 1.55 3.16 3.52 1.24 2.40 1.85 2.03 1.60 1.19 1.79 1.52Multi Unit 1.73 26.21 0.95 7.18 5.05 37.15 50.13 12.72 11.77 3.56 4.80 13.15New Homes 24.85 33.26 36.69 37.31 27.67 24.93 20.46 23.40 18.57 15.40 27.15 40.64

impOrtant dateS26 June 2009

Excellence in Building Awards at the National Convention Centre Canberra.

27 August 2009

CCF Earth Awards5 – 7 November 2009

Master Builders National Conference.

For more information about any of the above events please contact the Master Builders Events Coordinator on 02 6175 5968.

In our last edition of Onsite Insight, we ran an editorial explaining the Ceiling Insulation initiative and its limitations. Since that time, the Insulation Guidelines have been revised as noted below and home owners, now, will have have the option of topping up, or retro-fitting, over existing insulation, if the R-value of the ceiling insulation is less than R0.5. The Master Builders will also be developing a training program that will address the requirements associated with installing insulation in a safe manner and in accordance with the Building Code of Australia.

Summarised key issuesThe Australian Government’s Energy Efficient homes package is administered by the Department of the environment, Water, Heritage and the Arts, the homeowner insulation program is a key part of this package. up to $1,600 is available to help eligible owner-occupiers install ceiling insulation in their existing privately-owned homes. The Homeowner Insulation Program will start on 1 July 2009 and will run until December 2011.

The Government is facilitating early installation for eligible households. This means eligible owner-occupiers can arrange installation between 3 February 2009 and the commencement of the program on 1 July 2009, and claim a reimbursement of up to $1,600 from the Australian Government. Reimbursement forms can be submitted from 1 March 2009, and applicants should allow eight weeks for processing. These guidelines explain the early installation process, who is eligible and how to claim a reimbursement. Assistance is conditional on meeting all requirements outlined in these early installation guidelines and they can be viewed/downloaded on the Department’s website: www.environment.gov.au/energyefficiency/insulation-homeowner.html

version 1.1 of the Guidelines, released on 27 March 2009 clarifies technical aspects of installation. If the overall R -value of the ceiling is less than 0.5, owners will now be eligible for the financial assistance program,

assuming that they can demonstrate eligibility under other conditions. The assistance is primarily directed towards those homes without existing ceiling insulation or with ceiling insulation deemed as having negligible effectiveness, i.e. less than 0.5 r-value. Please refer to the early installation guidelines on the website for more information.

For products that fall outside the scope of the 1992 standard AS 3999, they must be installed in accordance with section 3.12.1.1 of the Building Code of Australia. If using this method, the installer is responsible for ensuring that the installation complies.

In rural areas under version 1.1 of the guidelines, the requirement to obtain more than one quote for installation (version 1.0 February 2009) has been revised so that only one quote is now necessary.

hOmeOWner inSulatiOn prOgramearly installation (revised) guidelines