mb magazine - october/november 2013

October/November 2013

masterbuilder

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mb b [ 2 ] october/november 13

Contents

338

655640

volume 51 NUMBER 2

Front cover: Gold Coast Individual Home over $4 million – Alder Constructions Pty Ltd

Published by

Master Builders Queensland417 Wickham Terrace, Brisbane Queensland 4000Phone: (07) 3225 6444Fax: (07) 3225 6545Email: [email protected] www.masterbuilders.asn.au

Editor: Nicole Bence,[email protected] Graphic Design: Paula Trousdell, [email protected]: Ken Lane, Crowther Blayne Media Specialists, (07) 5553 2804,[email protected]: PrintcraftDistribution: Stand and Deliver

Master Builder is the offi cial magazine of MasterrBuilders Queensland. Master Builders is the peak industry association representing building andconstruction in Queensland since 1882. We arethe voice of the industry. Our services support members to operate professional and profi table businesses that deliver superior quality outcomes to their customers.

All advertising and editorial material must adhereto the Master Builders Advertising & EditorialPolicy. A copy of the policy can be found at www.masterbuilders.asn.au.

Privacy: Master Builders Queensland has adoptedthe National Privacy Principles published by the Privacy Commissioner and operates inaccordance with those principles. A copy of MasterBuilders privacy policy can be found at www.masterbuilders.asn.au.

Disclaimer: Any advice or information included inthe publication is given in good faith, but strictlyon the understanding that neither Master Buildersnor the Editor or any other person or organisationcontributing to the publication are to incurany responsibility or legal liability whatsoever(including liability for negligence) should theadvice or information be incorrect, incomplete, inappropriate or in any other way defective and allliability is therefore disclaimed. Articles publishedin this magazine do not necessarily refl ect theopinions or policies of Master Builders, its offi cersand staff .

© This publication is copyright. No part of it may be reproduced, copied, stored on a computer, published,broadcast, rewritten for broadcast or publication,or redistributed directly or indirectly in any medium without prior permission from the Queensland Master Builders Association.

Feature10 New Townsville

home boasts 10-star

sustainability

Policy & advocacy14 Actions needed to turn

about the Australian

construction industry

Employment & wages16 Christmas close down &

annual leave

18 Work fl exibility allows

for productivity & savings

36 EBA two-hour meetings

Housing & Construction Awards19 Gold Coast,

Central Queensland,

Mackay & Whitsunday,

North Queensland and

Far North Queensland

winners

Building & planning38 Thermal stress glass

breakage

Laws, codes & regulations 46 Security of payment:

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The meet and greet process was helpedby the fact that I was able to attend alleight regional Master Builders Housing & Construction Awards nights. This allowed me, in a relatively short period of time, to meet as many of you as possible.

My travels involved a lot of listening andlearning, and only strengthened my opinion that we have a fantastic organisation, whichwe can continue to build upon to improvethe value provided to you – our members. Inorder to do this, I can confi rm that over the last three months, the Executive has approved a 12-month business plan that broadlyfocuses on improving three things:

• VALUE for members, staff and the industry

• ACCOUNTABILITY in terms of who and how are we going to measure our progress against our targets

• GROWTH of our organisation in relation toinfl uence, membership and fi nancial.

If any strategy, policy, product or service is not improving our ability to deliver VALUE, ACCOUNTABILITY and GROWTH, it will not be a priority for the next 12 months. Withour Senior Leadership Team, we have agreed on a plan with the Executive to develop and deliver a range of new products and servicesfor members, ranging from training and insurance to industrial relations and safety.

We have also developed a plan to improvethe way we deliver services. Our focus ondelivering and engaging better in our regionsis paramount, and I am quite sure that those of who reside in the wonderful regions that makeup Queensland will see considerably more of myself and our Deputy Executive Director, Paul Bidwell, over the coming 12 months as we work with our Regional Managers to understandand listen more to our members on what canimprove the value of their membership.

As many of you may know, we have had achange of leadership in several regions, withMelissa Coulter accepting the position of Regional Manager in North Queensland and Michael Hopkins accepting an expanded roleof Regional Manager. As well as managing the Sunshine Coast region, Michael’s role now includes the Burnett Wide Bay region. Bothof these managers bring a wealth of industry

and organisational knowledge to theseregions, and I am sure you will join me in congratulating them on their promotions.

In addition, we have a new position of Director of Business Development andMembership who will oversee the growth of our membership engagement, sponsorship,training and display village functions of our organisation. Sue-Ann Fresneda will commence in this role on 21 October and will also drive our new products pipeline andconsumer marketing strategy. This is a specifi c skillset that Master Builders has never had,and it will signifi cantly improve our ability to take good ideas for new products andservices (which are in abundance), prioritisethem and bring them to life, delivering themconsistently across the state to all members.

Finally, it is excellent to see that the political uncertainty created by the longest federalelection campaign in our country’s history, is now over. Master Builders strongly supports the Coalition Government’s pre-election policy pledge for the reinstatement of the Australian Building and Construction Commission (ABCC) with all its original powers, within 100days. This change alone will greatly assist inthe growth of confi dence and productivity improvements in our construction industry. When combined with the increasinglypositive economic trends we are seeing in our housing sector, I am quite sure that we will see the beginnings of a consistent and gradual improvement in overall building andconstruction activity across the state.

I am personally very thankful to our Executivefor supporting our Senior Leadership Team for approving our business plan, which will require signifi cant investment over the coming years. I can assure you all that their wisdom in promoting the investment in products,systems and people will deliver improvementsin value adding services to all our members, while allowing us to continue leading the industry with one voice. The Senior Leadership Team – which is made up of myself,Paul Bidwell, John Crittall, Fiona Ashmore,Ken Bowen (and shortly, Sue-Ann Fresneda) – is extremely excited about the future of Master Builders, and we look forward to continuing toserve you as we lead this great organisation onthe journey forward.

Executive Director’s messageGrant Galvin – Executive Director

Moving forward

IF ANY STRATEGY, POLICY, PRODUCT OR SERVICE IS NOT IMPROVING OUR ABILITY TODELIVER VALUE,ACCOUNTABILITYAND GROWTH,IT WILL NOT BE A PRIORITY FOR THE NEXT 12 MONTHS.

It has now been three fantastic months at the helm of Master Builders. During this period, I have travelled the length and breadth of the state, meeting as many members, staff and sponsors as possible.


It’s getting close now, with legislation being passed recently to establish a new buildingregulator, the Queensland Building and Construction Commission (QBCC).

Setting up a new independent QBCC to replace the Building Services Authority (BSA) is partof the biggest change to the industry regulator in 22 years. It is the fi rst step towards major improvements for the building and construction industry, and Master Builders welcomes the Queensland Parliament’s decision. I am very confi dent that this will result in signifi cantimprovements to the services provided to builders, trade contractors and consumers.

The BSA review has been a major exercise for Master Builders. Over the past few years, the housing sector has been pushing for a range of domestic building reforms that will assist in boosting consumer confi dence in the industry, as well as improving the capacity of buildersand trade contractors to manage the risks in their businesses.

The reforms we have been pushing for include retaining the mandatory home warranty insurance scheme and maintaining a comprehensive licensing system. We’ve also asked forthe introduction of a new dispute resolution process that deals with payment issues and defective and incomplete building work during construction, as well as after handover for thelife of the home warranty insurance cover. This will ensure that all disputes can be adequately dealt with.

Now, with the announcement of the QBCC, we see step one of the Queensland Government’s10-point action plan implemented:

1. Replace the BSA with the QBCC.

2. Install a professional governing board with appropriate committees, and establish a commission structure with functional business units headed by their own general managers.

3. Establish appropriate mechanisms of review.

4. Develop an improved suite of domestic building contracts.

5. Review licensing and compliance requirements.

6. Develop improved education and training processes for home owners and consumers.

7. In conjunction with the review into the Building and Construction Industry Payments Act 2004, consider the development and implementation of a rapid domestic adjudicationmodel to fast-track domestic building disputes with mandated response timelines.

8. Retain the Queensland Home Warranty Scheme under government ownership and review the current Queensland Home Warranty Scheme to provide greater defi nition and clarity.

9. Review the role of private certifi ers with an emphasis on probity, confl icts of interest, quality and an appropriate penalty regime for failure to perform.

10. Expand the licensing role of the new QBCC.

Actions 7 to 10 will be considered by an implementation committee, which includes a representative from Master Builders.

These are long-awaited and much needed changes for the industry, and the creation of the QBCC is the start of the journey in their delivery. I’m sure that, like me, you are looking forwardto seeing these measures implemented as soon as possible.

President’s messageDerek Pingel – President

Journey starts with new building regulator

THE REFORMS WE HAVE BEEN PUSHING FOR INCLUDE RETAINING THEMANDATORYHOME WARRANTYINSURANCE SCHEME ANDMAINTAINING ACOMPREHENSIVELICENSINGSYSTEM.

Over the past year I have written several times about how keen Master Builders is to see the fi nal outcome of the Building Services Authority review.

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For your sake and theirs.Next time you’re working near overhead powerlines, think of your loved ones. Contact with powerlines can kill, so please look up and live.

For electrical safety information specifi c to your industry, call our Community Safety Team on 1300 736 349.

EGE0911/13

Electrical safety sparks concern

Ergon Energy is urging tradies to take care when operating machineryand working around overhead powerlines, by always remembering to

‘look up and live’.

Community Health and Safety Advisor, Glen Cook said incident datawas pointing to a need for broader awareness within the building and construction industry.

“We have seen several serious incidents in the past 12 months and many more near misses,” he said.

It is imperative that safety advice is obtained if work is to be carried out within an exclusion zone.

Things to think about when working around overhead powerlines:

• Be aware of electrical safety legislation relating to working around electricity (obtain a copy of the Electrical Safety Code of Practice for Working Near Exposed Live Parts).

• Familiarise yourself with the relevant sections of the code for the work being undertaken.

• Know the location of powerlines on the worksite and their proximity to your work.

• Identify all electrical hazards: assess the risks, establish and introducecontrol measures, and review control measures periodically.

For more information, please contact the Ergon Energy Community

Safety Team at www.ergon.com.au or phone 1300 736 349.

News

october/november 13 [ 9 ] mb

Housing recovery builds momentum

Total dwelling unit approvals were up from 27,538 in 2011–12 to 29,563 in 2012–13. This improvement appears to have been driven largely by a recovery in attached/higher densitydwellings, rather than detached housing and public sector-funded dwellings. This is a welcome development, given that higher density developments have been a key area of weakness over the last few years.

ABS building approvals fi gures released in July 2013 showed that activity in the Queensland housing sector is building momentum, with a 7.4% increase in total dwelling unit approvals over 2012–13.

Reports & statisticsPaul Bidwell – Deputy Executive Director

It is also the third month in a row that Queensland has seen an increase in dwellingapprovals, which is a great sign that activity is heading in the right direction. This is in stark contrast to the national trend, which has been negative for the last couple of months.

Looking closely at the regional fi gures, it isclear that the regions rich in natural resources,such as Mackay and Central Queensland, arecurrently driving the resurgence in the housing sector. Unfortunately, not all of the regions are currently benefi ting from the rebound in residential activity.

In particular, the tourism-focused areas of Far North Queensland, Burnett Wide Bay andthe Sunshine Coast are still struggling. These areas have been hit hard by the downturn, badweather and the high Australian dollar.

That being said, it is a welcome developmentto see the Gold Coast recording an increaseover the 12 months, signaling an upturn forone of the hardest hit regions in recent years.

Confi dence remains a major roadblock torecovery, despite the gradual overall incline indwelling approvals. While Queensland is by no means near the levels needed to accommodatethe growth in population, we have seen a gradual recovery in housing construction in the fi rst half of 2013. However, consumer confi dence remains fragile and Master Builders does not expect to see a substantial increase inactivity until this rebounds.

Region 2011–12 2012–13 % change

Brisbane 13,669 13,866 1.4%

Gold Coast 2,322 2,579 11.1%

Sunshine Coast 1,776 1,693 -4.7%

Darling Downs & South West Queensland 1,677 1,688 0.7%

Burnett Wide Bay 1,466 1,236 -15.7%

Central Queensland 2,104 2,960 40.7%

Mackay & Whitsunday 1,883 2,666 41.6%

North Queensland 1,565 1,881 20.2%

Far North Queensland 998 727 -27.2%


New Townsville home boasts 10-star sustainability to rival a tree house

Feature

Faced with the logistical challenges of pioneering new technology and methods, as well as the physical constraints of a small 400m² block, the end result of this North Queensland project is a triumph of planning and execution.

Creating aff ordable, resort-style living on a low-maintenance block wasthe inspiration behind this four-bedroom, two-bathroom family home by Gedoun Constructions. No sacrifi ces have been made, with the home boasting a putting green, beautiful swimming pool, an enormous kitchen, spacious bedrooms and even a soundproof ‘jamming’ room/offi ce.

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Despite the restraints of a small block, the home is completely futuristic, modern and sustainable, featuring the latest in smart technology and green elements. Gedoun Property Development Manager, Josh Mills, believes this proves that you don’t need a big block to pack a punch.

“Smaller blocks are now being better received since the concept was introduced. Drivenprimarily due to the market seeking more property at a lower investment, these blocks are theunderpinning factor that delivers this outcome,” Mr Mills explained.

“This house proves if you have the ideasand they are well thought out you can dosomething pretty amazing.”

The ‘wow factor’ is defi nitely something this house conveys, and it’s evident from the moment you walk through the front door right up until you reach the back fence.

Some of the features include double ceilinginsulation, 40mm granite tops with waterfall ends, smart wiring to every room with 73 LED downlights fi tted throughout, infrared-activated skirting board lights that turn onwhen children leave their rooms, and even adigital fi nger print scanner to select rooms, tokeep pesky younger siblings out.

A custom-made waterfall pattern tile to themain bathroom is an attractive feature, while a four-hole putting green at the front and sideof the home is sure to keep keen golfers happy for years to come. The swimming pool outthe back is heated and cooled using a digitalreverse-cycle heat pump, making it the perfect chill-out spot on a hot Queensland day.

Every musician’s dream is a reality in this house, with an entire room dedicated as a soundproof chamber. All the walls for the guitar room are concrete core-fi lled, with engineered sound proof glass, to ensure the owner can play ‘til his heart’s content, without getting the

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neighbours off side. The sound proof theatre room is just as impressive,and is the perfect space for family movie nights.

However, it is the project’s 10-star energy rating that really makes itstand out from the crowd.

To achieve this, LED light fi ttings were used to ensure every single lightin the house is energy effi cient, and two types of insulation (Aircell andR3.5 Fibreglass) were fi tted to the entire building’s ceiling, includingpatio, porch and garage.

Tinted glass was used as it not only reduces heat and protects theinterior of the house, but can also reduce energy bills in the long run.Further to this, 95% of window openings are louvre bays with aluminumwood look louvres, which maximises natural ventilation and captures the refreshing breezes the home’s orientation on the block allows.

The house is cooled by energy effi cient Inverter Daikin air-conditioners, which are powered by a 5.2KW solar system PV that is grid connected.

All of these features combine to give the house its 10-star energy effi cient rating, which is the fi rst known of its kind in the NorthQueensland region.

The other absolute highlight for this project is the swimming pool. At9x4 metres in size, it is the largest pool the company has built, and fi llsthe entirety of the backyard. The digital reverse-cycle pump heats the pool up to 40˚C for winter, and can bring it down to 18˚C during thesummer months.

What makes the pool so amazing is the use of an innovative productfrom the United States, which uses low voltage, multi-coloured LEDlights to shoot beams of light down a water fountain that spills into thepool. Combine this with the two metre glass mosaic crocodile on the bottom of the pool and you have a unique backyard feature that off ers aresort-style feel.

This property, unique in every sense of the word, has the potential to change the face of property styles in Townsville for now and into the future – a direction the team at Gedoun Constructions are keen to head in.

“When you choose Gedoun, you choose a builder big enough to deliver competitive prices because of its size, but also one that has itsfoundation as a family business – it strikes the perfect balance between size and service,” Mr Mills said.

“The company has grown thanks to its ethos of quality building and superior customer service. After 35 years of working in the local community, Gedoun has become part of its fabric.”

EVERY MUSICIAN’S DREAM IS A REALITY IN THIS HOUSE, WITH AN ENTIRE ROOM DEDICATED ASA SOUND PROOF CHAMBER.

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To order online, visit www.masterbuilders.asn.au/eshop.

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Actions needed to turn around the Australian construction industry

The Australian building and constructionindustry is on a collision course with reality. The easy alternative is to keep lobbying to feedthe industry with more projects, more stimulus, lower interest rates and more protection – because of self-interest or fear that speakingout will have consequences. Australia’sconstruction industry is wedded to inputs, but outputs are what matter.

If, on the other hand, some hard decisions can be made at the national level in 2013 and beyond, there is a chance of reigniting thesector’s future.

Here’s what I think needs to be done, startingnow:

1. Freeze all construction wages andsalaries for three years to 1 July 2017. Theindustry’s costs and wages growth overthe last fi ve years have far exceeded thoseof other industries. In eff ect, constructionhas already received pay rises ahead of reasonable productive value-add entitlement.

The Australian construction and engineering industry requires immediate strategic guidance to turn its lack of productivity and declining international competitiveness around.

Policy & advocacyDavid Chandler OAM – Independent Construction Industry Consultant andCommentator

ten years and then review. Target a 15%productivity improvement in on-site labourinputs/unit of output to be achieved withinfi ve years and 25% within ten years.

4. Empower the ABCC to take direct action in the event of any contractor or unionattempting to avoid the wage and salary freeze, including restricting hours able to be worked (e.g. no six-day work or four-day weeks for a minimum of one month in the event of non-compliance) and apply availablelegal sanctions promptly on aff ected projects.

5. Increase funding to universities and TAFEswith the express proviso that the quality of construction and engineering coursesare lifted. Increase the number of resident engineering graduates and the number of year 12 students undertaking advancedmathematics by 25% by 2018. Considerincentives.

6. Reinstate publicly-funded researchand development for construction and engineering to its 1992 level, with a specifi cfocus on innovations targeting moreproductive on-site work, more value added

2. Task a commonwealth agency (Australian Bureau of Statistics or ProductivityCommission) to collect industry-wide construction data on a project basis to record the number of man hours workedon each project. Do this to establishstandardised (relevant to project type) unit of output/man hour measures. Establish this data as a baseline for use from 1 July 2015.

3. Redirect the Fair Work Commission to ensure that new enterprise bargainingagreements to come into eff ect from 1 July 2017 must require demonstratedproductivity achievement ahead of future increases of at least double any proposedadjustments. Use the baseline data forthis and future assessments over the next

HARD DECISIONS MUST MADE AT THE NATIONAL LEVEL IN 2013 AND BEYOND, TOREIGNITE THE INDUSTRY’S FUTURE.

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Policy & advocacy

Faster Estimating

Administration

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processes off -site, and advanced materials and fabrications that will help Australia achieve a 50% net reduction in currently importedconstruction inputs by 2023.

7. Work with the states to reinstate their informed buyer capabilities and establish national benchmarks that allow future unit output costs (e.g. cost/m2 or unit cost/service delivery) to be reported forall projects that have any level of federal subscription, including taxation concessions.

8. Establish a high level working group in the CSIRO and Engineers Australia to collaborate with industry to adopt more globally-basedbuilding and engineering standards for Australia by 2018, so thatAustralia is able to export and import with increased opportunity.Make these standards free, and commit ongoing funding to theirdevelopment, promulgation and adoption, especially in Australia’s immediate trading region. Concurrently, review the robustness of Australia’s existing compliance with construction standards and the dependability of existing self and third party certifi cation processes.

9. Establish a ‘Future of Construction Work’ advisory group comprisingbusiness, unions and education authorities to examine how modernconstruction and engineering projects are designed, planned,procured, delivered, commissioned, accepted and operated.

10. Establish a ‘Future of Fabrication’ working group to explore thepracticality and value of developing three or four strategicallylocated ‘Special Economic Zones’ in which construction may beco-located with other industries. The objective would be to attractmajor new investment in Australia to facilitate more locally mademanufactured prefabricated and modular buildings.

The purpose of these ten actions is to provide consistent strategicguidance on how the Australian construction and engineering industrycan start to turn its lack of productivity and declining internationalcompetitiveness around over the next fi ve to ten years.

Clearly the time has come to stop Australian construction digging itself deeper into oblivion. It’s time for national leadership beyond 2013 toensure that Australia’s domestic value of construction turns around.

To read the full version of this article, visit www.constructionedge.com.au

About the author

David Chandler OAM has a distinguished career in Australia’s construction industry. He was the Construction Director of Australia’s New Parliament House and is widely acclaimed for ensuring its successful completion in 1988.David was also the Deputy Chair of the Building the Education Revolution (BER) Implementation Review Taskforce, which acknowledged the credibleperformance of the Queensland construction industry in delivering over 2120 school buildings across the state.


Christmas close down & annual leave

The Fair Work Act 2009 (the Act) allows for an 9employer to close down the workplace duringtraditionally slow business periods, such asbetween Christmas and New Year. During this time the Act provides general provisions foran employer to direct an employee to take accumulated annual leave for the duration of the close down, depending on the type of employeeand the modern award they are covered by.

In all instances, a direction to an employeeto take annual leave must only be givenwhere it is deemed reasonable, taking into consideration the needs of the employee and the business, customary practice and thenotice period/timing of the direction to takeleave.

Similarly, it is important to take into accountthe paid public holidays that occur during theclose down period, to accurately determine the amount of annual leave to be paid within the period of closure.

Below is a summary of the provisions coveredunder the diff erent awards.

Building and construction general on-site award 2010 (clause 38.3)An employer may direct their employees totake paid annual leave during all or part of a period in conjunction with the Christmas/New Year holidays, and close down the business, part of the business or a site where the employees work, for the purpose of providingsuch leave. If an employee does not have suffi cient accrued annual leave for the periodof the close down, then the employee may

be required to take leave without pay for the balance of the close down period for whichleave is not accrued.

If the employer elects to utilise the annualclose down option (to provide annual leave for most or all employees) the employer must provide a minimum of eight weeks’ notice to employees, advising them of the close down.

Clerks private sector award 2010 (clause 29.5)An employer may require an employee totake annual leave as part of a close down of its operations. Where an employee has not accrued suffi cient leave to cover the close down period, an employer may allow anemployee to take annual leave either wholly orpartly in advance before the leave has accrued.

An employer must provide a minimum of fourweeks’ notice to employees, advising them of the close down and the requirement to takeannual leave.

Joinery and building trades award 2010 (off-site award) (clause 32.7)An employee may close down an enterprise,or part of it, during the Christmas/New Yearperiod, provided that an employee has accrued suffi cient leave to cover the period of the closedown.

An employee who has not accrued suffi cientleave to cover part or the entire close downis allowed paid leave for the period for which they have accrued suffi cient leave and given

Are you planning on closing down your business for the Christmas and New Year period?

Employment & wagesMikki Richardson – Workplace Relations Adviser

unpaid leave for the remainder of the closedown. Alternatively, by agreement betweenan employer and an employee, a period of annual leave may be taken in advance of theentitlement accruing.

If the employer elects to utilise the annualclose down option (to provide annual leavefor most or all employees) the employer must provide a minimum of eight weeks’ notice to employees advising them of the close down.

Award free employeesAn employer may require an award/agreement free employee to take a period of paid annual leave, but only if the requirement is reasonable. According to the Act, a requirement to takepaid annual leave may be reasonable if, for example, the employer’s enterprise is being closed down for a period (such as betweenChristmas and New Year).

If an employee does not have suffi cient annual leave, the employee may be requested to take unpaid leave or an employer may wish to advance the employee an amount of annualleave.

It is recommended that an employer provides aminimum of four weeks’ notice (or as otherwise agreed) to employees advising them of theclose down and the requirement to take annualleave.

Public holidaysDuring the close down period it is likely thatpublic holidays will fall during an employee’s leave. Employees should not be paid annual leave on public holidays.

SummaryLeading into a Christmas/New Year close downperiod, employers should:

• Check that all employees have accrued suffi cient annual leave for the close down period.

• Notify employees that the business will beclosed down, ensuring reasonable notice isprovided in accordance with the relevant industrial instrument.

• Assess and discuss options for thoseemployees that have not accrued suffi cient leave.

For more information, contact

Master Builders on (07) 3225 6407 or email

[email protected]

My business.My vision.My Coral Homes franchise.

1309

02-FRA-M

BQ

www.coralhomes.com.au/franchises or call (07) 5585 2555

With the accumulated knowledge gained from over 23 years experience under our tool belt, Coral Homes knows what it’slike to build a successful business from scratch.

As a partner with Coral Homes, Australia’s newest franchise builder, access to this invaluable experience and support means you can grow your business smarter and more effi ciently, helping you to achieve your own goals faster.

Own a slice of an iconic Australian brand with a high level of market awareness

Access industry leading systems, processes and training

Market an extensive and innovative range of home designs

Raise your profi le with extensive marketing support

Access the real bulk buying power of a major builder

Coral Homes – unlock your potential and build a better business.


Work fl exibility allows for productivity & savings

Flexible working hours, including starting and fi nishing times, removal of RDOs and time off in lieuof overtime, are all available to employers and employees under modern awards.

Every modern award contains a clause – Award Flexibility – which allows an employer and anyemployee to agree to change certain award conditions, such as working arrangements. These fl exiblearrangements will especially suit smaller businesses that are competing with the ABN workforce, andenable the employer to match the effi ciencies usually only available under subcontracting.

An employee and employer may agree to pay wages as a ‘loaded hourly rate’ or a salary, instead of the administratively complicated award wages methods. For example, an employer may agree with an employee to introduce working arrangements, which are not limited by the standard38-hour week plus overtime. A longer working week, at ordinary pay, may be averaged over anagreed period, and allow overtime otherwise due to be off set by time off .

Employers can become more competitive by improving workplace fl exibility, without having to resort to subcontractors or complex enterprise agreements.

Employment & wagesMartin Belfi eld – Workplace Relations Manager

This should enable the employer to minimise the risks and wastes usually associated with completing construction works to budget.Whilst the employee is not to be disadvantaged as a result of the fl exibility agreement, using a more fl exible working pattern, which matchesthe enterprise needs, can result in benefi ts toboth the employer and employee.

Master Builders has developed a template toassist members to draft these agreements withemployees. The details of the award fl exibility agreement have to be in writing and kept inthe employee pay records. There is no need to make a registered enterprise agreement to introduce these fl exibility agreements.

For more information or to arrange a free

consultation with one of our advisors, contact


[email protected]

“What if I receive an application or notice of

listing from Fair Work Australia?”

Call Master Builders team on (07) 3225 6407 for timely advice on fair work laws.

[email protected]

M A S T E R B U I L D E R S M E M B E R S R E C E I V E F R E E A S S I S TA N C E I N FA I R W O R K A U S T R A L I A M AT T E R S I N C L U D I N G U N FA I R D I S M I S S A L S .

Notice of Listing

Section: s.394 - Application for unfair dismissal remedy

Title of Matter: This could b your business!

Matter Number(s): U2010/…….

T lephone, before a Fair Work Australia Conciliator at:


Gold Coast, Central Queennsland, Mackay & Whitsunday,North Queensland and FFar North Queensland regional

winners were recently announced.

State-wide partners

Master Builders Housing &

Construction Awards 2013


House of the Year (pictured above)

V-Build Constructions Services Pty Ltd

Set on 150 acres and one kilometre off the road with a steep incline,this project presented many challenges to V-Build. The home isdesigned as fi ve pavilions integrated by link-ways, and the extensive use of exposed timber work shows outstanding craftsmanship anddetail. The curved concrete stairs are a feature in the home and blend with the freehand stone masonry in the fi replaces. Timbers from theold farmhouse have been recycled in the cellar to connect the old tothe new.

Project of the Year (pictured below)

Grocon Constructions (Qld) Pty Ltd – Soul Residential

Apartments

Set in the heart of Surfers Paradise, the Soul building has 77 levels and stands at approximately 249 metres high. Comprising 286 apartments, including 16 sub-penthouses and a four-levelpenthouse with 40 retail outlets, Soul has transformed the waySurfers Paradise looks. Soul has been designed with style and sophistication in mind, with a curved grand marble staircase and luxuriously appointed foyer.

GOLD COAST

President’s Award (pictured left )

H2 Homes Pty Ltd T/A H2 Constructions Qld

This spectacular family home encompasses the surrounding bushland into the living areas. The link courtyard is a functional space and connects the house to the garage/studio area. H2 Homes was given astrict budget and have met their clients’ needs with a quality fi nish. The judges were impressed with the fl ow of the Hardies linerboard from outside to the inside and the attention to detail by Karl and Dale fromH2 Homes.

Housing & Construction AwardsGold Coast


SpecialtyBest Bathroom

Alder Constructions Pty Ltd

Best Kitchen

F W Curley Pty Ltd

Trade Contractor – Tiling

Peter Johnston Tiling Pty LtdTwin Towns Services Club Refurbishment

Trade Contractor – Swimming Pool, Outdoor

Living & Landscaping

Beau Homes Pty Ltd T/A Beau Corp Aquatic& Construction

Trade Contractor – Glazing

Caribbean Contractors Pty LtdGold Coast University Hospital

The Ron McMaster Memorial Award for

Excellence in Craftsmanship

Brayshaw Constructions Pty Ltd

ConstructionHealth & Education Facilities up to $5 million

Condev Construction Pty LtdSomerset College – The Knowledge &Information Precinct

Health & Education Facilities

$5 million – $20 million

AP Constructions Qld Pty LtdThe Southport School – Sheil Building

Health & Education Facilities over $20 million

Evans Harch Pty LtdPimpama State Secondary College

Sporting & Community Service Facilities

up to $5 million

Multi Span Australia Pty LtdTallebudgera Active Recreation CentreClimbing Facility



Northbuild Construction Pty LtdHelensvale Library, Community & Cultural Centre

Tourism & Hospitality Facilities

up to $5 million

F W Curley Pty LtdCavill Mall Refurbishment


over $5 million

J Hutchinson Pty Ltd T/A Hutchinson BuildersTwin Towns Services Club Refurbishment

Lifestyle Housing or Seniors

Ruby Developments Pty LtdRuby Gardens over 50s Lifestyle Resort

Refurbishment/Renovation up to $5 million

Isis Group Australia (Qld) Pty LtdVirgin Australia Gold Coast Lounge

Refurbishment/Renovation over $5 million

J Hutchinson Pty Ltd T/A Hutchinson BuildersTwin Towns Services Club Refurbishment

Retail Facilities over $5 million

Condev Construction Pty LtdVon Bibra Showroom

Industrial Building up to $5 million

Alder Constructions Pty LtdJJ Richards & Sons Gold Coast Facility

Industrial Building over $5 million

Laing O’Rourke Australia Construction Pty LtdGold Coast University Hospital Car Park

Commercial Building (offi ce accommodation)

up to $2.5 million

Rawcorp Pty Ltd


$2.5 million – $5 million

Walton Construction (Qld) Pty LtdOz Care Regional Offi ce

Residential Building (high-rise over 3 storey)

over $20 million

Grocon Constructors (Qld) Pty LtdSoul Residential Apartments

Innovation in Environmental Management

AP Constructions Qld Pty LtdThe Southport School – Sheil Building

HousingDisplay Home up to $275,000

Cummins Constructions Pty LtdT/A GJ Gardner Homes Gold Coast NorthRosewood 2013

Display Home $276,000 – $375,000

Newstart Homes (S E Qld) Pty LtdThe Cabarita

Display Home $376,000 – $475,000

Palladio Homes Pty LtdThe Resort

Display Home $476,000 – $625,000

Misa Constructions Pty LtdSalt 3400

Individual Home up to $275,000

Alliance Homes Pty Ltd T/A Stylemaster HomesBaybreeze 30 Aspen

Individual Home $276,000 – $375,000

Frase Constructions Pty Ltd T/A GJ Gardner Homes Tweed Heads


H2 Homes Pty Ltd T/A H2 Constructions Qld


Frase Constructions Pty Ltd T/A GJ Gardner Homes Tweed Heads


Cummins Constructions Pty Ltd T/A GJ Gardner Homes Gold Coast North

Individual Home $776,000 – $1 million

Doohan Developments Pty Ltd

Individual Home $1 million – $1.5 million

Allwood Contractors Pty Ltd

Individual Home $1.5 million – $2 million

JMD Projects (Qld) Pty Ltd

Individual Home $2 million – $4 million

V-Build Construction Services Pty Ltd

Individual Home over $4 million

Alder Constructions Pty Ltd

Housing for Sloping Sites up to $425,000

Choice Homes (Qld) Pty LtdThe Cordoba 3B

Housing for Sloping Sites over $426,000

Chelbrooke Homes Pty Ltd

Home Renovation/Remodelling Project up

to $275,000

Sanctuary 28 Projects Qld Pty Ltd

Home Renovation/Remodelling Project over

$576,000

Eco Projects & Developments Pty Ltd

Low-Rise Multi-Residential Housing

(duplexes)

Burling Contracting Pty Ltd


(townhouses)

Sunland Homes Pty LtdGardene Stage 2–4

Housing & Construction AwardsGold Coast

Gold partnersPlatinum partners



Hooper Constructions Pty Ltd

Tucked away in Sanctuary Estate, this 410m2 executive style home was built on a challenging sloping block backing on to the Mount ArcherNational Park. The home is built on four levels specifi cally designedto hug the slope, and is an example of superior design and quality craftsmanship. One level alone boasts a dining and seating area,media room, gym and dual home offi ce. The main living area openson to an expansive hardwood deck taking in the spectacular views,while an internal timber staircase leads to a couple’s retreat and astunning main bedroom on the top level.


Paynter Dixon Queensland Pty Ltd – Yaralla Sports Club,

Mercure Hotel

The Yaralla Sports Club and the Gladstone Mercure Hotel developments include a spectacularly enhanced club entry and foyer with expanded outside covered areas and car parks. Thehotel features 60 premium accommodation rooms, three meeting facilities, a large function area and two levels of secure car parking with a direct connection to the sports club. The grand entrance of timber walls and earthy tones, lit up by golden feature lights, servesas the perfect introduction to the club.

CENTRALQUEENSLAND


Bronstock Pty Ltd T/A Absolute Homes

From the traditional charm of the front porch to the spacious outdoorliving areas, this Creekview Drive home combines a unique mix of character and contemporary living. The front zone of the housefeatures a light-fi lled entry, a generous home theatre and a master suitewith a huge, walk-in wardrobe and double shower. The superb kitchenhas an adjacent scullery, and sliding doors deliver that ‘wow’ factor by combining the dining area with outdoor living and full outdoor kitchenfacilities.

Housing & Construction AwardsCentral Queensland




Best Kitchen

C & D Constructions Pty LtdT/A Gladstone Designer HomesThe Caribbean

Trade Contractor – Cabinet Making

Hator Pty Ltd T/A Tomkins KitchensSignature, Oakand Hills

Trade Contractor – Stone Masonry

R B Coastal Investments Pty Ltd T/A Ten Commandments Granite & Marble

Trade Contractor – Outdoor Living

James V O’Hanlon

Craftsmanship to be Commended

Down Under Tiling Pty Ltd


J Hutchinson Pty Ltd T/A Hutchinson BuildersUQ Teaching and Learning Centre


J M Kelly (Project Builders) Pty LtdRockhampton Base Hospital


up to $5 million

F K Gardner & Sons Pty LtdEmerald QFRS Station



J Hutchinson Pty Ltd T/A Hutchinson BuildersYeppoon Cyclone Shelter


up to $5 million

J M Kelly (Project Builders) Pty LtdDuaringa Hotel


over $5 million

Paynter Dixon Queensland Pty LtdYaralla Sports Club – Mercure Hotel


T F Woollam & Son Pty LtdT/A Woollam ConstructionsD C Motors Workshop Extension & Refurbishment

Retail Facilities up to $5 million

ASM Builders Pty LtdBOC Gas & Gears


ASM Builders Pty Ltd


J Hutchinson Pty Ltd T/A Hutchinson BuildersQGC Gladstone Supply Base


up to $5 million

Ram Contractors Qld Pty LtdCentrelink Emerald


over $5 million

J M Kelly (Project Builders) Pty LtdBanana Shire Council Administration Building & Art Gallery


over $20 million

J Hutchinson Pty Ltd T/A Hutchinson BuildersG60 Residential Units

Innovation in Workplace Health & Safety

Murphy Builders Qld Pty LtdCentral Queensland University – Health Centre


J Hutchinson Pty Ltd T/A Hutchinson BuildersQGC Gladstone Supply Base

Excellence in Sustainable Building

J M Kelly (Project Builders) Pty LtdCentrelink Yeppoon


Irwin Homes Pty LtdHallifax 403

Display Home $276,000 – $375,000

Bronstock Pty Ltd T/A Absolute Homes

Display Home $376,000 – $425,000

K C L Constructions Pty Ltd T/A Lawler HomesBellbird Display Home

Display Home $426,000 – $475,000

C & D Constructions Pty LtdT/A Gladstone Designer HomesThe Caribbean


Wayne Foster Homes Pty Ltd


James Osborn BuildingThe Benjamin


Millsons Pty Ltd


B A Louttit T/A Hotondo RockhamptonSeaspray (Modifi ed)




Corbett Homes Pty LtdChantilly

Best Heritage Style Home

Qfl air Pty Ltd T/A Ezylifestyle HomesSignature, Oakland Hills


Tenheggeler Building Company Pty Ltd T/A Tenheggeler Homes



Home Renovation/Remodelling Project

up to $275,000

P J E Smith


$276,000 – $575,000

Corbett Homes Pty Ltd

Home Renovation/Remodelling Project over

$576,000

James O’Hanlon (Builder) Pty Ltd


(duplexes)

Wayne Foster Homes Pty Ltd


(townhouses)

Carmichael Builders Pty LtdGateway Apartments Emerald

Excellence in Sustainable Living

TT Cummins & Son Builders Pty LtdChamber’s Residence

Housing & Construction AwardsCentral Queensland

Platinum partners Gold partners



McNeill Building Pty Ltd – Glenella House

This is a house that has been built with position and lifestyle in mind.It features a magnifi cent swimming pool enclosure, an exceptionalkitchen and award winning bathroom. The home has been designedto take full advantage of the views in every direction, and all roomsand the entertainment area were designed to be considerate of the owner’s growing family requirements.


John Foster Projects Pty Ltd – ABC Regional Radio Studio

Innovative construction methods saw the purpose-built ABCRegional Radio Studio constructed to the highest cyclone requirements and beyond, which will enable the region to have communication under any circumstances. Strict energy and sustainability requirements were exceeded by the builder to ensure that the building would be cost eff ective for many years. Ironically,the building was constructed during an exceptionally wet season,but remained on time and on budget.

MACKAY & WHITSUNDAY


Rick Chelman Builder Pty Ltd – Reef Parade

This city beach home off ers excellent value for money, with many of itsfeatures usually seen in much more expensive homes. A large patio atthe rear of the house adds to the open-air living and space available to the owners. This lovely home has been exceptionally well designed and fi nished.

Housing & Construction AwardsMackay & Whitsunday



McNeill Building Pty LtdGlenella House

Best Kitchen

Gemini Homes (Qld) Pty Ltd

Trade Contractor – Cabinet Making

A R GangemiT/A Tony Gangemi CabinetmakerYoung Residence


Whitsunday Marble & Granite Pty LtdThe Woodshed Hamilton Island

Trade Contractor – Swimming Pool, Outdoor

Living & Landscaping

Moloko Homes Pty Ltd

The Ken & Nola Clark Perpetual Award for

Quality Workmanship

Ryan McLean Constructions Pty LtdClarion Hotel Refurbishment


J M Kelly (Project Builders) Pty LtdEmmanuel Kindergarten



T F Woollam & Son Pty LtdT/A Woollam ConstructionsProserpine Nursing Home Facility


Paynter Dixon Queensland Pty LtdMackay Northern Beaches State High School


up to $5 million

T F Woollam & Son Pty LtdT/A Woollam ConstructionsMagpies Sporting Club Stage 1 Gaming Room Extension



Paynter Dixon Queensland Pty LtdProserpine State High School – Cyclone Shelter


River City Homes (Mackay) Pty LtdMifsud Fresh


G W & J L Fergus Pty Ltd T/A Fergus BuildersN R W Civil & Mining


Don Woods Homes Pty LtdTotally Workwear


J Hutchinson Pty Ltd T/A Hutchinson BuildersWoolworths Ooralea Development


T F Woollam & Son Pty Ltd T/A Woollam ConstructionsA E Smith Offi ce & Warehouse Facility


up to $5 million

John Foster Projects Pty LtdABC Regional Radio Studio


over $5 million

J Hutchinson Pty Ltd T/A Hutchinson BuildersMasters Home Improvement Mackay

Innovation in Workplace Health & Safety

J M Kelly (Project Builders) Pty LtdMackay Bulk Sugar Terminal Shed 2Roof Replacement


F K Gardner & Sons Pty LtdMoranbah Dam Project – Dam Remediation Works


Moloko Homes Pty Ltd

Display Home $276,000 – $375,000

G W & J L Fergus Pty Ltd T/A Fergus BuildersMirafl ores

Display Home $376,000 – $475,000

The Reef Properties Pty LtdLuzon 292

Display Home $476,000 – $625,000

Gemini Homes (Qld) Pty Ltd


Warell Constructions Pty Ltd T/A HotondoHomes MackayCustom Design


Rick Chelman Builder Pty LtdReef Parade


Barry Green Pty LtdMcDonald


Relaxed Living Homes Pty LtdTurtle Place


Steve Knight Builders Pty LtdThe Beach House


Pilcher Industries No. 1 Pty LtdEisemann Residence


McNeill Building Pty LtdGlenella House


McNeill Building Pty LtdThornton Project


up to $275,000

Urban Trend Constructions Australia Pty LtdLenesha 2nd Storey Addition


$276,000 – $575,000

Don Woods Homes Pty LtdCoral Drive


(duplexes)

Gemini Homes (Qld) Pty LtdBerkshire


(townhouses)

Altitude Design & Construct Pty LtdBarron Court Estate

Medium-Rise Multi-Residential Housing

(units/3 storey)

J Hutchinson Pty Ltd T/A Hutchinson BuildersThe Peak Apartments


G W & J L Fergus Pty Ltd T/A Fergus Builders

Housing & Construction AwardsMackay & Whitsunday




Martin Locke Homes Pty Ltd – Candice 308

This home has been built with position and lifestyle in mind. It boasts a magnifi cent alfresco area and every facet of the dwelling has anexceptional fi t and fi nish. Designed to take full advantage of theindoor and outdoor living experience, it has been built with everyconsideration of any growing family requirements, and had complexbuild requirements on all levels.


Thiess Pty Ltd – Townsville Hospital Redevelopment Stages 1–3A

The newly constructed Townsville Hospital North Block redevelopment and operating theatre boasts a striking externalfaçade that features a range of metal cladding systems generally notseen in North Queensland. The expanded Emergency Departmentmore than doubles its original capacity, making it the largest inQueensland. Extensive programming and communication was essential throughout construction to minimise the impacts onongoing hospital operations.

NORTHQUEENSLAND


Austart Homes Townsville Pty Ltd – Sunrise 290

This home off ers excellent value for money, with many of its featuresusually seen in much more expensive homes. It features a large patio at the rear of the house, which adds to the open-air living and usable space available to the owners. This lovely house is exceptionally well designed and constructed.

Housing & Construction AwardsNorth Queensland



Vista Homes & Design Pty Ltd

Best Kitchen

Williams Constructions Pty LtdT/A A.P. Williams & CompanyMirage

Trade Contractor – Shopfi tting

Liveconstruction Pty LtdEscape Travel


Vista Homes & Design Pty LtdSita Retreat

Trade Contractor – Swimming Pool,

Outdoor Living & Landscaping

Nixon Build Pty Ltd T/A Nixon Build and DesignYarrawonga Drive Renovation – External

2013 Trevor Mustey Perpetual Award for

Quality Workmanship

Pro-View Homes Pty Ltd

ConstructionHealth & Education Facilities up to $2.5 million

A Gabrielli Constructions Pty LtdCalvary Christian College New Technology Centre



Reeves Constructions Qld Pty LtdRonald McDonald House Stage 2



Hansen Yuncken Pty LtdSchool of Veterinary & Biomedical Sciences


Thiess Pty LtdTownsville Hospital Redevelopment Stages 1–3A


up to $5 million

J Hutchinson Pty Ltd T/A Hutchinson BuildersMagnetic Island Walkway



Carmichael Builders Pty LtdCloncurry Community Precinct


up to $5 million

Liveconstruction Pty LtdCrown on Palmer


over $5 million

Seymour Whyte Constructions Pty LtdTownsville Cruise Ship Terminal

Refurbishment/Renovation

up to $2.5 million

A.J.B Building Solutions Pty LtdPicnic Bay Hotel Redevelopment

Refurbishment/Renovation


J Hutchinson Pty Ltd T/A Hutchinson BuildersRSL Stage 5.1


Phoenix Constructions (Queensland) Pty LtdMotolife BMW Showroom


Watpac Construction Pty LtdELF Stage 1 JLU (NQ) Clothing Store


TCS Contracting Pty LtdPacifi c Marine Group Facility


over $5 million

F K Gardner & Sons Pty LtdFlinders Shire Council Offi ces


up to $20 million

RCQ Construction Pty LtdKensington Apartments


Watpac Construction Pty LtdELF Stage 1 JLU (NQ) Clothing Store


Peter J Mulvey T/A S & P ConstructionsThe Ascot

Display Home $276,000 – $375,000

Doble Homes Pty LtdThe Aston

Display Home $376,000 – $475,000

Austart Homes Townsville Pty LtdSunrise 290

Display Home $476,000 – $625,000

Martin Locke Homes Pty LtdCandice 308


Geoff rey J Longwood T/A Geoff Longwood Constructions


Pro-View Homes Pty Ltd


Williams Constructions Pty LtdT/A A.P. Williams & Company


Vista Homes & Design Pty LtdIndividual Home $476,000 – $625,000

Geoff rey J Longwood T/A Geoff Longwood Constructions


Vista Homes & Design Pty LtdIndividual Home $776,000 – $1 million

Peter J Mulvey T/A S & P ConstructionsBest Heritage Style Home

D J Jones Pty LtdKent


Gedoun Constructions Pty LtdHousing for Sloping Sites over $426,000

Reef Coast Constructions Pty LtdHome Renovation/Remodelling Project

up to $275,000

Turton Constructions Pty Ltd T/A Smith & Sons Renovations & Extentions Townsville East


$276,000 – $575,000

Nixon Build Pty LtdT/A Nixon Build and Design


over $576,000

Nixon Build Pty LtdT/A Nixon Build and Design


(duplexes)

Vista Homes & Design Pty LtdLow-Rise Multi-Residential Housing

(townhouses)

Gedoun Constructions Pty LtdExcellence in Sustainable Living

Finlay Constructions Pty Ltd T/A Finlay Homes

Housing & Construction AwardsNorth Queensland


BUILDING GROUP PTY LTD

INDUSTRIESHELPING BUILD THE NATION SINCE 1973



Prime Constructions (Qld) Pty Ltd – Allen Residence

This magnifi cent home is a contemporary three-level residencewith panoramic views of the sea and tropical surroundings. Thearchitectural design is totally suited to life in the tropics, and featuresfull height glass walls and high ceilings allowing natural light to fl ow throughout the entire residence. This home shows architectural meritand a high degree of structural diffi culty.


Thiess Pty Ltd – Lotus Glen Correctional Centre

Located near Mareeba, the Lotus Glen Correctional Centre is a stellarexample of expert building design and construction methodologyto redevelop an existing facility. During construction, Thiess set newbenchmarks for working in a high stakes operational environmentwhere security integrity had to be of the highest possible standard.The result was a functional and durable building, with cell capacityincreased from 396 to 696 beds, making way for future growth.

FAR NORTH QUEENSLAND


Michael Court T/A Cairns Profi le Homes – Balmoral

The ‘Balmoral’ diff ers from the usual house, displaying new and unusualconcepts while still being aff ordable. This lovely home has beendesigned and built to cater for every aspect of living in the tropics. Large windows and high ceilings give this home an indoor/outdoorambience not seen before.

Housing & Construction AwardsFar North Queensland



Tropical Trend Homes Pty Ltd228 Litara

Best Kitchen

Russell Kelly T/A Artizan CabinetsHinrich

Trade Contractor – Carpentry, Joinery,

Shopfi tting & Cabinet Making

Money Cabs Pty Ltd T/A Micale Cabinets

Trade Contractor – Brick/Block Laying,

Stone Masonry, Concreting & Tiling

Anthony K Dunlea T/A Only FloorsKeir Residence

Trade Contractor – Swimming Pool &

Outdoor Living

Nathan D VerriShamba Pool

Best Use of Timber

Tropical Source (Qld) Pty Ltd


J Hutchinson Pty Ltd T/A Hutchinson BuildersJames Cook University New Lecture Theatre



Northbuild Construction Pty LtdSt Monica’s College – Stage 1


Northbuild Construction Pty LtdThursday Island Chronic Disease Centre


up to $5 million

HPS (QLD) Pty LtdAFL Cape York House



Vis Constructions Pty LtdTully Cyclone Shelter


over $20 million

Thiess Pty LtdLotus Glen Correctional Centre

Lifestyle Housing for Seniors

J Hutchinson Pty Ltd T/A Hutchinson BuildersHoly Spirit Aged Care Services – Stages 2 & 3


Prime Constructions (Qld) Pty LtdJR Duty Free Fitout – Cairns Airport


Hollander Homes Pty LtdCazalys Social Club


Keir Constructions Pty LtdHoppens Carpets, New Showroom & Warehouse


Broad Construction Services (Qld) Pty LtdMount Sheridan Plaza Expansion and Refurbishment


up to $5 million

Keir Constructions Pty LtdThe Speicalist Centre, Cairns


KNCB Pty Ltd T/A Kenick ConstructionsHaven 2

Display Home $276,000 – $375,000

Michael Court T/A Cairns Profi le HomesBalmoral

Display Home $476,000 – $625,000



Austart Homes Pty LtdArlington Design


Ashlee Jones T/A Ashlee Jones HomesBrock Design




Nathan D VerriBevington Residence


Moseley Holdings Pty LtdThe Peak


QTB Pty LtdGinger House


Tropical Source (Qld) Pty Ltd

Individual Home over $2 million

Prime Constructions (Qld) Pty LtdAllen Residence


Moseley Holdings Pty Ltd T/A Ash Moseley Homes


$276,000 – $575,000

Mark Watson Constructions Pty LtdTulloch Residence


over $576,000

Ken Fox Homes Pty LtdChanesman & Busst


(duplexes)

R A Kopp Building Pty LtdFairway Villas Unit


KNCB Pty Ltd T/A Kenick ConstructionsHaven 2

Housing & Construction AwardsFar North Queensland

Gold partners

Platinum partners

Platinum partners


Housing & Construction Awards

Apprentice and ApprenticeEmployer of the YearGOLD COAST

Kallum BrayshawGiven the opportunity to work on projects from the ground up, Kallum has an all-round perspective of his chosen craft of carpentry.Kallum has also completed a Certifi cate IV in Building & Construction with Master Builders and looks set for a prosperous future in the building industry.

Brayshaw Constructions Pty LtdThere is no greater satisfaction in seeing the family tradition being passed down from father to son. While Wes gave Kallum the opportunity, he alsoknew that he needed to provide him with a wider experience. He supported him to work with other builders so that Kallum could benefi t from many other experienced builders and tradesmen to enable him to become a well-rounded tradesperson.

CENTRAL QUEENSLANDElliot SeathElliot has an obvious enthusiasm and passion for the building and construction industry. He displays ambition and motivation in his conversation and presents extremely well. Elliot has excellent communication skills and can look forward to a very bright future in the building industry. He has ambition to become a registered trade contractor and a licensed builder in the not too distant future.

Wayne Foster Homes Pty LtdWayne Foster is committed to training apprentices with the knowledge that they are the future of the industry. Wayne’s passion for excellence inthe industry is demonstrated in the qualities he has included in the training of his apprentice. In Elliot’s words “Wayne has taught me to work hard, to work quickly, show initiative and more importantly, to be able to be proud of the product I build”. Wayne’s work ethics, and that of his supervisor Keith, have obviously been passed on to Elliot, particularly in the need to research and prepare for a task.

MACKAY & WHITSUNDAYJoel BruunJoel Bruun is working through his Certifi cate III in carpentry and has shown a maturity in the industry that defi es his 19 years. Hisattitude and application refl ects his keen interest in all aspects of the industry, including carpentry, concreting and bricklaying, as these play a large part of his day-to-day work environment of renovations and extensions.

Mark QuinnMark Quinn Building has employed many apprentices over the years and after completing their apprenticeships they have all gone on to becomevaluable parts of their local building community. Mark’s own passion was passed on to all of his apprentices, as he believes very strongly in theindustry and the next generation of builders.

NORTH QUEENSLANDMichael ZurilloMichael is best described as a quiet achiever and always applies himself diligently and enthusiastically regardless of the task set.His attitude and application refl ects his keen interest in all aspects of the industry and the other trade applications in the projects. Michael is undertaking additional studies to ensure his increased knowledge furthers his career and future in the building industry.

Reeves Constructions Qld Pty LtdDavid Reeves Constructions has worked with many apprentices over the years, and all of them are proud to be part of the building community. It is this passion for the industry that was passed on from David to all of his apprentices. His dedication and pride is carried on through his own work ethic. David believes very strongly in the industry and the next generation of builders.


GOLD COAST Paul HarmsPaul started PJH Constructions in late 2009 and undertook all the roles within the business, but his commitment to quality andworkmanship soon saw his business grow, resulting in the implementation of a dedicated team that share his vision and passion. Paulbelieves that you don’t have clients – you develop future friends – and he has focused his business around the renovation market. Paulhas developed a seven-point Customer Satisfaction Guarantee system and this has become his team’s mandate with every project.

CENTRAL QUEENSLANDBen CumminsBen Cummins commenced his career in the building and construction trade in 2004 and obtained his Builder Low Rise licence in2012. Ben has also completed the Master Builders Green Living Program and regularly attends Master Builders seminars, industryupdates and trade shows. As a member of the family business TT Cummins & Son Pty Ltd, Ben has quickly established a reputation for his quality workmanship, and demonstrating sound building knowledge, initiative, honesty and, most importantly, commonsense.

MACKAY & WHITSUNDAYGavin SmithGavin Smith obtained his builders licence in 2007 and has concentrated on building quality homes in the Whitsunday area. This has been evident in the awards Gavin has received over the past few years and the repeat work from existing clients. Being involved inevery part of the building process is very important to Gavin and his team, proving he is dedicated, hard-working, adaptable, detail-orientated and focused. With the support of his family and colleagues, Gavin is one of our future leaders of the industry, always willing to learn and educate.

NORTH QUEENSLANDGeoffrey LongwoodSetting out from Perth to make his mark in Townsville, Geoff became a licensed builder in 2009 and started his company Geoff Longwood Constructions. The hands-on approach shows he is committed to providing his clients with vision, diversity and a point of diff erence. His enthusiastic approach to his work adds enormous energy to all of his projects and this is refl ected in the fi nishedprojects and the many satisfi ed clients.

FAR NORTH QUEENSLANDMark WatsonIn 2013 the judges have much pleasure in presenting the Far North Queensland Rising Star Award to Mark Watson of Mark WatsonConstructions. Well done Mark, keep up the excellent work.


Rising Star

FAR NORTH QUEENSLANDBen LyttonThe future of the building industry has always depended on young trainees who continue to give their all. As always, the manual skill of apprentices varies from person to person, but each year someone recognises the extra capability of one particular apprentice. Thisyear it has been awarded to Ben Lytton, who is employed by Mark Watson Constructions Pty Ltd.

Mark Watson Constructions Pty LtdToday, there are builders who realise the importance of training and have an ongoing commitment to passing on their learnt skills to the nextgeneration. This commitment is recognised and rewarded to Mark Watson Constructions Pty Ltd – a builder committed to the development of apprentices.


GOLD COASTKarla Hobley Karla is employed by H2 Homes Qld as a qualifi ed CPA accountant, and undertakes the fi nancial control and administration within H2 Homes. Her role also encompasses business development, human resources, marketing, fi nance and customer relations, as well as providing weekly updates on cash fl ow to the company directors. Karla has also played a signifi cant role in creating a support groupfor women in building.

CENTRAL QUEENSLANDAlyssa ShawThis exceptional young woman has progressed through the ranks at JM Kelly from Site Clerk to Contracts Administrator, to hercurrent role as a member of the Estimating Team, where she takes a lead role in the projects she estimates. In 2011 she accepted anemployer-sponsored opportunity to study a Diploma of Project Management, which she completed in 18 months. She has a desireto further her studies and her experiences, hoping to become a quantity surveyor and to complete a degree in the fi eld of urban development.

MACKAY & WHITSUNDAYTamica LewisTamica is a qualifi ed Building Designer and a key player in the Building Designers Association of Mackay. Tempus Design Studiohas grown from humble beginnings in 2010 and has gained an outstanding reputation in the building community. Tamica has demonstrated a commitment to the industry, and is a worthy recipient.

NORTH QUEENSLANDLeah HaarPassionate, dedicated, committed and a lust for learning – these are some of the words used to describe Leah Haar. In the past seven years it has been a very steep learning curve to look after, manage and control a building company. This is something Leah has takenin her stride and is now very successful at all aspects of the company. Obtaining a builder’s licence was a target never out of sight and Leah has recently obtained her Builder Low Rise licence.

FAR NORTH QUEENSLANDYvonne PengillyYvonne has had a long and illustrious career in the industry – which is nowhere near done yet. Over her 30 plus years she hasprogressed from trade contractor to the holder of a Builder Open licence, through to Construction Manager and Managing Director of her own former, award-winning building company. Yvonne is also involved with the local property developer, Stateland, as Design Manager.

Women in Building


Need a new vehicle? Let us shop around for you.Call Master Builders on 1300 55 11 61.

QMBA-13610 06_11


G.J. Gardner tackles US market

G.J. Gardner Homes opened their fi rst USfranchise in California in 2005 and have built552 homes through a network of 30 franchises.

CEO Darren Wallis said the combination of an improving economy, low interest ratesand available fi nance were all key factorsencouraging owner-occupiers and investorsback into the market.

“Based on current trends, it’s evident that the recession in the US is over. Some areas still have a way to go but others are almostbooming again – it’s an exciting time to be in the property market in the US,” Mr Wallis said.

After surviving the GFC and one of the most diffi cult property markets the US had seen inmore than a century, Wallis said G.J. GardnerHomes was now looking to capitalise on the recovery, and have opened fi ve new franchisesin the January to March 2013 quarter – two each in Colorado and Utah and one in New England. In the same quarter, G.J. Gardner Homes’ US operations accounted for almost15% of the company’s total sales.

Having established G.J. Gardner Homes in Australia and New Zealand with more than 82 franchises, the company has bold expansion plans for the United States, underpinned by an improving housing market.

Members

“We underestimated how challenging it would be to overcome language barriers, cultural diff erences and diff erent business ethics, and ultimately we were unable to overcome thesechallenges and withdrew from these markets.”

Based on this experience, G.J. Gardner Homes has taken a sustainable and steady approachto its US expansion – tackling one state at a time to ensure each master franchisee is wellsupported and set up for success. According toWallis, the key to successful expansion is moreabout fi nding the right person than focusing on a particular geographic location.

“It’s critical to consider factors like the political climate, economic state, competitive environment, industry-leaders, potential suppliers, legislation and cultural issues, which is why it’s so important to engage the right people with local knowledge and a strong understanding of the local community,” MrWallis said.

“Our approach in the US has been to fi rst fi nd the right person who can grow the business in their state, then provide them with amplesupport to set up a number of franchises inthat state, making sure we get it right before turning our focus to the next state.

“It might seem like a slower method of growth, but we know that providing a high level of support is the key to sustainable growth.”

The approach has paid off .

“American builders have warmly welcomedthe franchise opportunities with G.J. GardnerHomes, recognising the benefi ts of being a part of a stable, supported and secure business that has a safety net of other experiencedbuilders within reach,” Mr Wallis said.

“The G.J. Gardner Homes model is based on giving small builders the skills, resources andsystems to take their building business to the next level, empowering small business owners to achieve scale and success as part of a global building group.

“I still pinch myself about the success of G.J. Gardner Homes in the US and I’m lookingforward to growing the business further as we open even more franchises to leverage the post GFC property market.”

“When the GFC hit in 2008, the focus movedfrom expansion to supporting the existing USteam to stay afl oat,” Mr Wallis said

“Thanks to the support and safety net that comeswith being a part of an international franchise, our US business survived the GFC and is stronger than ever, putting us in a good position to open between 500 and 700 offi ces over the next decade to achieve our goal of being thecountry’s largest residential home builder.”

Wallis credits part of G.J. Gardner’s successin the US to learning from past failures –particularly the attempted expansion inGermany and South Africa in 2006 and 2007.

“Our eff orts to expand in Germany and South Africa taught us a lot of valuable lessons andare part of what makes our franchise as strong as it is today,” Mr Wallis said.

BASED ON CURRENT TRENDS, IT’S EVIDENTTHAT THE RECESSION IN THE US IS OVER.


Changes to the Fair Work Act

Changes from 1 July 2013Family friendly provisions

Special maternity leave

Under the Fair Work Act 2009 (the Fair Work Act)unpaid special maternity leave can be takenby a female employee who is unable to work due to:

• A pregnancy-related illness.

• The pregnancy ending within 28 weeks of the expected date of birth of the child, fora reason other than the birth of a livingchild.

An employee wishing to take a period of unpaid special maternity leave must provide the employer notice of the taking of leave as soonas practicable (which may be after the leave hasstarted). This notice must include detail of the anticipated duration of the absence.

The recently passed Fair Work Amendment Bill saw a number of changes apply to the Fair Work Act from 1 July 2013, with the remainder having application from 1 January 2014.

Employment & wagesMikki Richardson – Workplace Relations Adviser

An employer may request evidence, which would satisfy a reasonable person, that theleave requested is taken for a reason that is permitted under the Fair Work Act.

Any period of unpaid special maternity leave taken by the employee will no longer reducethe employee’s entitlement to unpaid parentalleave.

Transfer to a safe job

Should it not be safe for a pregnant employee todo her usual duties, it is a requirement that she be transferred to a ‘safe’ job, following the provisionof evidence that would satisfy a reasonable person (which can be a medical certifi cate).

The employee, upon transferring to a safe job, must not suff er any reduction in rate of pay or entitlements. An appropriate safe job is one that has the same ordinary hours of work as the employee’s present position or a diff erentnumber of ordinary hours agreed to by the employee.

There is no longer a requirement for an employee to have at least 12 months continuous service with their employer beforerequesting a transfer to a safe job.

If no safe job is available, the employee can take (or be required to take) paid ‘no safejob’ leave; however, this entitlement is only available to an employee who would otherwisehave an entitlement to unpaid parental leave (that is, completed at least 12 months continuous service). Employees who are noteligible for unpaid parental leave are entitled to unpaid no safe job leave.

Unpaid parental leave

The maximum period of concurrent unpaid parental leave available to parents has increased from three to eight weeks.

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Call us now for a quote on your next project.Rob: 0418 748 255 | Fax: 07 3803 3022 | Email: [email protected]

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WHOLESALE POOL SHELLSBSA License 1172793

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Employment & wages

Allowing for greater fl exibility, the eight weeks leave may be taken in separate periods (of at least two weeks, unless otherwise agreed) and at any time within the fi rst 12 months of the birth or adoption of a child.

Right to request fl exible working

arrangements

The range of employees who can requestfl exible working arrangements, after having completed at least 12 months continuousservice with their employer, has signifi cantlybroadened and now extends to include:

• An employee who is the parent, or hasresponsibility for the care of a child who is of school age or younger.

• An employee who is a carer (within themeaning of the Carer Recognition Act2010).

• An employee who has a disability.

• An employee who is 55 years of age or older.

• An employee who is experiencing violencefrom a member of the employee’s family.

• An employee who provides care or support to a member of the employee’s immediatefamily, or a member of the employee’s household, who requires care or support because the member is expecting violencefrom the member’s family.

Flexible working arrangements may include arequest to change:

• Working hours (e.g. working less hours or altering start and fi nish times)

• Location of work (e.g. working from home)

• Pattern of work (e.g. job sharing/splitshifts).

The Fair Work Act now also provides examplesof what would constitute ‘reasonable business grounds’ for an employer to refuse a request.

These include:

• The new working arrangements would betoo costly for the employer.

• There is no capacity to change the workingarrangements of other employees toaccommodate the request.

• It would be impractical to change the working arrangements of other employees or hire new employees.

• New working arrangements would be likelyto result in signifi cant loss in effi ciency/productivity.

• New working arrangements would be likelyto result in a signifi cant negative impact on customer service.

Changes from 1 January 2014Fair Work Commission to deal with

workplace bullying

Employees who are bullied at work will, from 1 January 2014, be able to apply to the Fair Work Commission (FWC) for an orderto stop the bullying. The remedies that canbe ordered by the FWC include ordersrequiring:

• The individual or group of individuals to stop the specifi ed behaviour

• Regular monitoring of behaviours by anemployer

• Compliance with an employer’s workplacebullying policy

• The provision of information andadditional support and training to workers

• Review of the employer’s workplacebullying policy.

In dealing with such a complaint the FWC willtake into consideration:

• Any fi nal or interim outcomes of aninvestigation into the matter

• Any procedures available to the worker toresolve the grievance

• Any fi nal or interim outcomes arising from any procedure available to theworker.

The lodging of an application by a workerto deal with bullying in the workplace doesnot limit the access a worker has to furtherremedies available under the Fair Work Act,Work Health and Safety Act 2011 or Workers’ Compensation and Rehabilitation Act 2003.

Union right of entry

Aff ecting the rights of offi cials of organisationswho hold entry permits to enter premises and exercise certain powers, from 1 January 2014,the changes will mean that:

1) Interviews and discussion with ‘eligible workers’ must be held in an area or room agreed to by the occupier and permit holder. In the absence of any agreement,meetings and interviews may beconducted in lunch rooms.

2) The FWC will have the ability to:

a. Deal with disputes regarding the frequencyof visits to premises for discussion purposes

b. Facilitate, where agreement cannototherwise be reached, accommodation and transport arrangements for permit holders in remote areas, including settinglimits for the monetary value an occupiercan change a permit holder under such an arrangement as a cost recovery

c. Deal with disputes in relation to conduct by permit holders whilst being accommodated or transported under an accommodation or transport arrangement.



[email protected]


EBA two-hour meetings

Enterprise bargaining agreementsThe current Construction, Forestry, Mining and Energy Union (CFMEU)/Builders LabourersFederation (BLF) pattern agreements contain the following clause:

33 UNION RIGHTS PROMOTING REPRESENTATION OF MEMBERS

33.9 Employees are entitled to have paid time off to attend union meetings of up to two hours (or more by agreement) or participate in union activities.

On face value, the ‘two-hour clause’ enables an employee to stop work and participate inunion activities, without loss of pay. This is not defi ned. Accordingly, the clause at its widest interpretation is a virtual ‘standing authority’ by the employer for employees to cease work at anytime on full pay, for up to two hours per occasion.

Clauses under the CFMEU/BLF enterprise bargaining agreement allow employees two-hours’ paid time off to attend union activities.

Employment & wagesMartin Belfi eld – Workplace Relations Manager

What is the proper use of the clause?Despite the absence of any support from contractors for its interpretation, the CFMEUclaims the clause allows employees to haveone or more two-hour meetings, each day, six days a week.

Master Builders also rejects this interpretation, as it is manifestly unreasonable. The courtsinterpret agreements on the literal meaning of the words, but also focus on providing industrially sound, sensible and fair conclusions.

To be enforceable as a term of an enterprise agreement, the two-hour clause has to be a permitted matter under the Fair Work Act 2009 (the Act). To do so, it must suffi ciently relate to the union’s relationshipwith the employer and it has to be used for alegitimate purpose by the union to represent its members.

Therefore, the Act permits terms in agreementsthat allow employees to have paid time off from work to attend legitimate union activities. However, this does not mean that every activity that is carried out under this clause isdeemed a legitimate activity.

Is the two-hour clause used by the unions in a legitimate manner?For the two-hour clause to be enforceable it must be within the scope of a permissiblepurpose. Accordingly, it is important to determine if the purpose of the union activityor meeting is within the range of legitimate union representation.

WHEN A TWO-HOUR MEETING IS SCHEDULEDAT A TIME THAT WILL CAUSE CRITICALDELAYS IN THE CONSTRUCTION PROGRAMFOR THE SITE, CONTRACTORS SHOULD INSTRUCT THEIR EMPLOYEES TO DELAY THE MEETING TO AN AGREED TIME IN ORDER TO MINIMISE THE COST TO THE PROJECT.

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Employment & wages

Any two-hour meeting or activity that is, onthe balance of probabilities, arranged for thepurpose of disturbing the worksite and delaying construction, is not for a legitimate purpose.

For example, it is not legitimate to claim thetwo-hour payment for employees who haveceased work on the instruction of a unionduring an investigation of suspected safety breaches. The proper test for payment in thiscircumstance is whether the stoppage was dueto an imminent risk of each employee.

Another example is where employees claim a two-hour stoppage that happens to coincide with an industrial campaign by a union againstthe head contractor.

In the context of the industrial relations laws it is implausible that the two-hour clause would be freely available for employees and unionsto circumvent the bargaining rules under the Act, or to avoid complying with court orders to return to work. Such actions are contraryto the law and objects of the Act, and couldnot be otherwise legitimised by an enterprise agreement. Not only would employees not be paid for such illegitimate stoppages, thestoppages may constitute unprotected action and could attract penalties.

Subcontractors must manage their EBAsContractors are responsible to takereasonable and lawful action to minimise the impact of legitimate and illegitimate two-hour meetings and to work in accordance with thehead contractor’s program. These obligationswill be in the contractual obligationsgoverning the relationship between the parties.

Notice of entryThe Act requires written 24-hour prior noticefrom union offi cials before they are able to enter a site to hold discussions with members or investigate complaints. The only union entry that does not require notice is entry for suspected safety contraventions. Master Builders believes union offi cials who seek toenter a site for the purpose of addressing or organising a two-hour meeting must give 24 hours written notice of entry. Somecontractors already insist on this notice.

No delay in worksThe two-hour clause does not override the rights of a contractor or head contractor to

manage its business. As identifi ed above, thetwo-hour clause is an authority from thecontractor for its employees to have timeoff . However, it is silent on the timing and frequency of activities. This means it is opento the contractor to exercise its management prerogative (in the employment relationship)to arrange the union meetings aroundoperational requirements.

When a two-hour meeting is scheduled ata time that will cause critical delays in the construction program for the site, contractorsshould instruct their employees to delay the meeting to an agreed time in order to minimise the cost to the project.

If the contractor’s employees attend a meeting held at a time the contractor hasspecifi cally directed them not to, themeeting may be regarded as having beendeliberately scheduled to cause fi nancial loss to the contractor and/or others. It is open to the contractor to refuse payment for the losttime.



[email protected]

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Thermal stress glass breakage

Thermal stress occurs in glass when there is atemperature variance in diff erent parts of the glass. If the stress caused by the temperature diff erence is greater than the strength of theglass, thermal stress glass breakage will result.

Thermal stress glass breakage is not a newphenomenon – it has been relatively well understood in commercial glazing for manyyears. However, given the increasing use of high performance, energy effi cient glazing and the fact that some of these products can carry a greater risk of thermal stress, it is importantthat builders and trade contractors have abetter understanding of thermal stress, its cause and how to prevent it.

Thermal stress breakage is not often due toa glass fault, but rather the result of a set of conditions that a pane of glass is exposed to, soit is generally not covered by a glass supplier’s warranty.

Identifying thermal stress glass breakageA glass fracture can be identifi ed as a thermalstress breakage if the start of the crack is at 90°to both the edge of the glass and the face of the glass. Depending on the magnitude of the stresses involved, the crack may only travel for a few millimetres before branching out orveering off -line, so the 90° angle of the initialfracture may not always be immediatelyapparent.

Information about thermal stress glass breakage, its cause and how to prevent it.

Building & planning

strength, increases the risk of the thermal stress breakage.

Factors that can aff ect the risk of thermal stressinclude:

Edge condition

Damage to glass edges during manufacture or installation is arguably the largest cause of low stress thermal breakage.

As US glass manufacturer PPG puts it, “The as-cut quality of glass edges is the single mostimportant factor aff ecting the edge strength of glass. Poor cut-edge quality can reduce the glass strength by 50% or more… Glass edgequality and the resulting glass edge strength is particularly critical to the performance of the glass under the thermal loading…”

The level of thermal stress that a piece of glass can withstand is directly aff ected by the condition of the glass edges. The edges thatare most resistant to thermal stress breakageare good quality, clean-cut edges with noshells, vents or shark teeth. This may be diffi cult to achieve in laminated glass and edgework may be required to smooth the edges.

Glass type

Diff erent glass products have a diff erent tolerance to thermal stress. Generally, the moresolar energy a glass product absorbs, the higherthe risk of thermal stress breakage. All glass manufacturers provide data on the solar energyabsorption properties for their products. Solarabsorption can vary greatly, even between similar products. The use of a refl ective coating can signifi cantly increase the amount of solar absorption. This is because, in eff ect, the glass is absorbing the solar energy both on the way into the glass and then again on the way out after ithits the refl ective coating.

For example, uncoated 6mm grey glass has a solar absorption rate of around 45%, while theaddition of a refl ective coating to this productincreases solar absorption to 63%.

The use of transparent low E coatings can also increase the solar absorption rate of glass. Low

Breakages caused by thermal stress can becharacterised as either low stress breakagesor high stress breakages. Low stress breakage is characterised by a single crack that ‘lazily’ makes its way across the glass, while high stress breakage is identifi able by the initialcrack branching off into a number of separatefi ssures a short distance from its origin.

What causes thermal stress?As previously mentioned, thermal stress iscaused by varying temperatures in diff erentparts of a glass pane.

Absorption of the sun’s energy is one of the main causes of this temperature diff erence. The section of glass exposed to the sun absorbs thesun’s energy and, as a result, heats up. Any part of the glass which is shaded from the sun, for example, by the window frame, stays relativelycool. The hot glass expands while the smaller,cooler area doesn’t. If the cool area of the glassisn’t strong enough to withstand the forces imposed by the expanding hot section of the glass, thermal stress breakage will occur.

Putting the forces required to induce thermalstress into perspective, Pilkington estimate that for every degree in temperature diff erencebetween the edge of the glass and the centreof the glass, around 0.62MPa of stress isintroduced into the glass. Given that in some cases temperature diff erences of 20–30°C canoccur, that equates to around 12–19MPa. This is higher than the design stress used for wind loading!

Thermal stress risk factorsGiven that thermal stress is caused by diff erences in temperature in a piece of glassand that breakage occurs when the ability of the glass to withstand this stress is exceeded, any situation or factor that increases thistemperature diff erence, or decreases the glass’s

THE LARGER A PANE OF GLASS, THE GREATER THE AREA OF GLASS THAT IS ABSORBING THE SUN’S ENERGY, COMPARED TO ITS RELATIVELY NARROW COOLER EDGES.


Building & planning

of radiant heat fl ow through the glass to improve energy effi ciency. This leads to higher glass temperatures and increases the risk of thermal stress.

Another signifi cant risk factor is the addition of heat absorbing fi lms or any partial covering of a glass pane by other products (such as signsor paint) after installation. Both of these can increase in the risk of thermal stress.

Glass size

The larger a pane of glass, the greater the areaof glass that is absorbing the sun’s energy,compared to its relatively narrow cooler edges.The larger area of hot glass results in higherlevels of thermal stress in the edges of theglass.

Exterior shading

Whilst glass properties are well documentedand can be taken into account during the design phase of a project, accounting forexterior shading can be more problematic.

The eff ect that an external shading device hason thermal stress depends on a combination of its size, shape and location on the glass. Exteriorshading is further complicated by its seasonalnature; as the sun’s position changes throughout the year, so too does the shadows it casts.

In general:

• Shading that covers 50% or less of theglass is more unfavourable than a device that shades a greater percentage of the glass.

• Static shading is more unfavourable thanmobile shading.

• V or L shaped shading induces higherthermal stress, particularly if the point of the V falls on an edge of the glass.

Interior shading

A thermal stress risk factor that is encountered more often in residential construction than commercial, is the use of curtains and blindson the inside of a window. The impact that blinds and curtains have on thermal stressdepends on the colour, type and other factors;however the eff ect can be signifi cant.

While close fi tting blinds or curtains help to minimise heat transmission into or outof the building, they can signifi cantly add to the risk of thermal stress. To minimise this, the space between the glass and shade must beat least 50mm (preferably 150mm) and shouldbe vented. Ventilation is provided by leaving agap between the blinds and the walls, or frame,of 50mm at the head and 25mm at the sill.

The eff ect that blinds and curtains have onthermal stress is also dependent upon howmuch energy they refl ect back onto the glass. Light colours are good refl ectors, while dark colours are not. Closed weave fabric helpstrap heat more eff ectively, while open weavelets the heat pass through. Venetian blinds are excellent heat refl ectors, as are metallisedblinds.

Heating and cooling

Artifi cial heating and/or cooling devices should be positioned so that they do not blow hot orcool air directly onto the glass surface, nor intothe space between the glass and the curtains.Doing so may result in varying temperatureson the glass surface and, therefore, increasethe risk of thermal stress.

Glazing method

Commonly used glazing methods do notsignifi cantly aff ect the risk of thermal stress.

The exception to this is structural glazing, which reduces the levels of thermal stress by reducing the temperature diff erence between the glazed edge and the centre of the glass. Care should be taken when using any glazingmethod that either encourages the transfer of heat away from the glass or covers unusually large amounts of the edges of the glass.

Managing the risk of thermal stressThe risk of thermal stress breakage can beeliminated by managing the factors outlined above or by heat strengthening the glass.

Heat strengthening increases the strength of the glass, which allows it to resist the thermally induced stress. Heat strengthening can berelatively expensive, particularly if requiredfor laminated glass, so unless replacing glassthat has been broken under thermal stress, a method of quantifying the risk level is needed.

Many glass manufacturers’ websites provide detailed information on thermal stress breakage. Some also provide online tools that enable you to perform a thermal stress analysisyourself, or they will perform a thermal stressanalysis for you providing you purchase glass from them.

By using available information, as the glass installer, you can objectively assess the risksprior to installation. In some cases redesignmay be possible, eliminating the need forheat strengthening and therefore saving unnecessary expense.

Disclaimer: The information provided in thisarticle is intended as a general guide only and the Australian Glass and Glazing Association recommends that you undertake your owninvestigations when specifying windows and glass products to ensure they comply with all relevant regulations and are fi t for purpose.

For more information about thermal stress

breakage, visit www.agga.org.au


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Over the past 25 years, Master Builders and BUSSQ have enjoyed a close and cooperative relationship.During this time, Master Builders has represented the industry on the board of BUSSQ and we stronglysupport BUSSQ as the superannuation fund of fi rst choice for the building and construction industry.

Our sentiment is confi rmed by a recent survey which found that BUSSQ Building Super is doing a betterjob of keeping its members satisfi ed than any other Australian super fund.

The Investment Trends 2013 Member Sentiment & Communications Report found that 83% of BUSSQ members gave the fund either a ‘good’ or ‘very good’ rating.

BUSSQ continues to offer members some of the best returns and the best service of any fund in Australia.

Superannuation

Not only are BUSSQ members the happiest in Australia, their super is also earning more investment returns.

The latest SuperRatings Fund Survey – ananalysis of the 50 largest balanced growthfunds – shows that BUSSQ’s Balanced Growth option is outperforming most other funds, with a return of 16.15% for the period ending 30June 2013.

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Year after year, BUSSQ continue to prove that they are the leading industry super fund inQueensland, providing outstanding serviceand support to Master Builders and ourmembers.

We encourage all members to secure their retirement by joining BUSSQ – Master Builders chosen super fund.


Case Study

THIS ARTICLE IS PART OF AN ENFORCEABLE UNDERTAKING

On the 12th February 2010, three workers retained by NF Corbett (one employee of NF Corbett and two sub-contractors) fell from a height of approximately 2.8 metres onto a concrete fl oor on a construction site in Coorparoo. While standing on the bottom cord of a truss they were installing, the truss top cord broke. As a result of the fall, two of the workers were hospitalised while a third wasuninjured. The consequences of this fall were:

• One worker sustained a number of fractured ribs and a punctured lung.

• Another worker sustained a fractured leg.

• The third worker was shaken but uninjured.

• The Principal Contractor, NF Corbett faced prosecution and an Enforceable Undertaking.

On investigation of the incident, some root causes were identifi ed which may have contributed to the incident including:

• Workers did not follow SWMS developed for the task at hand.

• Supervisor was complicit in the workers not following the SWMS developed for the task.

• Scaffolding provided was not utilised at time of fall.

• There was no examination of the truss to confi rm its structural integrity.

• Truss broke due to the presence of a large knot in top cord.

Although NF Corbett had a Construction Safety Plan and comprehensive SWMS in place for this task and all other activities, NFCorbett failed to ensure adequate supervision of the workers. NF Corbett also failed to ensure that the workers used the scaffolding provided for the task at hand. Further, once the workers were found to be using the bottom cord of the truss as a platform, the workers were not immediately instructed to climb down from the truss and use the scaffold provided. This inaction ultimately led to the incident where undue strain was placed on the fl awed truss member.

Following a formal investigation of the incident, Workplace Health and Safety Queensland alleged that NF Corbett contravened section 24 and 28 of the Workplace Health and Safety Act 1995 (the Act).

As an alternative to having the matter prosecuted through the court, NF Corbett chose to accept an Enforceable Undertaking which hasafforded NF Corbett the opportunity to further enhance its Occupational Health and Safety Management System and to re-invigorate the safety culture of the organisation to ensure such an incident cannot be repeated. The terms of the undertaking also require that tangible benefi ts be delivered to industry and the local community.

The experience of NF Corbett shows that it is vitally important that companies continuously reinforce that it is essential that employees and supervisors clearly stick to the SWMS developed to carry out tasks safely and use the equipment provided to safely carry out anyand every task. NF Corbett has further committed to having its Safety Management system accredited to the requirements of AS/NZS 4801and tested by external yearly audits performed by a certifi ed body and committed to training for supervisors, management and senior staff to a level of Cert IV in Occupational Health and Safety. All NF Corbett employees will benefi t by working on sites that are controlled by thoroughly tested procedures and systems. In addition, sites will be subject to even greater supervision from formallytrained and qualifi ed supervisory and safety personnel that can more readily identify hazards and implement effective control measuresespecially associated with falls from height activities and other construction type hazards within the workplace.

In a prickly situation with a client? Master Builders can help you manage the dispute.

Call us on 1300 30 50 10.

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Your obligations under the Queensland Home Warranty Scheme

The Queensland Government’s 10-point action plan to reform the Building ServicesAuthority (BSA) and building regulations withinthe industry seeks to retain the QueenslandHome Warranty Scheme under governmentownership and to review the current scheme to provide greater defi nition and clarity.

With a review into the Queensland HomeWarranty Scheme likely to be undertaken soon, it is timely to recap on the implications of thescheme and its place in the building industry.

What is the Queensland Home Warranty Scheme?The Queensland Home Warranty Scheme isa statutory insurance scheme that providesinsurance cover for certain residential construction work valued at more than $3,300. Its purpose is to provide protectionfor consumers in circumstances of non-completion, defective construction, subsidenceor settlement.

The scheme is currently administered by theBSA.

It is important to understand how the Queensland Home Warranty Scheme works and your obligations under the scheme.

InsurancePaul Rojas – Partner, Rostron Carlyle Solicitors

The premium payable is based on the valueof the contract. When the BSA accepts the appropriate insurance premium in respect of residential construction work, it must issue a certifi cate of insurance in respect of theresidential construction work. The certifi cate is evidence that the contracted works are covered by the scheme.

When does the policy of insurance come into force?The policy of insurance comes into force on theearliest of the following:

• When a licensed contractor pays the appropriate insurance premium for thework

• On the date a contract between a buildingcontractor and a consumer is entered into for the work

• When a building contractor commences the work.

What if I am served with a direction to rectify? If the BSA is of the opinion that building work is defective, it may direct the person who carried out the building work to rectify thebuilding work within the period stated in thedirection.

If you receive a direction to rectify, it is imperative that you comply with the direction or apply for a review within the 28 days. If you have received a direction to rectify and you were not the person who carried out thebuilding work in question, you can challengethe validity of the direction notice.

Given the limited timeframe imposed by the BSA in attending to a direction to rectify, it

What works are covered?The Queensland Home Warranty Scheme covers ‘residential construction work’ asoutlined in the Queensland BuildingServices Authority Act 1991 (the Act) and theQueensland Building Services Authority Regulations 2003.

When are premiums payable?A policy of insurance for residentialconstruction work must be taken out, by eitherthe licensed contractor or the constructionmanager, as soon as practicable after a contract for work has been entered into (section 68(1)).

TAKE ANY NOTICE YOU RECEIVE FROM THEBSA SERIOUSLY AND TRY TO RESOLVE THE DISPUTE WITH THE HOME OWNER AS EARLY AS POSSIBLE.


is important that you attend the initial site inspection, so that you can discuss the defectsidentifi ed with the BSA building inspector andhome owner. This allows all parties to have an understanding of what is required.

What if the defective work was the fault of a subcontractor? You should immediately alert the BSA if thedefective work was the fault of a subcontractor, so that they can also pursue the subcontractor.

A direction to rectify may be given to morethan one person for the same building work;however, notifi cation to the BSA will not absolve you of the obligations as set out in thedirection to rectify.

I did work for a developer. Does it matter if a subsequent purchaser makes a complaint about my work?No, it doesn’t matter if a subsequent purchaserof residential construction work makes a complaint about your work. The legislation expressly states that nothing will aff ect the right of a subsequent owner of residentialconstruction work to claim indemnity under the statutory insurance scheme (Section70A(5)). The right of a subsequent purchaser tomake a claim is also covered in the insurancepolicy conditions.

What if I am served with a scope of work? In the event that you fail to attend to rectifi cation, the BSA will transfer thecomplaint to their insurance division who willissue a scope of work to be undertaken.

Similar to any direction to rectify, you will then have 28 days from issue of the notice to applyto the Queensland Civil and Administrative

Tribunal (QCAT) for a review of the BSA’sdecision.

Payment on a claim under the Queensland Home Warranty SchemeIf you fail to comply with the direction torectify and rectifi cation work is required, theBSA must seek tenders for carrying out the work. The BSA (via a claims assessment) may approve a tender for a scope of works forwhich the owner then engages the rectifying builder under a domestic building contract.

Upon completion of the rectifi cation works, theBSA makes the payment under the QueenslandHome Warranty Scheme and then proceeds to recover the payment against the builder.Sections71(1) of the Act enables the BSA torecover any payment on a claim under theQueensland Home Warranty Scheme, as a debt, from the building contractor whom therelevant residential construction work was,or was to be, carried out or any other personthrough whose fault the claim arose.

Sections 111C (3) and (6) of the Act attaches the liability of the company to an individualwho was a director of the building companywhen the building work, the subject of theclaim was, or was to have been, carried outand/or an individual who was a director of the building company when the payment wasmade by the BSA under the Queensland HomeWarranty Scheme.

I did not respond to the direction to rectify and/or the scope of works and am now being pursued for the amount paid on a claim. If you have any issues with a decisionmade by the BSA in relation to defects and/

Most glazing problems occur right from the outset. They generally stem from the inappropriate selection and installation of glass, often by unqualified tradespeople.Employing the services of a Glass & Aluminium Association Queensland – accredited glazier is your best protection for ensuring that all

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or incomplete works and the proposedrectifi cation works, you should take stepsto review the decision. There are authorities which suggest that failure to do so will preventthe builder from raising such issues in a defence at the stage when the BSA proceeds to recover the amount paid on the claim.

Why it is important to update my address with the BSA? The importance of compliance/review of decisions within tight timeframes, with respect to both directions to rectify and any scope of works received by a builder, is paramount given the consequences which may result froma failure to comply.

It is not suffi cient to assert that you did not receive a notice. The relevant address forservice of any notice will be the address of thelicensee (builder) in the register of licensees kept by the BSA.

Lessons for membersIt is important to understand how the Queensland Home Warranty Scheme works and your obligations under the Act.

Take any notice you receive from the BSAseriously and try to resolve the dispute with the home owner as early as possible. The BSAprovides plenty of opportunity for builders tocomply with their obligations under the Act and it is there to assist builders as much as it provides protection to consumers.

For more information about your obligation

under the Queensland Home Warranty

Scheme, call Master Builders on 1300 30 50 10.

Insurance


Security of payment: How far down the chain does it apply?

In Capricorn Quarries Pty Ltd v Inline Communication Construction Pty Ltd [2012] QSC 388 thedSupreme Court of Queensland considered whether particular activities undertaken in a quarrywere ‘construction work’ or ‘related goods and services’ under the Building and ConstructionIndustry Payments Act 2004 (BCIPA). Specifi cally, the court considered the concept of ‘supply’ and the use of plant under the BCIPA, which will be of particular relevance for participants in thebuilding and construction products supply sectors.

The court decided that for a ‘supply’ to fall under the BCIPA:

1. Goods should, at the time of supply, be capable of forming part of a building, structure orwork.

2. Even where goods are in fi nal form, parties higher in a supply chain (e.g. wholesalers ormanufacturers) are unlikely to be entering construction contracts (even where goods are infi nal form) as the supply must be made for the specifi c purpose of incorporating the goods ormaterials into a particular building, structure or work.

3. ‘Supply’ does not include work or labour performed on another’s goods for the purpose of processing them into a form suitable for sale.

4. There must be a suffi cient connection between the use of plant and the carrying out of construction work for plant hire to be related goods and services – it is not suffi cient whereplant is used by a party in the context of performing services (or to process a product).

His Honour, Justice Jackson, framed his judgment by saying, “In my view, a ‘natural’ constructionof the relevant defi nitions of BCIPA in this case is to be preferred to an approach which seeks toextend the operation of BCIPA by a ‘liberal interpretation’…”

On one view it might appear that his Honour’s decision goes against the recent trend of the courtsto interpret the BCIPA so that certain types of work are not excluded from its operation. In fact his Honour’s natural construction is consistent with the court’s approach, albeit with a diff erentoutcome.

FactsThe fi rst respondent (Inline) performed services for the applicant, Capricorn Quarries Pty Ltd, at aquarry owned by Capricorn. The services related to the crushing and screening of quarry materialsprincipally for use in civil construction works, such as road building or drainage works. Inline supplied and operated its own plant for the services.

Capricorn then stockpiled the processed materials on site for subsequent sale to third parties.

Inline served a payment claim on Capricorn, purportedly under the BCIPA. Capricorn did not servea payment schedule in response and the matter proceeded to adjudication. The adjudication wasdetermined in Inline’s favour.

Capricorn applied to the Supreme Court seeking to have the adjudicator’s determination declared void on the basis that there was no ‘construction contract’, contending that Inline’s services were not ‘construction work’ or ‘related goods and services’ under the BCIPA. Capricornasserted that:

A recent court case decides that goods and materials and services on construction or mining sites may not be subject to the security of payments regime.

Laws, codes & regulations

1. Inline’s products were not ‘materials… toform part of any building structure or work arising from construction work’ under section 11(1)(a)(i) of the BCIPA.

2. Inline’s products were not ‘materials… for use in connection with the carrying out of construction work’ under section 11(1)(a)(ii) of the BCIPA.

3. Inline’s plant were not goods of the kinddescribed as ‘plant… (whether suppliedby sale, hire or otherwise) for use inconnection with the carrying out of construction work’ under section 11(1)(a)(ii) of the BCIPA.

4. Inline’s products were not goods. Inline undertook to supply, rather, Inline’s services were processing Capricorn’s quarry material, which was not within the BCIPA.

Capricorn’s submissions were successfulon each ground and the court declared the adjudicator’s void. The court held that ‘supply’ should be given its natural meaning, andshould not extend to processing materials owned by a third party. Further, that in circumstances where goods and materialsare not supplied for a particular project, thearrangement between the parties is unlikelyto be a ‘construction contract’ and accordingly will not be regulated by the BCIPA.

ConclusionSuppliers of goods and materials and serviceproviders (including services requiring the use of plant) on construction or mining sitesshould take note – these supplies and worksmay not be subject of the security of payments regime. The circumstances and terms of eachsupply or provision of services will determinewhether they will be captured by the BCIPA.

This article is courtesy of Mills Oakley Lawyers. The information in this article is provided in good faith and is for general information purposes only. This publication does not constitute legal advice, and must not be relied upon. You should seek professional legal advice in relation to matters arising out of the publication. No warranty or representation regarding the reliability, quality or accuracy of any information in this publicationis given by Mills Oakley or the authors of the publication.


Supreme Court decision: What does this mean for contractors?

In Walton Construction (Qld) Pty Ltd v Corrosion Control Technology Pty Ltd & Ors [2011] QSC 67, an adjudication decision made in favour of asubcontractor was set aside. The case identifi esan important constraint on the operation of the Building and Construction Industry PaymentsAct 2004 (BCIPA). That is, upon a contract beingterminated, no further ‘reference dates’ arise for the purposes of BCIPA.

The recent case of McNab NQ Pty Ltd v Walkrete Pty Ltd & Ors [2013] QSC 128 makes it clear thatthe benefi t of the decision in Walton v CCT is available to other contractors. To that end, if acontract permits, a valid termination will have the eff ect of extinguishing a contracted party’sability to successfully use the BCIPA to recoverpayment.

It is important to review your contracts to ensure they do not contain any provisions that jeopardise this benefi t.

Background Under the BCIPA, a person is entitled to a progress payment from each reference date

under a construction contract. A reference date is the date stated in, or worked outunder the contract, as the date on which aclaim for a progress payment may be made. If no date is provided, it is the last date of thenamed month (and the last day of each monththereafter).

Generally, a claimant has a statutory rightunder the BCIPA to serve a payment claimwithin 12 months after the construction work to which the claim relates was last carried out,or the related goods and services were last supplied.

Despite this statutory right under the BCIPA, inWalton v CCT, the Supreme Court construedclause 44.10 of AS2545-1993 (being the form of Australian Standard contract used by theparties in Walton) to mean that no further reference dates arise after the termination of a contract for the purposes of the BCIPA.

Clause 44.10 provides that:

If the Subcontract is terminated under Clause44.4(b) or clause 44.9 the rights and liabilities

Recent Supreme Court decisions in relation to recovering payment under the BCIPA have implications for builders terminating subcontract agreements.

Contracts & disputesFrank Nardone, Special Counsel & Alfi o Di Carlo, Senior Associate – DibbsBarker

of the parties shall be the same as they would be at common law had the defaulting party repudiated the Subcontract and the other party had elected to treat the Subcontract asat an end and recover damages.

Such an interpretation has the eff ect of disentitling a claimant from serving a payment claim under the BCIPA after the termination of the contract.

The caseWalkrete was a subcontractor to McNab. In November 2012, Walkrete delivered a paymentclaim, which progressed to adjudication. Theadjudicator awarded the bulk of the claim.

McNab’s primary challenge was that it hadterminated its subcontract with Walkrete inSeptember 2012, which it contended excludedthe operation of BCIPA based on the decision in Walton v CCT.

Under the subcontract, McNab was entitled to terminate the subcontract if Walkrete defaulted

“in the performance or observance of any seriouscondition”. McNab terminated the subcontract,citing a failure to comply with provisions relatingto safety and protection of people/property.

The adjudicator formed the view that McNab’s termination was not valid and proceeded todecide the adjudication largely in Walkrete’s favour.

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The focus of this book is on the majority of typical home styles.

The booklet sets out information for home owners on howbest to look after what is probably the largest investment theywill make during their lives, and describes the home owners’ responsibilities with regard to the use and operation of the home.

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QMBA-16850 03-13


The appeal McNab applied to the Supreme Court to set aside the adjudicator’sdecision. His Honour, Chief Justice De Jersey considered it necessaryto decide whether McNab had validly terminated the subcontract. If the contract had been terminated, then no reference dates could arisethereafter to support Walkrete’s payment claim so that the adjudication decision must be void.

De Jersey concluded that, on the evidence before the adjudicator, the adjudicator should have found that Walkrete’s actions constituted a breach of a “serious” condition, with the consequence that McNab wasentitled to terminate the contract as it had purported to do. Therefore,the adjudication decision was made without jurisdiction as, prior tomaking the payment claim, the subcontract was validly terminated.

The outcome The McNab case has entrenched the decision in Walton v CCT. Theoutcome of the case has also made it apparent that courts are willingto embark upon a detailed review to determine the validity of thetermination and, thereby, ascertain whether further reference dates arise.

In the McNab case, De Jersey conducted an oral hearing of witnessesfrom McNab and Walkrete in connection with the circumstances of the termination.

In short, the current law is that, upon a construction contract beingvalidly terminated, there are no further reference dates for the purposesof the BCIPA (even if the other party disputes the termination).

The net effectA party liable to become a respondent under the BCIPA has a strong incentive to terminate the contract if there are grounds for doing so.However, the court will undertake a robust review of the termination toascertain its validity. As such, contractors should obtain legal assistancewhen terminating. The opportunity to constrain the BCIPA as off ered by the McNab case may be squandered by improper termination.

Contractors should also ensure that their subcontracts do notcontain any provisions that jeopardise their ability to rely upon theMcNab case.

For more information about this case and its implications, contact

DibbsBarker on (07) 3100 5000 or visit www.dibbsbarker.com

The information in this article is provided for general guidance only. It is not legal advice, and should not be used as a substitute for consultation withprofessional legal or other advisors. No warranty is given to the correctness of the information contained in this article, or its suitability for use by you.To the fullest extent permitted by law, no liability is accepted by DibbsBarker for any statement or opinion, or for an error or omission or for any lossor damage suff ered as a result of reliance on or use by any person of any material in the document.

Now builders can buy a personalised 4-in-1 safety sign

Master Builders 4-in-1 safety sign incorporates four of the most commonly used site safety signs, plus a list of standard site rules, plus a personalised builder’s sign.

Under workplace health and safety legislation, builders must erect appropriate safety signs on site. Master Builders discounted signage canhelp you avoid fi nes and non-compliance.

Call Master Builders on (07) 3225 6416 or visit

www.masterbuilders.asn.au to order online.

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AUTHORISED PERSONS ONLY

HEARING & EYE PROTECTION MUST BE WORN ON THIS

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SAFETY FOOTWEAR MUST BE WORN

SITE RULES

• No childrenallowed on site

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• Electricalleads andpower toolsmust be testedand tagged.

QMBA-5315 04_08

Contracts & disputes


Bridging the gap between fi eld & offi ce

Project managers and accounting staff areoften a world apart. They diff er in personality, computer skills and the type of work theydo. While many contractors are content to letthese two worlds remain separate, the best companies are integrating what’s managed in the fi eld with what’s accounted for in the offi ce. Importantly, these industry leaders are fi ndingthat opposites do attract.

Project managers need accurate, up-to-date job cost data. How much has been spent sofar? How does that match to the budget?However, they probably don’t know whatinvoices have come in and what’s been paid. Accounting takes care of that. What they do know is what’s been done in the fi eld, what’s late and who’s performing (or not).

Accounting has the job cost data. But theycan’t put that information in the context of project status. Accounting folk often have ahard time answering critical questions, like:

• How do costs-to-date match to our percent-complete?

• What is our cost-to-complete estimate?

• Has this sub performed or should paymentbe withheld?

Forward-thinking contractors are getting a handle on their project profi tability by implementing integrated project management

and accounting systems. By deploying an integrated system to share data between accounting and the fi eld, they know their profi ts at each point in time. Even better, they can correct course before it’s too late to get a tough project back on track.

The key benefi ts of integrating accounting andproject management in a single construction management software suite are highlighted below.

Accurate revenue recognitionAccountants play ‘by-the-book’ (we hope), which in construction usually meansrecognising revenue on a percent completion basis. Yet, while they are charged with recognising revenue, accountants aren’tthe ones with the most up-to-date percentcompletion data. The project managers havethat information. Publicly traded contractors,and even most private companies, will want to smoothly match their revenues to theirexpenses, so as to avoid reporting losses.

By integrating project management andaccounting, the offi ce can understand exactlywhere each project stands and recogniserevenue accordingly. This is especiallyimportant in light of the steady stream of invoices and payables processed by accounting.

An integrated system for construction management can provide the environment to collect, analyse and report on information to improve productivity in the fi eld.

Mastering your business

Accurate cost-to-complete estimatesManaging a project to profi t is critical, but toomany fi rms fi nd out in retrospect that they lost money on a job. They may already be half way into the next job when they fi gure out why. To maintain profi tability, the contractor needs to identify cost overruns on each job and at each phase of the project. What’s over budget? Is it a sub, labour or materials? Did we blow the estimate? Maybe we should be using diff erent equipment… Regardless, contractors need to identify overruns early and take action.

The best contractors know their cost-complete on each job, every week or month. They identify cost overruns immediately and have adequate time to change course towardsprofi tability. However, to achieve this goal, they need to integrate job costs with performance data from the fi eld. By combining projectstatus with job costs, an integrated system canidentify what’s left to be done with what it’s going to cost.

Control expenses and avoid errorsWhat if accounting is paying a sub far morethan that partner is producing in the fi eld?A sub may be behind schedule on pouring concrete, but that doesn’t mean they’re notup-to-date on invoicing. Meanwhile, a payables clerk may not realise that a given material is$61 per metre, not the $67 deciphered from a scribbled invoice. Operations could havecaught that mistake. Accounts payable needsthe operations team’s input on what invoicesto pay, what to modify and what to withhold.



Leading contractors are implementing ahighly structured, electronic process for handling expenses. Within 24 hours of gettingan invoice, it’s keyed into the system withan accompanying electronic image of thepaper invoice. It is then routed to the projectmanager to approve, disapprove, comment onor modify. Payments are made in accordancewith contract terms toimprove accountability and carefully managecash fl ow. This disciplined process provideseasy access to up-to-date invoice data sothat managers can generate accurate cost-to-complete estimates.

Maintain profi ts on variationsVariations can be a great source of above-average profi ts on a job. However, too oftenthey go unbilled or end up in dispute. Evenif you end up negotiating a resolution to avariation dispute, you’ll probably end up making far less than you should have. It is therefore critical that any change that has acost or procurement impact must be tracked, approved and billed.

By integrating operations and accounting,leading contractors can manage a tight

variation process. RFIs, submittals andvariations that originate in the fi eld aredocumented and tracked through a disciplinedapproval process that reaches back to theoffi ce, the client and any subs. In the end, thesecontractors are able to present a detailed costimpact analysis and the associated paper trail to their client. As a result, they are able to bill in full for the variation in work.

Measure productivityUltimately, productivity leads to profi tability.The costs of labour and materials each day are fairly certain. What’s less certain is how much progress you’ll make by employing these resources. Hit your metrics for ‘soil-moved’ or

‘pipe-laid’, and you’ve got a profi t. Fall short of those metrics and you won’t recognise enoughrevenue to cover costs. Smart contractorsrealise that key productivity metrics are a leading indicator of job profi tability. Where possible, they gather detailed metrics that measure their cost per unit of work.

Achieving this level of detailed measurementrequires collaboration between operationsand accounting. The superintendentcontributes the quantities of work completed

each day. These quantities when combined with the related cost information yield unitcosts. An integrated system for construction management can provide the environment to collect, analyse and report this information.The resulting unit cost information is apowerful tool for gauging and improvingproductivity in the fi eld.

ConclusionWhile the personalities in operations andfi nancial management may not necessarilymatch, their view on the business can. Bridging these two worlds requires a well-designed, integrated construction management program. The good news is that the technology is available to automate the ideal scenarios presented above. The challenge is to gainconsensus throughout the organisation that communicating, sharing data and automating those processes will make everyone’s life a lot easier

This article was written by Don Fornes, Founder & CEO, Software Advice and was fi rst published inthe February–March 2013 edition of SA Builder.

For more information visit

www.softwareadvice.com


Telstra plan… Now bigger & better than ever

All state Master Builders Associations are nowon the plan, making it the fi rst truly national Master Builders off ering. This strengthens ourbuying power, meaning we can continue tooff er a bigger and better range of products tomembers, across Australia.

Our plan gives members ‘Telstra for less’ with exclusive deals on mobiles, landlines, tablets, Wi-Fi and accessories that you won’t fi nd elsewhere in the market.

The benefi ts include:

• Up to 25% off mobile phone plans

• Ability to share call and data allowances across your account

• A two month ‘port-in’ credit when youswitch providers

• Access to a private Australian-based helpdesk.

If you’re not signed up to the Master Builders–

Telstra plan yet, give us a call on 1300 88 13 72

to get connected.

Here’s what some of our members have to say…

“The Master Builders Telecommunication team have been wonderful and the support they provide our organisation is far superior toanything we have received in the past. Their dedicated Corporate Support team turn

We’re excited to announce that Master Builders Victoria and Master Builders South Australia recently joined the Master Builders–Telstra plan.

Phones & internet

around our requests extremely quickly and certainly make us feel like their only customer. I would recommend Master BuildersTelecommunications to any business as their team provide great solutions, a broader product suite, more personalised service and a support structure that enables our group of companies to be far more productive and profi table.”

“We’re a large commercial builder on the Sunshine Coast who recently joined Master Builders, mostly for the benefi ts of the phone deal. The team at Master Builders calculated thecost savings for our business if we switched over to the plan, and we’ve saved enough money tooff -set our membership fee.”

“Like all small businesses, I review expenses in great detail, and my Telstra account is noexception.

I recommend Master Builders Telco plan to every member I talk to, as it’s the cheapest way to run Telstra mobiles.”

CALL 1300 88 13 72 TO GET CONNECTED

QMBA-16804 02-13

TELSTRA $130 CAPPED

MASTER BUILDERS $90 CAPPED

TELSTRA FOR LESS


www.qleave.qld.gov.au1800 803 491 | [email protected]

Employers who pay their workers long service leave can now claim reimbursement

Fast Easy Accurate1. Get everything in writing. Verbally agreeing to supply goods

or services without any signed paperwork is a recipe for disaster.Quotes, orders and varied work must all be confi rmed in writing andcopies with customer signatures (where applicable) kept on fi le so you have a good paper trail if anything goes wrong.

2. Use a credit account application or a simple information form forall customers, so you can collect good quality information on whoyou are trading with and obtain a signed agreement to your terms and conditions before you supply goods or services.

3. Give a copy of your terms and conditions to all customers. You will not only limit your risk of bad debt, you will reduce warrantyissues, limit your liability, protect your intellectual property rightsand reduce your risk in many other areas of your business.

4. Make sure all variations are documented and signed off by both ff

parties (authorised signatories) before you start any work additional to or changing the scope of your original accepted quote/contract.

5. Confi rm your customer’s identity and contact information toensure you are invoicing the right person or business entity.

6. Use a payment claim instead of a tax invoice if you supply the building and construction industry, but make sure youunderstand the process and strict time restraints if you want touse the Building & Construction Industries Payment Act 2004 to fasttrack payments.

7. Don’t procrastinate. Deal with disputes when they arise, invoicepromptly, call your customers as soon as possible if they haven’t paid on time and be persistent, so you won’t be ignored.

8. Make it easy for customers to pay. Add your bank details toinvoices and clearly state the date payment is due. Encourage automatic credit card payments for regular services/supplies oraccept as many payment methods as is practical.

9. Make no exceptions to your credit rules even if your customer is afriend or referral.

10. Use the Personal Property Security Register (PPSR) to register a security interest in your goods sold on credit.

11. Get help before it’s too late. If you are unsure or worried about aproblem debtor get advice from a credit management specialist or licensed debt collector before you have a major problem.

This article was kindly contributed by Ledger Guard.

For more tips and strategies, visit www.ledgerguard.com.au


Top tips for managing trade credit: Manage your debtors


Protect your business in a tough market

Reality is that insolvency is as much entrenched, if not more so, in the buildingindustry than any other, and in a toughmarket this has become more evident. Theremay be numerous reasons for this; however,the industry slowdown has had its negative fi nancial consequences.

In an increasingly complex fi nancial world,the fact that you are a good tradesmanwill not protect you from economic forces.Unfortunately many insolvent contractors can attest to the fact that insuffi cient time wasspent analysing and assessing the environment in which they were about to do business dueto having:

• Limited management skills

• Limited legal knowledge

• Limited or no accounting or fi nancial skills

• Little or no credit management proceduresin place.

The building industry, like any industry, has adisparity in skills and resources between the big players in the market, such as owners/developers and large building companies, andthose small contractors at the opposite end of the spectrum.

This inequality will always exist in a free market.It is a sign of the times that owners/developershave shown a willingness to engage the bestlegal and accounting advice available, quite often to the detriment of the contracted party who willingly contracts with them without anyfi nancial checking up front.

Unfortunately history has shown that a lack of credit management skills can leave a contracted party a prime target for contracting parties with questionable intentions.

So what can you do?From the outset it must be realised that baddebts are an unfortunate and unavoidable partof the balance sheet of most businesses. The whole thrust of any credit policy is to minimiseits impact on your business.

Every credit policy, whether adopted by one of the major banks or by the local storekeeper, hasa trade-off between sales and, ultimately, bad debts. You must ensure that any policy adoptedis not prohibitive of decreased sales or bad debts.

This is a decision that must be made bythe individual contractor before any creditscreening process is adopted. In other words,you are risk adverse, risk neutral or risk seeking. This can be best explained as follows.

Members need to adopt prudent credit risk management practices in tough markets.

Mastering your businessJeff Poultney – Manager Legal & Contracts

The risk adverse contractor The risk adverse contractor may, for example, screen all contracts via a solicitor, request bank guarantees and personal guarantees from the debtor company and directors, and request the input of one of the industry associations, or do credit checks and assessment of their creditworthiness.

They may also take out credit insurance on their contracts and ensure that contractorclaims are lodged promptly in accordance witha contract or through a support consultant.It is likely such requirements will come at a cost to the business, but in all likelihood willsubstantially reduce the possibility of a bad debt.

A further cost may be the bargaining power on the contract as the other party may see the contractor’s requirements as oppressiveand either dismiss the tender or alternativelynegotiate a reduction of the contract price.

A further characteristic of a risk adverse contractor is that they will not undertake acontract that overexposes their personal orbusiness assets. For example, a consciousdecision may be made not to undertake anycontracts that will expose a signifi cant portionof their personal wealth.

The risk neutral creditorThis type of contractor is likely to adopt many of the tools discussed above, but will only do so on selective occasions. For example, theymay only seek the assistance of a third partyprofessional when there is a contract over a stipulated amount.

The risk neutral contractor accepts the factthat bad debts will occur, but only adopts protective policies where excessive risk is anticipated.

The risk seeking contractorQuite simply, this is the contractor who adopts no credit management policies. This type of creditor is destined to feel the full eff ect of anybad debt to the extent that it may signifi cantlyaff ect their personal or business wealth, quitepossibly leading to insolvency.

These categories highlight the diff erent attitude that a contractor may take toward theissue of credit management.



So what do you do?To manage the risk, a contractor at tender stage, or prior to committingto a contract, should carry out fi nancial checks of the company or person they will be contracting with.

The fi nancial checks could include:

• Company check through ASIC – www.asic.gov.au – to establish thefi nancial statues and the make-up of directors of the company.

• A check on previous projects carried out by the company or person and the experiences of contractors, consultants and suppliers.

• Where the project is to be fi nanced, check:

Who is the fi nancier and what control do they have over theproject?

Is there a tripartite agreement required and, if so, what are theterms?

What is the extent of the fi nancing of the project?

What impact the fi nancier may have on progress payments and their requirements to administer the time and fi nancial aspectsof the project (payments/variations)?

• When the project is self-funded:

To what extent can funds be deposited into a joint bank/trustaccount to provide some certainty of payment (try to coverat least the greatest exposure for any one payment period, inparticular, the last payment)?

• What security will the client provide to you for their performance of the contract (unconditional guarantee for 5% of the contract sum)?

• Will the directors/owners provide written guarantees for their performance of their obligations under a contract?

• Where a company/corporation, will the directors provide directors’ guarantees?

How can Master Builders help?Master Builders can help members where issues arise, such asoutstanding monies, fi t for purpose, technical competence, complianceor fi nancial distress.

Master Builders can provide advice to help to recover unpaid payment claims, but cannot protect you from incurring bad debts. We can directlyassist by referring members to experts who can help.

The onus is on you to adopt prudent credit risk management practices, just as any business must, in order to stay in business.

For more information about risk management, call Master Builders on

(07) 3225 6419.

TO MANAGE THE RISK, ACONTRACTOR AT TENDER STAGE,OR PRIOR TO COMMITTING TOA CONTRACT, SHOULD CARRY OUT FINANCIAL CHECKS OF THE COMPANY OR PERSON THEY WILL BE CONTRACTING WITH.

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Call your nearest Master Builders Insurance offi ce on 1300 13 13 26, or email [email protected].

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QMBA-14338 09-11


New Asbestos Worker Program is proving a hit across Queensland

Master Builders developed the new training program for any worker who removes more than 10m² of non-friable asbestos, in responseto changes outlined in the Work Health &Safety Regulation 2011 and the Code of Practice for the Safe Removal of Asbestos.

Workers who have undertaken previousasbestos removal training have until31 December 2013 to upgrade to this nationalunit of competency, otherwise they cannotlegally remove more than 10m² of non-friableasbestos.

The program covers topics like how to preparefor asbestos removal, preparing and isolating awork area/site, carrying out asbestos removal

The state-wide training program is well on track to helping Queensland workers meet their new obligations for asbestos removal work.

Training & licensing

All candidates who undertake the two-day program are issued with an asbestos removal kit, which includes a half-face respirator,coveralls, booties, gloves, safety glasses,contaminated waste bags, spray adhesive,wipes, barrier tape and hand tool, in a personalkit bag that can be decontaminated. This kit isvalued at over $250 and is a fantastic inclusion for asbestos workers.

The program also off ers a great opportunityfor candidates to gain points under MasterBuilders continuing professional development(CPD) scheme. The CPD scheme was developedto help improve the overall quality of contractors in the building and construction industry, and participation is voluntary and free.

Members and employees who sign up to the CPD scheme and meet the annualrequirement of ten hours will receive a Record of Achievement certifi cate at the end of each calendar year. Undertaking the two-dayAsbestos Worker Program allows candidates to achieve these CPD points in one fell swoop.

For more information about the Asbestos

Worker Program, call 1300 13 60 02,

email [email protected] or

visit www.masterbuilders.asn.au/asbestos

and decontamination processes, cleaningup work sites, and contributing to and using documentation in line with regulatoryrequirements.

Spanning two days, the program covers thetheoretical and practical components of non-friable asbestos removal.

THE ASBESTOS WORKER PROGRAM OFFERSA GREAT OPPORTUNITY FOR CANDIDATESTO GAIN POINTS UNDER MASTER BUILDERS CPD SCHEME.

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Experts in water.


Driving business improvement through training (part two)

Buzz words are common in the humanresource and training industries, with phraseslike ‘workforce planning’, ‘organisationaldevelopment’ and ‘workforce development’. However, when it comes to these words, many managers and supervisors face the challengesof their confl icted meanings, with theirdefi nitions ranging across all three levels of government.

The cost of compliance on a building site canoften be measured in the millions, not thethousands, and a portion of this cost is directly attributed to training.

Unfortunately, management rarely increases expenditure in training beyond compliance-based training, despite training being one of

the largest factors impacting productivity. A lotof this can come down to the fact that training is structured as a subset of human resources, and in most workplaces human resources is often a sub-department of the health, safety & environment portfolio. This gives it no realvoice, as the head of this portfolio is generallya safety-orientated person with legislative qualifi cations.

Compounding this is that workforce planningand workforce development activities are often undertaken by two separate departments.Workforce planning is tackled by humanresources and workforce development isundertaken by the training department. Therecan sometimes be disconnect between these

It is important to invest in workforce planning and staff development now, so that you can reap the rewards in the future.

Training & licensingAdam Prokfe – Manager Training & Licensing

two departments and they often operate intheir own silo. While both departments havethe capability to complete these activities intheir own right, most fi nd it diffi cult to pull it together for a successful outcome. Each department has its own plan, but there is often no coordination with other departments, making it disjointed in its delivery.

Workforce planningIn basic terms, workforce planning shouldfocus on numbers only, such as the number of people required to fulfi l a job role over a period of time. Within the building and construction industry, planning should be conducted in conjunction with the overall site plan. For anexisting project, workforce planning should be conducted on a short, medium or long-termbasis.

However, when it comes to new projects, the life of project planning activity shouldalso be conducted. For top-tier construction companies, high-level workforce planningis conducted within an operational team environment, prior to the statutory approvalprocess, as the number of workers required will have an impact on the approval process. At this stage, high-level plans should be developedand completed in a similar nature as a fi nancialforecast. More detailed plans can be developedcloser to site works commencing.

Workforce planning can occur across a number of levels within an organisation. Regardless of the size of your business you can still use thebelow levels to develop your plan. The processfor conducting workforce planning is the same for each level, but the data is aggregated to build the report for the higher levels.

Workplace planning can be conducted at the following levels:

• By job role

• By site

• By region

• Company-wide.

When undertaking the workforce planning, it is important to review each job role in isolation,


Training & licensing

otherwise the data becomes skewed andirrelevant, and will see training investmentfunds placed in the incorrect location.

In simple terms, workforce planning is aboutensuring you have enough people at the righttime to complete the job.

Workforce development Workforce development is a process where an employer undertakes a formal training program to ensure all employees achieve aclearly defi ned benchmark set of skills andknowledge. In order to undertake a workforce development plan there is a series of stages that need to be undertaken.

The fi rst, and most critical, is the cleardefi nition of the benchmark that the companyneeds their employees to meet. To determine the benchmarks there are a number of critical questions that need to be asked, including identifying the key drivers for the newbenchmarks. These drivers are critical asthey can be linked to legislation, enterprisebargaining agreements and safety/incidentoutcomes.

Once you have determined your benchmarks you can then measure your workforce against

them. This is called a training needs analysis(TNA). A TNA is a process where you measure all employees against the pre-defi nedbenchmarks. The results of each employee’sperformance is recorded on a matrix. A gap analysis is where you would review the matrix,identifying key gaps and propose rectifi cationtraining programs to close the gaps. Thesegaps can generally be identifi ed into fi ve categories: legislative, safety, company/site,knowledge and skills.

When you have identifi ed the gaps, you can then prioritise what training comes fi rst.The overall priority of these gaps shouldbe measured as a percentage of the overallworkforce. For example, a ‘priority one’ gapwould be more than 90% of your workforceand a ‘priority fi ve’ would be less than 20%of your workforce. Rectifi cation training for a priority fi ve gap with a high risk should beconducted before a priority one gap with a lowrisk rating.

When identifying gaps and giving a priorityorder to the rectifi cation, a risk matrix should also be overlayed. In all cases legislative and/or safety (or gaps that aff ect safety) havethe fi rst priority. This is even the case if just

one employee does not meet the requiredbenchmark.

Why invest in people when times are tough? The primary reason to invest in people when times are tough is so that, when the industry improves, you can capitalise on theimprovement in the industry. It may mean youcan go from building 12 houses per year, to building 13 or 14. It can also mean you reduce the number of times you have to go back and fi x something that’s broken or wasn’t installedproperly, which is benefi cial to your business inthe long run.

The key thing to remember is that a skilled worker is better at their job, makes lessmistakes, has less days lost through injury andis more effi cient at completing tasks, whichall save time and money. Regardless of thesize of your business, having the right people and enough of the right people will make the diff erence between success and failure.

For more information about training and

licensing, call us on 1300 13 60 02 or email

[email protected]

QM

BA-1

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11

BUILDING AND CONSTRUCTION GENERAL ON-SITE AWARD 2010

A special Master Builders edition of the Building and Construction General On-Site Award 2010, includinginterpretation of complex clauses.

CostMember $55 (including GST)

Non-member $110 (including GST)

Ordering a manualCall (07) 3225 6444 or go to www.masterbuilders.asn.au.


Outlook & Opportunities Forum

Master Builders is on the road again in November bringing you a series of forums about the outlook for the building and construction industry over the next few years.

At this open forum you’ll hear from key developers/buildersand your local Mayor as they talk about important local issues, opportunities and key projects happening in your local area, andhow you can tap into them.

A range of exhibitors will also be on hand showcasing the latest information and products on the market.

Don’t miss this exciting event!

Register online at www.masterbuilders.asn.au/outlookforum

Get excited about what’s happening in your region, have your say on important local issues and fi nd out what Master Builders is doing to help.

Events

Event detailsTime: 4.30pm for 5pm start Price: Free

Dates & venues

Venue Date

Club Pine Rivers, Bray Park Monday, 11 November

Mantra Mooloolaba Wednesday, 13 November

Hervey Bay Boat Club Thursday, 14 November

Quality Hotel Mermaid Waters (Lone Star Tavern) Tuesday, 19 November

City Golf Club, Toowoomba Wednesday, 20 November

Fitzy’s Convention Centre, Loganholme Thursday, 21 November

Master Builders Offi ce, Rockhampton Monday, 25 November

Southern Suburbs Football Club, Mackay Tuesday, 26 November

Mercure Townsville Wednesday, 27 November

Shangri-La Cairns Thursday, 28 November

Win a tradie’s trailer!

Make sure you get along to one of our Outlook & OpportunitiesForums to go in the draw to win a Master Builders tradesman’strailer, valued at $4,770! Or one of ten $500 vouchers to spend at ued at $4,770! Or one of ten $500 vouchers to spend atyour local hhardware store!

*Terms & conditi ons apply onditions apply

Outlook & Opportunities Forum is proudly supported by:

APA Group, BlueScope Steel, Bondor, BUSSQ Building Super,Cleantech, Construction Skills Queensland, Dulux Acratex,Garland Waddington, J&B Pest Control, Kingspan,McKays Solicitors, QAMS, QIS, Reece, Ritek Building Solutions,Sunshine Injury Management, SV Partners, TEC-NQ,Telstra Country Wide, Festool & Protool, Viewpoint andWorkplace Health and Safety Queensland.


Celebrating the Centenary of our National Capital

Master Builders National Conference andNational Awards includes a line up of keynote speakers who will present on topics relevant totoday’s building and construction industry.

Chris Richardson and Peter Jones, two of Australia’s leading economists, will be presenting on the Economic Outlook. Australia’s most respected strategist, futuristand forecaster, Chairman of IBIS World Phil Ruthven, will speak about Australia’s changing demographics and implications to our industry.Corporal Ben Roberts-Smith VC MG will make apresentation on frontline leadership, and you’llbe inspired by Lisa McInnes-Smith’s leadershipsession ‘Lead, follow or get out of the way!’… This is just a sample of the exciting line up of speakers.

Accompanying partners have the option of taking in the sessions or indulging themselves in the ‘Essence of Canberra’ tour, which will include unique attractions, lunch and high tea.

For full details of the conference program and

activities, visit www.masterbuilders.com.au/

events/national-conference

Share in the Centenary celebrations of the building of our nation’s capital and join Master Builders from across the country in Canberra on 14–16 November.

Events

Master Builders Project Information & Daily

Site Diary will help you to easily manage and

administer your projects.

The diary is suitable for both commercial and housing projects, for contractors and subcontractors.

The diary is made up of two documents – Project Informationand a 60 day Daily Site Diary – and costs $33. Extra copies of the Daily Site Diary can be purchased for $22.

Purchasing the diary is easy – download an order form online

at www.masterbuilders.asn.au, visit Master Builders Shop or

call your local regional offi ce.

QM

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Bullying workshop (Brisbane)

Maryborough Golf Day

Members gathered at Master Builders head offi ce in Brisbane on Tuesday, 27 August to learn about the recently passed changes to the Fair Work Act around being bulliedat work. Attendees learnt how to prevent and manage workplace bullying, and were given a sample policy and procedure to follow in their own businesses.

Burnett Wide Bay members enjoyed a beautiful, sunny day at the Maryborough Golf & Country Club on Friday, 6 September. It was a greatopportunity to meet other members and Master Builders staff , network in a relaxed environment and have a good time on the greens.

People & events


Townsville Crocodiles present Master Builders with Certifi cate of AppreciationTownsville Crocodiles player, Jacob Holmes, recently presented Master Builders with a Certifi cate of Appreciation for assistance in getting their community-owned club offi ce back up and running. Master Builders members Dan Thomson Architectural Drafting, JimRoberts Locksmiths and Big Hammer Building Centre all donated their time and materialss to get the job done.

People & events

Brisbane Golf DayMore than 100 keen golfers took to the Virginia Golf Club for the annual Brisbane Golf Day on Friday, 23 August. It was a fantastic day with great prizes and plenty of networking opportunities for members and sponsors.


Master Builders helps members operate more profi table businesses through a range of exclussive member discounts and special deals on products and services.

With 130 years’ experience delivering solutions to big and small, commercial and housing, buiilders and trade contractors across Queensland, Master Builders has the buying power and the knoww-how to help members save time and money.

For more information about these discounts and other special off ers and competitions, go tto

www.masterbuilders.asn.au/member-discounts or call 1300 55 11 61.

Offi ce suppliesMaster Builders members receive up to 25%off Offi ceMax’s large range of offi ce products,technology, furniture, medical, café andcleaning supplies.

Phones & internetMaster Builders members receive signifi cant savings on a wide range of Telstra mobile,landline and internet products.

Fuel cardsOur exclusive deal with Caltex saves members more than 50% off the monthlyfee on StarCard fuel cards and 3 cents per litre off the pump price for diesel andunleaded fuel.

Motor vehiclesNeed a new vehicle? Master Builders can take care of all your motor vehicle needs –from sourcing and purchasing vehicles, to vehicle fi nance, maintenance, servicing and fuel.

EuropcarMaster Builders members can get away for less with an exclusive 10% off the best car rental rate of the day with Europcar.

Training & licensingMembers can receive up to 30% off MasterBuilders range of practical and fl exible training courses and licensing services, which havebeen developed specifi cally for the industry.

Member discounts


Genes that trigger allergies

A team of Australian scientists led by QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute’s Dr ManuelFerreira has helped identify ten genetic variants that increase a person’s risk of having allergies.

Dr Ferreira said the more of the variants a person had, the higher their risk of developing an allergic condition, like asthma.

“Between 30–50% of people have an allergy of some kind. Early in life, they’ll develop an allergicreaction to pollen, or dust, for example,” Dr Ferreira said.

“In this study, we searched for genetic diff erences between people to explain why some developallergies, while others don’t.

“This is important because we know that if you become allergic as a child, then you will be at anincreased risk of developing asthma, hay fever or eczema later in life.”

The international genetic study was the largest of its kind, comparing the genetic make-up of nearly 6,000 people with allergies and 10,000 people without allergies. It found ten geneticvariants that played a role in allergies. A person’s risk increased depending on how many of these

‘bad’ variants were inherited from their parents.

“We will now try to understand what specifi c genes are involved, how they work and if they can betargeted by new drugs to treat or prevent allergic diseases,” Dr Ferreira said.

QIMR Berghofer is also calling for volunteers to help it continue Australia’s largest study of asthmagenetics: the Australian Asthma Genetics Consortium.

If you are over 18 and suff er from asthma now, or at any point in the past, please visit www.

asthma.qimr.edu.au or call 1800 257 179 during business hours.

Australian scientists have helped identify genetic variants that increase a person’s risk of having allergies.

Health & wellbeing

In August 2013 the Queensland Institute of Medical Research (QIMR) in Brisbane changed its name to QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute. This was in gratitude to Toowoomba businessman Clive Berghofer, who donated $50.1 million to QIMR Berghofer, in Australia’s single biggest philanthropic donation.


MASTER BUILDERS

OFFICE LOCATIONS

BRISBANE

417 Wickham TerraceBrisbane, QLD 4000 Ph: (07) 3225 6444 Fax: (07) 3225 6545 [email protected] www.masterbuilders.asn.au

GOLD COAST

John DuncalfeRegional Manager Master Builders House18 Central Park AveAshmore, QLD 4214 Ph: (07) 5582 7100 Fax (07) 5597 7044

DOWNS & WESTERN

Tony RyderRegional Manager 166 Hume StreetToowoomba, QLD 4350Ph: (07) 4699 4100 Fax: (07) 4639 5144

SUNSHINE COAST

Michael HopkinsRegional ManagerLevel 1, 91 King Street PO Box 1458Buderim, QLD 4556Ph: (07) 5453 5260 Fax: (07) 5453 5269

BURNETT WIDE BAY

Michael HopkinsRegional Manager162 Boat Harbour DriveHervey Bay, QLD 4655Ph: (07) 4125 9900 Fax: (07) 4124 7235

CENTRAL QUEENSLAND

Dennis BryantRegional Manager35 Derby StreetPO Box 631Rockhampton, QLD 4700Ph: (07) 4920 3555 Fax: (07) 4921 3235

MACKAY & WHITSUNDAY

Malcolm HullRegional Manager Suite 2, 40 Evans AvenuePO Box 3188North Mackay, QLD 4740Ph: (07) 4967 1290Fax: (07) 4967 1299

NORTH QUEENSLAND

Melissa CoulterRegional ManagerMaster Builders HouseUnit 1(B), 316 Sturt StreetTownsville, QLD 4810Ph: (07) 4760 4600 Fax: (07) 4771 5777

FAR NORTH QUEENSLAND

Ron BannahRegional Manager310–314 Gatton StreetManunda, QLD 4870PO Box 806Earlville, QLD 4870Ph: (07) 4048 8770Fax: (07) 4048 8771

Focus on wellness at work

Businesses across Queensland are being encouraged to sign up to the free Workplaces for Wellness program tosupport their workers to live healthier and longer lives.

The program aims to address the high rates of chronic disease in Queensland – the latest fi gures show 24,000Queenslanders die from a chronic disease each year, accounting for 91% of all deaths in the state.

The Workplaces for Wellness website (www.workplacesforwellness.qld.gov.au) guides you through fi ve stepsto develop a workplace wellness program. You can tailor a wellness program to suit your workplace and meetyour employees’ needs.

It provides ideas, tips and tools to encourage workers to be more active, eat healthily, quit smoking and reducetheir stress.

Remember: A healthy workplace can help reduce a person’s chance of developing many chronic diseasessuch as cancer, heart disease and diabetes. It can also increase productivity, reduce absenteeism and improvemorale.

Visit www.workplacesforwellness.qld.gov.au to sign up. Membership is free and you’ll get access to all theresources, tips and ideas you need to become a Queensland Workplace for Wellness.

Workplaces for Wellness Program is a Queensland Government commitment under the National PartnershipAgreement on Preventive Health.

Creating a healthy workplace benefi ts your business, as well as the health and wellbeing of your employees.

Health & wellbeing

Not sure what contract to use? Call Master Builders for contracts advice.

Call us on 1300 30 50 10.


What’s on in NovemberMonday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday Sunday

1 2 3

Asbestos Worker Program (Brisbane)

BusinessManagement(Gold Coast)

Residential BuildingInspectors Course(Far North Qld)



Residential BuildingInspectors Course(Far North Qld)

4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Gold Coast IndustryUpdate

General SafetyInduction (Brisbane)



Asbestos Worker Program(Gold Coast)

Asbestos Worker Program (Mackay &Whitsunday)

Testing & Tagging(Brisbane)

Asbestos Worker Program(Gold Coast)

Asbestos Worker Program(Mackay & Whitsunday)

BusinessManagement(Brisbane)


11 12 13 14 15 16 17

Outlook & OpportunitiesForum(Brisbane North)

Beaudesert Industry Update

Business Management(Downs & Western)

Asbestos WorkerProgram (North Qld)

Lawyers in the House (Gold Coast)

MaryboroughIndustry Update

Asbestos Worker Program (North Qld)

Outlook & OpportunitiesForum (Sunshine Coast)

Outlook & OpportunitiesForum (Burnett Wide Bay)


BusinessManagement(Far North Qld)


BusinessManagement(Far North Qld)

18 19 20 21 22 23 24

Outlook & OpportunitiesForum (Gold Coast)

Asbestos Worker Program(Central Qld)

Outlook & OpportunitiesForum (Downs & Western)

Asbestos Worker Program(Central Qld)

Outlook & OpportunitiesForum (Brisbane South)



Asbestos Worker Program(Burnett Wide Bay)



Asbestos Worker Program(Burnett Wide Bay)



25 26 27 28 29 30

Outlook & OpportunitiesForum (Central Qld)

Business Management(Downs & Western)

Asbestos WorkerProgram (North Qld)

Outlook & OpportunitiesForum (Mackay & Whitsunday)

Lawyers in the House (Gold Coast)

IBC Information Evening (Sunshine Coast)

Asbestos Worker Program (North Qld)

Outlook & OpportunitiesForum (North Queensland)

Outlook & OpportunitiesForum (Far North Qld)

Asbestos Worker Program(Sunshine Coast)

Asbestos Worker Program(Downs & Western)

ResidentialContracts Workshop (North Qld)

Asbestos WorkerProgram(Sunshine Coast)

Asbestos WorkerProgram(Downs & Western)

BusinessManagement (North Qld)

BusinessManagement(North Qld)

To book your place at a Master Builders event or training course, go to www.masterbuilders.asn.au or call 1300 30 50 10.

Note: Dates are subject to change.

Concrete Sleeper Retaining Walls – Strength & Style, Guaranteed.

Machu Pichu, the Hollywood Hills, the Wailing Wall of Jerusalem – how many of you knew that these famous landmarks utilise retaining walls to keep them stable and accessible?

Aussie Concrete Products is an award-winning manufacturer and supplier

of concrete and steel retaining wall products. All products are engineer

designed, and exceed Australian Standards for Earth-Retaining Structures

(AS4678). The product range includes reinforced concrete sleepers,

reinforced concrete posts, reinforced concrete panels, and galvanised

steel posts, with quality Australian components used to make the best

product possible.

The company has come a long way from its humble beginnings in 2004,

initially conducting their manufacturing operations out of a converted

poultry shed in the Brisbane bayside suburb of Sheldon. Rapid growth forced

a move to a large manufacturing space in their current location, Capalaba.

Family owned and operated, Aussie Concrete Products is highly

experienced in providing retaining wall solutions for various clients,

including Plantation Homes, Lend Lease, builders, landscapers, and the

general public. Their retaining walls are designed to optimise space, and

the range of components and installation methods can cater for straight

walls, gently curved walls, as well as 90 degree corners.

Aussie Concrete Products places a heavy emphasis on educating the

public about the benefits of concrete over timber. It is interesting to note

that most treated timbers do not meet Australian Standards for Earth-

Retaining Structures, can often leak nasty chemicals in to the surrounding

area, and have a higher risk of wall collapse. The failure of a retaining wall

can have very serious consequences to both property and people.

With a 35 year guarantee on all products, Aussie Concrete Products has

become the Queensland market leader in retaining wall products. Their

systems combine the durability of both concrete and steel products, to

produce maintenance free walls with a life expectancy of up to 60 years.

With flexibility for design variation and individuality, the range of

components and installation methods cater for straight walls, terraced

walls, level or stepped foundations, and are offered in colours which

emulate natural sandstone, natural timber, and raw concrete. There is also

a choice of standard or decorative face concrete sleepers

Designed to reduce construction time and cater for most Australian

locations, the range of products provides a simpler, more rapid

construction in both residential and commercial applications.

Aussie Concrete Products works alongside 3 reputable building and

landscaping companies to coordinate the installation of residential &

commercial retaining walls throughout New South Wales and Queensland.

The team at Aussie Concrete Products welcome any enquiries, and look

forward to assisting you with your next retaining project.

For more information contact:Phone: 07 3245 1220Fax: 07 3245 1440Email: [email protected]: www.aussieconcreteproducts.com.au

OCTOBER ONLY TRADE DEALS

SAVE 5%* STOREWIDEJust scan your Trade Member Card or grab an application for a free card from the Trade Desk

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WHEN YOU SCAN YOUR TRADE MEMBER CARD

HURRY ENDS OCTOBER 31!

SPEND $1000#

OR MORE IN OCTOBER

GET A $100

GIFT CARD

THESE EXCLUSIVE TRADE OFFERS ARE VALID FROM 1 OCTOBER TO 31 OCTOBER 2013

Apply online in October for a Masters Trade Account† to go into the draw. Ask a Trade Specialist how.

WIN A $1000 GIFT CARD^

TERMS & CONDITIONS: *5% Trade discount is available by presenting the Trade Member Card from 1/10/13 – 31/10/13. Excludes gift cards, commercial quantities, trade packs and quotes. If you’re a tradesperson or an employee of a registered business with an ABN, you can sign up for a Trade Member Card in store today. ^The Masters Trade Account Promotion runs from 00.01 AEST 1/10/13 to 23.59 AEST 31/10/13. Winners will be drawn at 10.00 AEST 15/11/13. Winners details will be published in the public notices section of The Australian on 22/11/13. Full terms and conditions available online at masters.com.au/trade. The promoter is Masters ABN 21 066 891 307 of 3 City View Rd, Pennant Hills NSW 2120. Approved permits NSW LTPS/13/06860, ACT TP 13/03266 . †Limited. American Express Australia Limited (ABN 92 108 952 085). ®Registered Trademark of American Express Company. #Masters Trade Members that scan their Masters Trade Member Card and spend $1000 or more, excluding spend on appliances, cement, and 20kg bagged products, between 1/10/13 and 31/10/13 will be sent a $100 Masters Home Improvement Gift Card. Maximum of one $100 gift card per valid Trade Member will be sent to the address provided when applying for the Trade Member Card. Allow up to 8 weeks for the $100 Gift Card to be delivered. = McDonald’s in store. 340505_MBA_QLD

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From start to finish...

mb magazine - october/november 2013

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