The building and construction industry consistently ranks within the three most dangerous and hazardous industries, alongside the mining and transport industries. In 2001-02 39 people were killed and 13,250 were injured in our industry. Clearly it is a matter of priority to maintain vigilant standards of OH&S througout every area of the industry considering the number of injuries involved. The interesting thing about this particular study is the relevance of the concept of a Safety Culture.

Put simply, a safety culture is an attitude, a state of mind that requires leadership and determination. If you work on a building site then you are individually responsible for safety and for leadership. It doesn’t matter what your role or position is. If everyone takes a proactive approach to their responsibility and to the encouragement of others then the culture becomes self fulfilling and progress can be made.

Next time you are on site ask yourself these simple OH&S questions:

1. Does a positive safety culture exist on this construction site?

2. If not, then why not?

3. If not, what are you going to do about it?

4. If there is a strong safety culture on your building site then why does it exist? What can you learn from what is
happening around you that you can take to the next building site?

One of the interpretations of the study indicated that there were three important personal characteristics that underlie a positive safety culture within the building and construction industry:

a. A strong knowledge of safety.
b. Good people and interpersonal skills.
c. Appropriate attitudes and beliefs.

Look at developing these three characteristics within yourself and helping others whom you work with to do so as well. You never know, it could save a life.

For more about OH&S Training in the Building and Construction Industry give us a call to discuss your needs or the needs of your company. Developing a strong knowledge of safety is the first step in developing a positive safety culture.

The situation with CPD for builders in NSW and Tasmania is quite clear. It is a mandatory requirement in order to renew your builder’s licence. This is an individual requirement for individual licence holders.

In other states such as Victoria, Builders CPD is not mandatory but is available and recognised. It is important to check with your state based regulator to determine what your ongoing requirements are to hold a viable building licence. For example, in Victoria check with the Building Commission. In NSW the Dept of Fair Trading manages all licencing requirements.

Here are a few things it’s good to know about the CPD process for builders, well at least in NSW anyway until the
other states eventually follow suit:

• It doesn’t matter how often you work or use your licence. If you want to maintain your builder’s licence you must undertake 12 CPD points in each 12 month period.
• You can accrue more than 12 CPD points in a 12 month period and you can carry over up to 11 points into your credit for the next year.
• There are rare exceptions to the rule of CPD and these decisions are made at the discretion of the Director General of The NSW Dept of Fair Trading.
• It is critical that you keep accurate records of all your CPD activity, including any certificates or academic records that you attain as part of your CPD activity, as well as receipts and records of attendance. Always ask your training provider for records of attendance and attainment as it is your responsibility to maintain your own CPD records. You may be audited and if you are not compliant you will lose your building licence and quite possibly your livelihood.
• Your 12 CPD points must be accumulated by the anniversary of your licence expiry.
• There are many different CPD training topics and formats available to you. There are many choices and as time goes by the choice and options will only increase. The topics are chosen with input from the building and construction industry so that they are relevant and will actually help you manage your business better.

Training and ongoing skills development is a must if you are going to stay ahead in the building and construction industry. In NSW and Tasmania the CPD system now makes it mandatory for you to continue to develop your skills. And as usually happens, other states will follow suit. It is wise to take the initiative and get trained up.

For more information on CPD and how it works for you then give us a call on 1300 855 713 or leave a message on the contact page.

The primary purpose of SOPA is to provide fairness and protection for contractors in the construction industry. It provides a legal framework to ensure contractors can be paid their outstanding debts. SOPA has now been enacted in the following states:

• Australian Capital Territory
• NSW
• Queensland
• South Australia
• Tasmania
• Victoria

… and now we await WA to soon follow suit.

The construction industry is fragile when a crisis hits – like the Global Financial Crisis. So it’s particularly important that in these difficult times such schemes are available to contractors, or subcontractors, who have valid concerns about the solvency of the main contractor or building company they are contracting to.

There have been a number of cases, particularly in NSW, that have established legal precedents for the SOPA legislation.

To stay up to date with this important function and legislation within the building and construction industry please use the following links to the respective state bodies who manage SOPA at the local level. If you are a contractor who has not been paid for work performed then seek out legal advice and find out what your entitlements are.

ACT
Building and Construction Industry (Security of Payment) Bill 2009

NSW
Building and Construction Industry Security of Payment Act 1999 No 46

QLD
Building and Construction Industry Payments Act 2004

VIC
Building and Construction Industry Security of Payment Act 2002

SA
Building and Construction Industry Security of Payment Act 2009

TAS
Building and Construction Industry Security of Payment Bill 2009

Visit the NSW Department of Fair Trading website for information on the new arrangements.

Fair Trading NSW Home Warranty Insurance

Fair Trading NSW New Home Warranty Insurance

The changes will come into effect in NSW on July 1, 2010.

In NSW, Home warranty insurance needs to be provided by:

• a builder or tradesperson before taking any money (including a deposit) from a home owner (including an owner-builder) under a residential building contract and before starting any work under that contract
• a ‘spec’ builder before starting any residential building work on a property owned by the builder
• a developer before entering into a contract for the sale of a property on which a builder is doing or has done residential building work for the developer
• an owner-builder (ie. a home owner who did owner-builder work under an owner-builder permit) before entering into a contract for sale of the property on which residential building was done within the previous 6 years.

Similar reforms have already occurred in Tasmania and the Victorian system looks set for a shakeup after two of the major insurers recently announced that they would be exiting the market.

The Home Warranty Insurance systems in NSW and Victoria have been surrounded in controversy for many years and it comes as no surprise that change is on the way. Better or worse, please stay up to date and we will continue to post information as it comes to hand.

We want them, we need them. But how are we going to create them?

A recent current affairs program on SBS, Insight, aired a 1 hour show centred around Urban Planning and how to manage the growth of Australia as it stretches from a current population of over 22 Million to an estimated 36 Million + by the year 2050. That estimate could be conservative. The concern was the demographics within that number: The ageing population will grow dramatically as a percentage of the overall total.

The building and construction industry is an important engine of growth for the Australian Economy. Stimulus spending through 2009 by the State and Federal Governments had a role to play in ensuring that engine was kept running. But as we return to steady output due to an apparent shortage of housing, how are we going to find the skilled tradespeople to manage the task of building millions of new homes in the next 40 years. Yes, millions of new dwellings. Our population is ageing and as we all know in the building industry the working life of the average trade is much shorter than in other industries.

The Housing Industry Association, said in a report recently the shortage of skilled workers in residential construction is set to blow out to almost 65,000 nationally by 2012-13. There will be a shortfall of 59,400 construction workers in the 2009-10 year alone, it added.

The government and the building and construction industry must join forces and work for more training, more apprenticeships, and more skilled migration in specific trades. Else we will continue to fall behind in the demand of a growing population for new dwellings.

The latest Housing Industry Association-Austral Bricks Trades Report shows that a surplus availability of tradespeople in the residential sector was a one quarter wonder, reversing in the September 2009 quarter. Although there was a small surplus during 2009 that is no longer the case and if things continue in their current form then it will get tighter.

The HIA-Austral Bricks Trades Price Index inched up by 0.5 per cent in the September 2009 quarter to be 3.1 per cent lower than the comparable period last year.

According to Harley Dale, Chief Economist at the HIA: “With little price pressure, and trade availability still considerably better than it was up until late last year, it is a good time to engage in renovating an existing property or building a new home.”

“The pressing concern is that this situation won’t last and labour shortages will re-emerge by mid 2010 as a major
constraint on the ability of the housing industry to grow both in terms of new home building and renovation activity.”

“It is vital for all levels of government to keep the training of apprentices and trainees as a priority, encouraging young
people to not only start a trade but to complete the training.”

“Failure to constantly address the structural shortage of skilled labour will inhibit the recovery in the housing industry,
denting economic growth and affordability along the way,”

This is a great time to be skilling up, training and developing career pathways in the building and construction industry. Do more courses, gain more licences and qualifications and as a result profit from the growth in our industry. Better yet, encourage others to do the same. Put the word out to your mates. The construction boom is going to be around for a while and everyone needs to look for ways to get more skilled trades on the ground.

It’s always good to know what’s going on in the mind of your customer. If you are a licensed builder or are thinking about getting a Builders Licence then this should make good reading.

As a point of reference this article is based on the NSW Department of Fair Trading Website which hosts the online public register of Builders Licences in NSW. Each state has their own system but most are similar depending on which governing body is regulating the industry in that state.

Here are the links for NSW, Qld, Victoria, SA and Tasmania:

NSW – Fair Trading NSW

QLD – BSA QLD

VIC – Consumer Affairs VIC

SA – OCBA SA

TAS – Consumer Affairs Tas

Basically these government websites are encouraging the consumer to research and check their builder out thoroughly prior to entering into a contract. That only makes sense. This is why we stress the importance of training for builders and trades, as well as compliance and proper licensing.

Here is the type of thing you can expect your customer to request if you are a building or trade contractor:

• Provide a copy of your current licence. (This can now be checked against online databases)
• Provide details of any other or previous licences held. You may actually be asked this question by a customer and you are compelled by law to comply.

The consumer can then use this information to go online and check a contractor’s history of disciplinary action, insurance claims, and Consumer, Trader and Tenancy Tribunal Orders not complied with.

This is a quote from the NSW Fair Trading Website when advising consumers:
“You should always do a licence check before entering into a contract with a builder or tradesperson and you should only deal with a licensed builder. Any person who carries out residential building work worth over $1,000 in labour and materials content without an appropriate licence is breaking the law and could be prosecuted.”

The internet is a source of information for consumers to do sound research on you, so get trained, be compliant, ensure you are properly licensed and know the rights of your customers.

At Construction Courses we strive to bring the Building and Construction Industry the best information and training available to ensure you get ahead. Call us any time on 1300 855 713 to find out how we can assist you.

One of the most important changes is this:
 
NSW, Queensland, Victoria, South Australia and Tasmania have referred their workplace relations powers to the Federal government. This means that all private sector employers (except partnerships and sole traders in WA) will be part of the new Commonwealth Industrial Relations System and from January 1, 2010 will come under the jurisdiction of the Fair Work Act 2009 and become part of the national system. So if this is you and you employ people or you are employed in the industry then it’s time to get up to date.

Sole traders and partnerships in NSW, TAS, QLD and SA have less than three weeks to implement significant changes to the way they manage employees. Keep an eye out for news and information about the changes and any concessions you may be given.

It is important to keep up to date especially if you are an employer. Fair Work for Small Business has a good web site with a free newsletter subscription.

The NSW Department of Industrial Relations e-news is also a good source of informatio on the changes and the impacts of the new legislation.

Other sources that you might be interested in:

• There is a new set of Modern Awards. Find the correct awards that relate to your business. If in doubt contact the Fair Work Ombudsman on 131394 and check the AIRC website for changes on a regular basis or subscribe for updates.
• There is a new National Employment Standard. This NES works hand in hand with the Modern Awards and you should be familiar with this structure in relation to employment standards.
  Important Note -  the NES becomes effective for all employees under the national system from January 1, 2010. There is no transitional period.
• Access government e-newsletters and websites, in particular:
  The Fair Work Ombudsman
  Fair Work Online
  Fair Work for Small Business

The Australian Industrial Relations Commission (AIRC) has developed transitional provisions for a lot of Awards to defer the introduction of new wages until mid 2010. This is designed to help some employers adjust to the extra costs they will incur. You’ll find these details in the Modern Awards. But don’t take this for granted. Check and get advice on what lee-way you have. As the AIRC has continued to update the Modern Awards, if you have downloaded any Awards that apply to your business, check for changes and make sure you have the latest version. Do this through the first half of 2010 to make sure you don’t miss out.

Now to the naked eye you might think, ‘How stupid is that!’ But if you look closely you’ll see there are no signs or barriers to alert and stop this poor bloke from driving right into a pool of wet concrete.

Think of the costs involved – clean up, re-doing the concrete job, damage to equipment, etc.

One has to wonder who was laughing and who was crying after this blunder.

If you have any pictures or videos you’d like to share that will give everyone a good laugh or cry please send them in.

All the best from the Team at Construction Courses.

An extra $100 million will be invested by the Australian Government in a new Apprentice Kickstart program to support up to 21,000 young Australians entering traditional trades this summer. That’s good news for the building and construction industry as it means more trained and skilled workers who are very much in need.

The new program was announced recently by the Deputy Prime Minister Julia Gillard and has been welcomed by industry groups such as the Housing Industry Association (HIA), Australian Constructors Association (ACA) and Master Builders.

For more details and comments there is a good article at the Qld Business Review site.

In summary, the investment has come about from the Keep Australia Working Report, which revealed the number of people starting trade apprenticeships has declined by more than 20 percent during the past twelve months compared to the same period last year. Clearly the economic conditions have taken their toll.

“The Government’s Apprentice Kickstart will more than triple the first year bonus paid to employers who take on traditional trades apprentices this summer,” Gillard says.

“We’re boosting the commencement bonus from $1,500 to $2,350 and then following up with another $2,500 at nine months which means employers will now receive $4,850 in the first year for taking on a traditional trade apprentice over the summer,” she says.

Apprentice Kickstart will be paid for as part of funding secured by both the Greens and Senator Fielding as part of the Government’s economic stimulus package.

There is a bonus program available to employers when the place apprentices who are hired between December 1 and February 28, 2010, or until the 21,000 target for apprentices have commenced in traditional trades that have been hard hit by skills shortages identified on the National Skills Needs List.

This includes trades such as butchers, bakers, bricklayers, carpenters, electricians, hairdressers and pastry cooks.

The importance of ongoing training and skills development in the building and construction industry cannot be understated and it is paramount that the government put mechanisms in place that allow for this ongoing development.

NSW Productivity Places Program (PPP) Now Available

Back to Basics Training has been appointed as one of the registered training organisations to deliver training courses under the PPP in NSW. So it’s possible you might be eligible for government funding for your construction course.

There is a limited allocation of subsidised places available for the following builders courses:

• CPC40108 Certificate IV in Building and Construction (Building)
• CPC50208 Diploma of Building and Construction (Building)

FAQ’s on the PPP:
 
What is the Productivity Places Program (PPP)?

The Productivity Places Program is part of a National Agreement between the Federal Government and the State Governments. NSW has a state specific agreement with the Commonwealth.
 
The Program is designed to support employment in New South Wales by funding an additional 175,000 qualifications for existing workers and job seekers through till June 2012.

The qualifications can range from a Certificate II right through to Advanced Diploma and cover a mix of pathways including traineeships and classroom based delivery.

The Program is managed through the NSW Training Market.

How do I apply for these new qualifications in the Building and Construction Industry under the PPP?

Back to Basics subsidised programs are restricted in the building and construction industry, only available in NSW and only applicable to existing workers (definition can be clarified upon enquiry).

If you want training in the industry for licencing purposes or to improve your skills then contact us now to discuss your needs. There has never been a better time to take advantage of the opportunity to acquire these valuable qualifications.

What are the student fees?

Participants undertaking training will pay a student administration fee upon enrolment. The fees are subject to change and have to be aligned with NSW TAFE fees.

Specifically the cost of the two available programs are:

• CPC40108 Certificate IV in Building and Construction (Building). Normal Cost $2800
  You’ll invest $912 per year as a Student Admin Fee. The Government Subsidy takes care of the rest.
• CPC50208 Diploma of Building and Construction (Building). Normal Cost $3960
  You’ll invest $1214 per year as a Student Admin Fee. The Government Subsidy takes care of the rest.

When do I need to enrol?

Soon. By the end of this calendar year the program will be re-assessed. A limited number of RTO’s have been allocated to provide a limited number of places in these courses by year end. 

Find out more today by phoning 1300 855 713 or contact us.