COMMITTEE ROUND-UP
Victories and struggles in grappling with the pandemic I Kevin Hoang Policy Advisor
42 | Master Builders Victoria
t should be no surprise that the central focus of the sector committees recently has been on the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, which continue to loom over the industry despite victories in keeping it open for business. It’s meant that the latest committee discussions have been mostly about what role Master Builders Victoria, as an industry body, should have in addressing it. A main worry among the sector committees is the effect the pandemic is having on business productivity. Commercial sites have been obviously affected, with the General Contracting and Specialist Contractor sector committees pointing out the difficulties in
implementing social distancing measures while remaining productive, and the potential effect the pandemic has on contractual obligations. On the domestic front, members of the Housing sector committee highlighted the decline in enquiries and display-home traffic amid the economic uncertainty and social distancing restrictions. While cashflow remained mostly stable, committee members noted the reduction in enquiries will translate into a large reduction in building activity in the latter half of 2020 unless significant stimulus measures are undertaken. These issues were further compounded by the increasing difficulty in accessing finance to commence
Volume 75 Issue 03
