FROM THE CEO

Rolling with the constant changes

Rebecca Casson CEO

If COVID-19 has taught our industry anything, it is that nothing in our sector and many others, is certain. And while we continue to grapple with what seems a constantly changing landscape, Master Builders Victoria remains as passionately committed as ever to keeping you informed and representing your concerns and feedback, as we all endeavour to keep our vital sector open and safe. We know that for many of you business is tough. Right now, there is a confounding combination of factors such as unprecedented demand from consumers, unpredictable supply chain shortages and interruptions, and the uncertainty over the future of liquidated damages. We welcomed the government’s recent announcement of its decision to extend the HomeBuilder commencement start date from six months to 18 months. We hope that this will provide some relief to our current shortages in trades and materials. Your MBV team, along with our national office colleagues at Master Builders Australia, worked tirelessly to encourage the Federal Government to reconsider the HomeBuilder framework, and while the impact may not be immediate, the increased time frames look promising. But this is just one of many issues, where our industry needs have significant input, including the State Government’s Expert Panel’s Review of Victoria’s Building System. You can be assured that we are doing all we can to work with governments at both State and Federal level, our industry partners, employer associations and unions, to work collaboratively towards tangible and practical solutions to these industry challenges — and hopefully opportunities. Nobody was more surprised than me to find myself standing alongside Employer Association CEOs and Union Secretaries on the steps of Parliament House in March 2020, as the reality of the COVID-19 pandemic hit. But that marked the start of our mutual effort to convince Governments that our industry could operate safely during the worst of the lockdowns and avoid billions of dollars of economic loss and the potentially devastating impacts on tens of thousands of jobs. Through our collaborative approach, we have created a breakthrough — and given history, no doubt a surprising — working relationship with some of our more adversarial industry representatives, and I am pleased to report that it is delivering results. Governments have listened, and our sector remained largely open and active for most part of 2020. The State Budget is a key focus coming up for us and on your behalf, we will be advocating strongly for key strategies to better protect the continuation of domestic and international supply chains. We will also continue to fight for the minimisation of red tape in doing business and addressing the current insurance gaps. These are just two of a range of matters that we have taken to the State Government in order to argue for your fair share of the budgetary spend. I continue to admire and respect the resilience of our extraordinary building and construction community and on behalf of the MBV team, I thank you for your continued support.