FROM THE CEO AND PRESIDENT

From the President and CEO

Welcome to the April-June issue of Master Builder Victoria — the official journal of the Master Builders Association of Victoria (MBV). We trust this edition of your member magazine has something for everyone and will interest you and your organisation. Here’s a quick wrap of what MBV has been doing on your behalf in recent months.

MBV welcomes supply chains report

As you may know, MBV has been actively involved in finding supply shortage solutions to ensure sustained growth for the building and construction industry. Supply shortages and the everincreasing costs of key building materials, such as timber and steel, have been two of the most pressing issues facing our sector over the past two years. A survey last year on material shortages by Master Builders Australia revealed that 98 per cent of Victorian builders had been affected by timber delays and price rises, with wait times for some materials blowing out to six months. We know that our members are finding that costs are spiralling out of control due to supply and demand issues, with some product lines increasing by as much as 50 per cent. At the request of MBV, the Victorian Government asked Commissioner for Better Regulation and Red Tape Commissioner, Anna Cronin, to investigate the issue of building and construction material shortages. MBV recently welcomed the Victorian Government’s response to this important investigation, with the Government supporting nine of the 10 key recommendations. We had hoped that the Victorian Government would support the inclusion of a cost escalation clause into new contracts.

Doing this would effectively allow builders to vary a contract price to reflect the increased costs of labour and materials, rather than being locked into a fixed price agreement when increased costs are beyond anyone’s control. However, MBV was disappointed that the Victorian Government did not support a measure to allow builders to share some cost increases with clients.

MBV advocated to the Victorian Government to further engage on this important issue and establish a Residential Construction Costs Working Group on behalf of members. This group will discuss the challenges that rising construction costs have had on our industry and consumers and identify measures to mitigate their impact. We continue to remind all levels of Government that our members are also consumers with families — and everyone must continue to work together fairly in these unprecedented times.

We recognise there are no shortterm solutions to these exceptionally complex issues. However, please be assured that MBV continues to place this issue as a high priority. We are in regular contact with our national counterparts, state and federal governments and key stakeholders in the supply chain to find workable solutions moving forward. In the meantime, don’t forget to use the unique resources we have designed for members on our website to assist you (www.mbav.com.au/supply-chain-andmaterial-shortages-resources).

Vale Mario Biasin, Metricon Founder and CEO

Many of you may have heard about the sad passing of Metricon Founder and CEO Mario Biasin last month. Mario was 71 years old. We now understand that Mario was experiencing mental health issues. Mario was a great friend to MBV and a powerful advocate for our industry. He was an integral part of the critical conversations that ensured our industry stayed open during the Covid-19 pandemic, especially when many other sectors were forced to close.

Mario’s passing leaves an enormous void, and he will be sorely missed. Our thoughts are with Mario’s family, together with the whole Metricon team at this unfortunate time.

Please make your mental health a priority

We’ve personally spoken to many of our members recently, and we am aware that everyone is feeling the pressure of some kind.

It is evident that these post-pandemic issues are certainly taking a toll on the mental health of many in our sector. The confronting facts about our industry’s mental health issues are alarming and often preventable. Every two days an Australian builder or construction worker takes their own life.

So, we urge you all to make your physical and mental health a priority. It is a shared responsibility, and we can all play our part. We would rather sit alongside any of you for as long as it takes and hear the challenges you are facing, than sit listening to your eulogy. Please remember that you are never alone.

Simply put, we cannot build a better world on our own.

We need you to keep going so that we can build a better future together.

Help is on hand

If you are concerned about the impact of the news about Mario on yourself or someone that might be struggling, and you are not sure who to talk to, please get in touch with us on (03) 9411 4501. We are here to help. There are other supports available too: • Help is available from Beyond Blue on 1300 22 4636

• Headspace on 1800 650 890 • Head to Health on 1800 595 212

• Lifeline on 13 11 14

• The HALT team have also put together a new four-page wellbeing tool kit. If you are experiencing a crisis and need immediate mental health support, please call Incolink’s 24/7 counselling line on 1300 000 129.

Please be kind to yourselves and continue to take care of each other.

In closing

On a personal level, our team is here to support you.

If you need advice on your specific contracts and how to navigate conversations with your clients, then please make sure you call our team on (03) 9411 4555 so that we can assist you.

We both hope you enjoy the latest edition of our member magazine.

Mark Little, President, Master Builders Victoria

Rebecca Casson, CEO, Master Builders Victoria

Equip yourself with essential tools for assessing environmental impacts

Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs) are standardized and verified ways of quantifying the environmental impacts of a product. They are based on a consistent set of rules, developed through extensive stakeholder consultation. EPDs are recognised for credits in the Infrastructure Sustainability (IS) rating scheme of the Infrastructure Sustainability Council of Australia (ISCA) and are increasingly required in tender documents. EPDs available for free download from the WoodSolutions website include: • EPD 1: Softwood Timber • EPD 2: Hardwood Timber • EPD 3: Particleboard • EPD 4: MDF • EPD 5: Plywood • EPD 6: Glulam • EPD 7: White Cypress Timber

For all general enquiries, phone Master Builders on (03) 9411 4555. Or you can contact our key services using the details on this page.

Sydney

Adelaide

Albury-Wodonga

Melbourne

OFFICE LOCATIONS

Melbourne

332 Albert Street East Melbourne Victoria 3002 GPO Box 544 Melbourne Victoria 3001 Phone: (03) 9411 4555 Email: mbassist@mbav.com.au

Albury-Wodonga

35 Hovell Street Wodonga Victoria 3690 PO Box 700 Wodonga Victoria 3690 Phone: (03) 9411 8070 Email: membershipadmin@mbav.com. au

KEY CONTACTS

Master Builders Victoria CEO Rebecca Casson Phone: (03) 9411 4501

Master Builders Victoria Executive Team

Executive Director Strategy, People and Influence Michaela Lihou Phone: (03) 9411 4555 Executive Director Commercial, Corporate and Membership Saeed Mirbagher Phone: (03) 9411 4556 Executive Director Legal, Governance and Training Tristan Moseley Phone: (03) 9411 4555

Master Builders Victoria Directors

Director Marketing & Communications Gavriel Berkowitz Phone: (03) 9411 4551 Director Business Development & Sales Nat Molinaro Phone: (03) 9411 4597 Director Policy & Media Megan Peacock Phone: (03) 9411 4555 Director Advisory & People & Culture Giovanni Aberlardo Phone: (03) 9411 4540 Director Master Builders Training Institute Corrie Williams Phone: (03) 9411 4555 Director IT Phillip Harris Phone: (03) 8412 9427 Financial Controller Carly Hooke Board of Management

President: Mark Little Deputy President: Geoff Purcell Treasurer: POSITION VACANT Immediate Past President: Richard Hansen Housing Sector Chairperson: Lisa Hollingsworth General Contracting Chairperson: Michael Clemenger Specialist Contractor Chairperson: Ashley Tonkin-Hill Country Sector Chairperson: Stuart Allen Materials, Manufacturers and Suppliers Sector Chairperson: Mark Phillips

Council of Management

President: Mark Little Deputy President: Geoff Purcell Treasurer: POSITION VACANT Immediate Past President: Richard Hansen Housing Sector Chairperson: Lisa Hollingsworth Housing Sector: Pasquale Garofalo General Contracting Sector Chairperson: Michael Clemenger General Contracting Sector: Dale Kennedy General Contractors Councillor: Ashley Levin Specialist Contractor Sector Chairperson: Ashley Tonkin-Hill Specialist Contractor Sector: Gregory Cole Country Sector Chairperson: Stuart Allen Country Sector: David Rowe Materials, Manufacturers and Suppliers Sector Chairperson: Mark Phillips Materials, Manufacturers and Suppliers Sector Councillor: Neil Grenfell