BUY DIRECT FROM AND SAVE! STONE F/X

Treads:

• Engineer certified: n 50mm for residential use, with a P5 slip rating n 65mm thick for commercial use

• step and riser treads are also certified to 1500mm sleePers:

Pavers:

• honed exposed pavers: plain or coloured

• large variety of textured pavers

• small and large sizes x 500mm x 80mm

A look at building in 2023

Building in Queensland is becoming even more challenging in 2023 as the reality of interest rate hikes, soaring costs, and regulatory change sets in.

The long-running challenge of trade and material shortages continues to hamper the delivery of construction projects. Material prices continue to grow, albeit at a smaller rate. Added to the mix in 2023 are the substantial changes to the way houses must be built. The National Construction Code (NCC) changes starting next month, and further changes in October will add more complexity and cost. Demand for new construction will continue to contract as interest rates, and cost rises mean that more projects fail to get the go ahead. The industry remains busy, however, with an unprecedented backlog of work thanks to construction delays and repair work stemming from floods and storms.

Looking forward, continued population growth, the 2032 Olympics and the massive investment in the renewable energy transition will all underpin a return to strong demand.

Residential Forecast

New home building starts are set to fall back to 31,000 during the year, a reduction of 20.2 per cent on 2022. Detached house starts are likely to see the sharpest drop (-28.8 per cent), while higher density homes (units, townhouses, etc.) are anticipated to dip only slightly (-1.3 per cent). Renovation work will continue to be the bright spot.

This year may mark a low point for home building in Queensland. A return to lower interest rates and the need to house a growing population are likely to lift new home building starts next year. Medium/ high-density home building is likely to see the biggest uplift, but detached house output is also set to expand significantly. Non-residential forecast

A marginal gain of 0.6 per cent is expected before stepping back by 2.7 per cent during 2023–24.

Most areas of non-residential construction will share in this favourable outlook. The exception being industrial building, which is expected to ease off after a very strong performance. With the 2032 Olympic Games coming to Brisbane, demand for recreational and transport projects in Queensland is likely to be quite healthy over the forecast horizon. Utilities and resources work is expected to form the remaining bulk of activity over the period to 2026–27, and it is likely that growth will be both solid and consistent in nature. 

Boosting careers of women with inspiring mentors

The Master Builders Australia 2023 Women Building Australia mentoring program started last month.

Mentees have been paired up with established industry leaders to access support, encouragement, and advice through a mentorship relationship for the next nine months.

Master Builders Australia CEO Denita Wawn said the building and construction industry is one of the largest sectors in Australia.

“During November 2022, there were 1.29 million people employed in the industry working in over 445,000 construction businesses.

“Improving the attractiveness of the industry to women presents a massive opportunity to increase the pool of potential workers, and this program is one of the many initiatives through Master Builders’ Women Building Australia to assist,” said Denita.

Brisbane 2022 program participant, Angie Carlton, a project administrator at Wiley & Co, reflects on her time in the program.

“My mentor was Graciete Ferreira from Pacific Formwork, who is based in Canberra. Although there was a distance to cover, Graciete and I had fortnightly Teams catch-ups where we discussed what was happening in my role, where I would like to advance to, and how she could be a sounding board,” she said.

NCC tools now available

With critical changes to the National Construction Code (NCC) coming into effect from 1 October, 2023, Master Builders has developed two information tools to assist you to understand the requirements and support implementation within your new builds and major renovations.

Use the Consumer Guide to inform your clients of the changes coming, what it means for their home, and what will be required from 1 October 2023.

The Documentation Guide has been prepared in conjunction with the Building Designers Association of Australia (BDAA) and the Australian Institute of Building Surveyors (AIBS) to help step industry

During the program, Angie was working, studying and found out she was pregnant. Graciete was available with advice for life as a working mum.

“Being new to the construction industry as a woman had its challenges, and sometimes speaking up, being the only woman in the room could be daunting. Graciete helped me find my confidence and to always speak up if I had an opinion or thought on a topic,” Angie said.

Angie said her mentor was also helpful when it came to support and ideas with initiatives Angie was working on at Wiley.

“The most challenging aspect of the mentoring program was probably the distance and aligning our calendars for meetings. Luckily Graciete was incredibly flexible, and we worked through this,” she said. Before going into the construction industry, Angie worked in hospitality, but when COVID-19 hit, her interests and work path changed.

Angie worked in the hotel/tourism sector for 10 years. During COVID-19, she spent time working more on the property development side of the business, dealing with subcontractors, suppliers and smaller projects. Angie’s career pivoted, and she found herself emerged in the building and construction industry at Wiley.

“I love building relationships with key stakeholders, working together as a team, and seeing projects come to life. Of course, there are always challenges, but I enjoy overcoming these and ensuring the best outcome for both Wiley and the client,” she said.

Women Building Australia is supported by a federal government grant and delivered through Master Builders Australia; it is aimed at attracting and supporting women to succeed in the building and construction industry. It includes a range of initiatives including career expos, a female-led business register, business resilience training, and a dedicated harassment and discrimination support line.  through all the stages of compliance. It will step you through all stages of implementation and help ensure any new dwellings you’re working on meet the new requirements.

Don’t forget to come along to our 2023 Roadshow – coming to a region near you during May – to hear more about the NCC transitional arrangements between now and 1 October and key things you need to know about implementation.

We’ve fought for many years on behalf of members with regards to these changes. you’ve told us that they will have a significant negative impact on the capacity of the building industry to deliver new housing and upgrade existing housing. More recently, we have spoken extensively about the impact to housing affordability these changes will have and the disruption it will bring at a time when the industry is already grappling with so many challenges.

We succeeded in having the changes delayed until 1 October 2023 as well as a number of changes to begin to make the rules workable. We are continuing to advocate for further clarity and sensible concessions and will keep working with other stakeholders and the Queensland Government towards this. 

You can find the Consumer Guide and Documentation Guide on the Master Builder website mbqld.com.au/ncc-2022

New pathways open for women in steel

Women are increasingly turning to nontraditional pathways such as steel for careers, drawn by operational and social advances.

Australian Steel Institute (ASI) chief executive Mark Cain said 50 per cent of ASI staff were now women.

ASI founding member steel producer BlueScope agrees.

BlueScope Qld Specification Manager and President of the National Association of Women in Construction (NAWIC Qld), Sheree Taylor said it was an exciting, dynamic industry at the cutting edge of change for women.

“Historical perceptions of the industry are changing. We have world-class safety standards, a culture of trust and respect and are investing in emerging, responsible steel technology,” she said.

BlueScope’s promotion and profiling of steel jobs now focuses on gender-neutral attributes, including problem-solving, skills training, job security, and career advancement.

The success of the job program has seen a five-fold increase of women at an operational level since 2016 across BlueScope Australia. One of the key times for attracting more women into manufacturing and steel is at the school level.

‘’It is fantastic to see careers advice at

Seismic solutions you can trust

Suspended ceilings need to be designed for earthquake forces as required by Australian standards. That’s why Siniat invested in robust testing* of our suspended ceiling systems to bring you solutions you can trust.

Siniat offers three types of suspended ceiling design that comply with seismic requirements. All three types surpass Australian performance ratings. Our solutions are available for different ceiling sizes and tested for fire-rated and non-fire-rated applications.

schools now increasingly showcasing the exciting opportunities for women in manufacturing—across trade, operator, and professional roles. However, there is still more to do to support women into these careers so they can add to the industry and reap the benefits of secure employment and a fulfilling career,” Sheree said.