Election 2022: Meet Angela Scott

Don’t be scared to sit at the table

Angela BUILDS UP the

With the Master Builders Election fast approaching and nominations for committees in full swing, we shine the spotlight on one dedicated member who sits on three of these committees. Angela Scott is on the Master Builders Housing Sector and Contracts committees as well as heading up the Wide Bay Burnett Divisional committee. The mother of two works side-by-side with her husband Ross in their business, Bungalow Custom Homes in Hervey Bay. Angela grew up in Sydney where her father worked in the construction industry. It is here she developed an interest in building and designing homes. “I always wanted to be a builder, but my dad said girls don’t do that, so then I wanted to be an architect as I was fascinated not so much by the structure, but the detail,” she said. However, Angela went into banking before marine biology brought her to Wide Bay. She met her husband, a builder and certifier, and so her passion for construction and design blossomed. Angela taught herself to design homes, and working with her husband, the couple started their own development of ten townhouses. Angela got involved with Master Builders committees because she noticed so many family businesses were struggling under the pressure, and she wanted to help. “I got involved because I wanted to be on top of what was happening in the industry, have input in decisions and what we can help change for the better, especially for the mum and pop companies,” she said. Angela has taken her passion for the building industry, knowledge of business development, and understanding of familyowned businesses, and turned it into a mentoring program on Facebook. “I talk through problems in the industry and solutions… I don’t like to see people suffering, and I feel it’s because a lot of builders don’t have the business education because they just want to build things,” she said. COMMITTEES industry Angela would like to see more women involved on the Master Builder committee after this year’s election. “It is scary and intimidating at first. But like my dad always used to say to me, ‘walk into the place like you own it’. “You have a spot at the table, don’t be scared to sit at that table. I think that women drive a lot of the behind the scenes in businesses and many of the topics in the committees are on the business side of the industry.” Angela said there was a public perception that building was a man’s job, but it’s usually the wives doing the building contracts, licensing, and business management. “I feel by sitting on a committee, I’m having an input from a female’s perspective, because we see it differently from what the men might see,” she said.

Angela has sat on the Master Builders Housing Sector Committee for the past three years and appreciates the chance to have her opinions heard. “A lot of things take time to change, and we can’t change a whole policy, or get the government to completely throw out a policy. But we get to refine the policy or try and make it fair and work better for builders, as opposed to just letting it go through,” she said.

TWO MAJOR AWARDS

Angela and her team at Bungalow claimed several awards at the Wide Bay Burnett Master Builders Housing & Construction Awards, including the Ulton House of the Year title and Best Residential Kitchen for their Pelican Foreshore project .

Champion your industry.

EVERY MEMBER CAN HAVE AN IMPACT

With 2022 being an election year for Master Builders, it’s time to get involved at a grass roots level and make a difference. Nominations have now closed for the Master Builders Electoral College (MBEC) and Divisional Representatives and these groups will then go onto elect our new Board members. However, there are still plenty of opportunities to get involved.

Who can nominate?

Any eligible member can nominate for a position, from commercial and residential builders to subcontractors and trade professionals. Whether you’re on the tools or behind the desk, we welcome nominations from anyone who wants to make an impact. You can get involved at a grass roots level in the industry you know best. You can nominate for a range of positions.

Housing & Construction Sector Committees

These committees provide recommendations on sector-wide policy and issues. NOMINATIONS OPEN: 20 October 2022 NOMINATIONS CLOSE: 3 November 2022

Division & Branch Committees of Management

Each regional Division plus the Institute of Building Consultants (IBC) and Branches have a Committee of Management (COM), who work to tackle local industry matters. If you are located in regional Queensland, this is your opportunity to participate at a more localised level. NOMINATIONS OPEN: 1 November 2022 NOMINATIONS CLOSE: 15 November 2022

Policy subcommittees

These committees focus on policy-specific areas, including Industrial Relations, Contracts, Health & Safety and Environment. Each policy subcommittee is responsible for providing recommendations on policy and industry wide issues, such as proposed changes to laws, codes and regulations, to the Housing and Construction Sector committees. NOMINATIONS OPEN: 8 November 2022 NOMINATIONS CLOSE: 25 November 2022