2018 Membership Anniversaries

2017 Membership Anniversaries

Master Builders ACT recognised long-standing memberships of the Association at the recent 2017 Annual Dinner. The following members attended and their success story was shared with representatives from local industry.

50 YEARS

35 YEARS

HOLCIM

Holcim has been serving the Canberra region since the early 1950’s, originally serving the ACT and Southern N.S.W. region under the well-known Readymix and Humes brands.

From its two modern concrete plants located in Fyshwick and Mitchell and from a fleet of 28 concrete mixer trucks, Holcim supplies aggregate, sand, ready mix concrete, and concrete pipe to the local construction market.

Holcim offers a specialised range of decorative concrete and high performance concretes which have been utilised to build some of Canberra’s most iconic buildings like Parliament House, Telstra Tower, The National Gallery, Nishi Building and Canberra Airport to name a few.

From their 2 quarry operations at Cooma Road hard rock quarry and Bungendore sand quarry, Holcim provides quality material and gravels for a diverse range of civil and construction projects like the current Federal Highway duplication at Lake George, Majura Parkway and the ACT Light Rail project.

Through their contracting operations Holcim’s experience and capability has also been instrumental in supporting such complex projects as the Googong Dam upgrade and the Joint Operations Headquarters at Bungendore.

Locally, the business employs over 60 staff and contractors, and utilises the specialist services of over 40 other preferred suppliers. BELCONNEN CONCRETE

Belconnen Concrete is a family run business which opened in 1970. It was the first company in Canberra to integrate pumping, placing and finishing of concrete works and its concrete pump fleet includes some of the newest and largest of its kind in the country.

Under the direction of Joe and Kay Spinelli, the business has grown from working on small residential projects to now pumping, placing and finishing an estimated one hundred and fifty thousand cubic metres of concrete on large scale commercial projects every year.

In the past twenty years Joe and Kay’s children – Carmela, Andrew and Chris – have taken a more active role in the business. With a focus on in-house training to build highly skilled employees, Belconnen Concrete offers a quality guarantee through their delivery of best practice methods.

Belconnen Concrete is the concrete pump, place and finish company of choice for significant Australian landmark projects including the National Archives, National Museum, Portrait Gallery and the National Gallery of Australia.

Projects currently underway include ANU Student Accommodation, the Highgate Apartments in the City, the Lyneham Public Housing Project, the Koben Apartments in Campbell and the Monaro Mall Redevelopment.

30 YEARS

25 YEARS

OZTAL ARCHITECTS

Oztal Architects was established by Dominic Maiuto in 1981. In 1988, Dominic was joined by two associates, Nick Pelle and Frank Parisi who are now partners of the Firm.

Beginning in the residential field with small residential projects, the firm soon expanded to deliver a large volume of residential projects, many of which have since won prestigious housing awards.

It wasn’t long before the Firm started to complete commercial projects such as small office buildings, specialist medical facilities and a variety of retail fit outs. Oztal’s project work continued to expand and diversify to also include community and specialty projects such as community and visitor centres, community housing and childcare centres.

Today the firm has extensive experience in all facets of residential, commercial and community architecture.

Oztal Architects services and project work encompass a board range of fields, including estate planning, urban and inner city redevelopments, medium to high density residential, mixed use developments, commercial, community and specialised projects. PURDON PLANNING

Purdon Planning was established in 1985 and offers a wide range of urban planning services, covering all aspects of urban planning and design including urban design, landscape design, development feasibility, statutory approvals processes, urban economics, heritage and environmental impact assessment.

Their team of urban planning consultants have a broad range of complementary skills and expertise, which allows them to provide practical advice on urban planning issues. The team often includes new graduates from UC and other planning schools.

Purdon Planning’s footprint extends from Canberra through the region, across Australia and internationally. Recent urban projects include the Canberra Centre, Braddon 52 redevelopment, Campbell 5, Anglican Property Trust, ACTEWAGL infrastructure and Aged Care Projects to name a few.

Purdon Planning have worked closely with the MBA over the last 25 years being a board member, chair of the professional council and sponsor. They continue to provide planning advice to many MBA members and have assisted the MBA with representations to Government on a wide variety of planning and industry interests.

OTHER MEMBERS CELEBRATING ANNIVERSARIES IN 2017 INCLUDE:

35 YEARS T.OK CARPENTRY & PARTITIONING PTY LTD

30 YEARS ERINCOLE BUILDING SERVICES PTY LTD

25 YEARS THE LAMINEX GROUP PTY LTD

20 YEARS

20 YEARS

STOWE AUSTRALIA

Stowe Australia is a leading electrical and communications installation and service contractor with a pre-eminent industry reputation for performance, quality and reliability.

The ownership and helm of the company has been retained through three generations (80 years) of the Madson family with David Madson the current Executive Chairman and Chris Madson the current Managing Director.

Stowe Australia’s projects have included the Australian War Memorial Lighting Upgrade, the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade – UPS & Communications Backbone Upgrade, Parliament House – Lighting, RCD and UPS Upgrade and several Canberra Hospital projects

Current projects include the Canberra Law Court Project with Head Contractor – Laing O’Rourke and the ANU RN Robertson projects with Head Contractor – Construction Control.

Stowe Australia’s capability includes design & engineering, installation, construction with the continued dynamic leadership, investment in its employees, dedication to be the industry’s best and to be proactive and innovatively responsive to its customer’s needs. Stowe Australia will remain a leader in the electrical and communications industry for many years to come. MEYER VANDENBERG

In 2017 Meyer Vandenberg celebrated its 12th anniversary since it formed in 2005 through the merger of two longstanding Canberra commercial and property firms, Meyer Clapham and Vandenberg Reid.

The newly merged legal practice embraced a culture of “getting things done for their clients”, a guiding principle still evident and commercially valued today.

The original Partners can proudly claim to be the first law firm in Canberra to build their own premises located in Braddon.

Meyer Vandenberg is the largest independent legal firm in Canberra today, working closely with the property and government sectors to deliver excellent value to individuals, small to medium enterprises, through to large-scale property developers and construction entities.

Many of the industry’s most prominent property and construction clients are personal and business clients of Meyer Vandenberg.

Since their early dealings in Canberra, Meyer Vandenberg continues their proud tradition of being closely involved with both the Master Builders ACT and the community of Canberra.

20 YEARS BELLEVUE BUILDING PROJECTS PTY LIMITED

BRIGHT PARTNERS PROPERTY GROUP PTY LTD O’NEILL & BROWN PLUMBING CO PTY LTD

ARTHUR J. GALLAGHER

SCHMIDT QUARRIES CANBERRA CONCRETE RECYCLERS PTY LTD

MONARO MIX SPECIFIED CONCRETE P/L

Work Health and Safety Culture in the ACT Construction Industry

A TOTAL OF 417 VALID RESPONSES WERE RECEIVED FROM PARTICIPANTS EMPLOYED BY COMPANIES OF DIFFERENT SIZES, AND ENGAGED IN DIFFERENT SECTORS OF THE ACT CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY.

RMIT University was engaged by the ACT Government in February 2017 to conduct a culture survey to assess the current state of the safety climate in the ACT construction industry.

RMIT’s Centre for Construction Work Health and Safety Research was engaged by the ACT Government to undertake a study to provide:

a baseline understanding of the culture of the ACT construction industry with regard to WHS, and

evidence relating to the impact and effectiveness of changes introduced since implementing the recommended measures from the Getting Home Safely report.

The study was undertaken using a mixed methods (qualitative and quantitative) research design. The survey was conducted using a work health and safety climate assessment tool developed specifically for the construction industry. A total of 417 valid responses were received from participants employed by companies of different sizes, and engaged in different sectors of the ACT construction industry. The majority of the participants were frontline construction workers. Focus group participants identified several areas in which they perceived the culture and WHS performance of the ACT construction industry has improved since the publication of the Getting Home Safely report. These were: an increase in reporting of WHS incidents and injuries greater client attention paid to WHS, and

improved relationships between clients and contractors

A number of the issues identified in the Getting Home Safely report as areas in need of improvement were identified by focus group participants as still being areas of concern. These are: the quality, effectiveness and consistency of WHS training the effectiveness of WHS management systems, and

the effectiveness with which principal contractors manage subcontractors’ WHS.

The full report is available at www.cmd.act.gov.au

NAWIC News

The last quarter for 2017 has been a fast and furious one for women in the ACT building and construction industry. September was the time to celebrate the significant value that women bring to the sector and of the commitment that Canberrans have to supporting diversity and equality in the construction industry. The annual NAWIC awards ceremony at the beautiful National Gallery of Australia was a sold out event, with recognition of the achievements of the amazing winners a testament to their talent and drive. As always, the NAWIC Council and award judges were impressed by the quality of all the entrants and their strength and tenacity in an industry that still is not fully utilising the benefits of cognitive diversity.

In the lead up to the festive season NAWIC has steamed ahead with more member events designed to inspire and enthuse members.

A 4WD site tour of Ginninderry gave participants the chance to experience the incredible natural setting for the future-looking development area, to imagine the finished product and also view the Link Building. The site promises to be an incredible precinct, setting the stage for a new way of thinking about suburban development in Canberra.

GINNINDERRY SITE TOUR – MEMBER INSIGHT:

“Traversing across a wooden foot bridge over a man-made pond towards the main building fondly dubbed “The Link” this beautiful architect designed structure houses the Strathnairn Arts association and is the centre of operations for the Ginninderry team. The link reflects the vision of the project utilising a raft of recycled materials including timber cladding, concrete and brickwork – representing a vanguard standard for dwellings situated within the development. Jumping into a 4WD – the only means of negotiating the wilderness – the team drove down the River Corridor Access Trail towards the lookout over the conservation corridor. After basking in an ethereal view from the Canberra to NSW border to the Murrumbidgee River the tour continued up and across the NSW border passing refurbished farm houses from the early 19th Century towards the Ginninderra Falls. The hilly slopes presented a bumpy ride but allowed the group to absorb the stunning beauty of the land, identifying the future stages of works due to be released over the next thirty years containing stunning views. Arriving at the Ginninderry Falls we stopped for some afternoon tea looking out over the falls which have been closed to the public for nearly 20 years. This site is due to be re-instated for the community to visit as a part of the new development. Thank you to the Ginninderry team for opening your doors to provide an insightful glance into the future of sustainable community living.” Nicole Hill

Members were also treated to a ‘Speed Networking and Trivia’ night at the Duxton in O’Connor. New connections were quickly forged over 3-minute conversations followed by an impressive show of knowledge as the crowd tackled tough questions over food and wine.

With the year not yet over, NAWIC has also planned the ‘Smart Cities’ industry breakfast for the end of November, adding to the busy calendar of inspiring events. Thought leaders from across the industry will share their insights into how Canberra can evolve to seize a first-mover advantage in the smart cities space, to embrace market disruptors and drive digital transformation opportunities. The event promises to provoke some interesting thinking about the future for the sector and for the national capital – a great way to end the year.

NAWIC ACT elections, AGM and end of year celebrations in December will close another successful year for the Chapter.

For more information about NAWIC visit nawic.com.au

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DECORATIVE CONCRETE

Concrete is evolving and Australian designers and builders are finding amazing ways to make this essential construction medium a new and exciting feature of construction. Today’s concrete is being coloured, stained, dyed, exposed, ground, polished, recoloured, resurfaced and featured in structures. Specialised aggregates are being introduced to enhance the design and look of concrete and to even improve the functionality of a structure, like glowing aggregates in footpaths for after dark usage. Some ways which concrete is being used as an ascetic element include: Coloured Concrete: This is typically the inclusion of a coloured oxide into pre-mixed concrete at the time of batching to provide a specific colour tone to the concrete. Exposed Concrete: Involves a chemical treatment being applied to concrete surface during installation which retards the very top of the concrete surface. This is then washed away to “expose” the colour and texture of aggregates in the concrete mix. Polished Concrete: A polished look is achieved in a number of ways, and is often handled by specialist contractors. This finished can be achieved in a number of ways including a grind and seal approach, a burnish finish applied during placement and via a true polishing of the concrete surface. The look of the product is enhanced and individualised through the inclusion of colours and specific aggregate to the concrete. Colour Resurfacing: “Resurf” is mainly used to rejuvenate an existing concrete surface at a fraction of the replacement cost. High strength coloured slurry is sprayed by a hopper gun onto the concrete to create a new durable coloured surface. This method is extremely popular for driveways, but is also finding a market by replacing paving, tiles and other surface finishes in commercial construction and public spaces. Stamped Concrete: “Stamping” a textured finish into the surface of fresh concrete whilst it is still in a plastic state. Mainly used in conjunction with oxide coloured concrete, throw on colour, release agents and stains to create a look of tiles, timber, stones and other designs with concrete. Stencil Concrete: Or Colour Hardener, uses tapes or pre-cut stencils to provide a pattern to the surface of fresh (still wet) concrete. A coloured powder hardener is then thrown onto the surface which reacts with the wet concrete to provide a brick, rock or tile look. Colour Sealers: A concrete paint in a multitude of colours. This system is mainly used in the residential housing and renovation market to enhance the look of driveways, paths, balconies and entertaining areas. Concrete Benches and furniture: With the endless possibilities in colour, aggregate and finish it’s easy to see why concrete furnishing has become so popular. With the added bonus of strength and durability concrete is finding its way into benchtops, tables, chairs and other interesting areas of furnishing. Concrete offers the opportunity to design a true unique piece in any project. There are numerous other systems and finished which can be applied to achieve decorative finishes including dyes and stain or epoxy, flake, polyurethane and polaspartic coating systems. Canberra has a plethora of organisations working with the local design and building community to achieve more with their concrete. Furthermore, it is important to engage with these businesses early in your construction process so you can understand what is involved with working with concrete to meet your designed vision. Start a conversation with your pre-mixed supplier, local decorative concrete supplier, concrete placer or specialist concrete contractors to see what you can achieve on your project.

Member Profile – Future Building

By Brenton Wells, Sole Director

QTELL US ABOUT THE HISTORY OF FUTURE BUILDING I started Future Building Pty Ltd in 2013. I am supported by my partner Rachel who works part-time to provide administrative and marketing support. This has allowed us to drive our business growth over the past 12 months. My valued employee Jacob is also integral to the daily operations of Future Building, as he oversees the delivery of all projects as the manager on site.

QWHAT BUSINESS PRINCIPLES DO YOU FOLLOW? Future Building has always strived to achieve quality finishes with everything we do, and we have managed to do this consistently since the company’s beginnings. Many of our specialty trades are in-house, which helps us control the finish, particularly with the hands-on elements of every build. We take a bit of an old-world approach to some of our builds like with the carpentry where we have cut more roofs in the last few years than we have even seen trusses. This is where our internal team are all craftsmen in their own rights, they’re all very passionate and proud to create something exceptional at the end of the day.

Q

WHAT AWARD SUCCESS HAVE YOU ACHIEVED OVER THE YEARS?

Q

Q

Several accolades have propelled our business forward, which is evident in the rapid growth we have experienced over the last 12 months. We are now beginning to book anywhere from 12 to 18 months in advance for all new client builds – which is something we never thought possible. Our awards include:

2015 MBA Training and Participation

2016 MBA Heritage Restoration 2016 MBA Special Purpose Dwelling

2017 MBA Emerging Builder

WHAT’S THE VALUE OF BEING AN MBA MEMBER?

I see the true value of our membership lying with the training available at the MBA. Rachel is currently enrolled in the WHS course, as we believe continued professional development is incredibly important. From time to time, we rely on MBA Group Training to provide us with the next young gun apprentice carpenters. I am very passionate about taking on young apprentices and four of our own staff have competed MBA apprenticeships in the last few years. I am very invested in seeing all apprentices not only complete their qualifications but enjoy it while they’re doing it! I was an MBA apprentice myself, completing my training in 2008.

TELL US ABOUT THE PROJECTS YOU ARE CURRENTLY WORKING ON

Q

Our current work is varied from remodels and extensions in established suburbs, to a new two-storey country home near Bungendore, to a new single level Hamptons style home at Googong incorporating Smart technology.

WHAT’S YOUR ADVICE TO YOUNG PEOPLE THINKING ABOUT ENTERING THE BUILDING AND CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY?

I recently presented at the apprentice intake information night, where I spoke to a group of young adults considering a career in our industry. My advice to them was to be very sure about what trade apprenticeship they chose to undertake, as they can all be very rewarding but are all very different. Choosing to undertake an apprenticeship is an investment in your future and the future of our industry. Host employers, who take you on, are investing a lot of their time and money into teaching you your trade so in return you should be prepared to work hard. My message was simple; make every day count, be eager to learn and ask lots of questions, pay attention, take initiative and take ownership of the tasks you are given. Finally stay off your damn phone!