A Message from the President

A MESSAGE FROM PRESIDENT, FRANK PORRECA

I hope to bring the same level of dedication to our organisation that John (Haskins) did throughout his career and into retirement.

In 2022 we Broke New Ground, Celebrated Milestones, and Farewelled a Life Member

This year has been a huge year for Master Builders ACT with a full calendar of in-person events and training. We held our first in-person Excellence Awards in over three years, with Preferred Builders and DNA Architects earning 2022 House of the Year and Hindmarsh Construction Australia winning 2022 Project of the Year. We had over 1,400 people in attendance and the energy and excitement in the room was exactly what the industry needed after two lockdown periods.

The Group Training team has been working hard to transition apprentices to the new carpentry qualification, which you can read more about on page 28.

We also introduced a new Course in Crystalline Silica Exposure Prevention following the ACT Government releasing the Silica Action Plan earlier this year.

CONFERENCE

We held our first conference this year, which discussed sustainability in: construction, technology and business. We had industry experts sharing their knowledge about cyber security, procurement values and sustainable construction and design. We also got to discuss the latest technology and innovations that are set to change the industry.

It was great to chat to members and event partners who are driven to create a sustainable future for our industry. MEMBER MILESTONES

To conclude the Conference, the 2022 Annual Dinner was held where my family business (Benchmark Projects) was honoured with a 30-year member milestone certificate. I was lucky enough to enjoy the honour on the night with my brother Nick and the powerful woman behind the business, my mother, Maria Porreca. My mother and father founded the business in 1991, and my mother is still involved with the business to this day. While my father Silvio passed away in 2017, his vision and legacy lives on through the lessons he taught my brother and I about the construction industry.

One of the big things that struck me on the night is the large number of dedicated, thoughtful people behind each business. A massive congratulations to all members who are celebrating milestones this year and their teams. You can view the full list on page 47. I would like to make special mention of Holcim Australia’s incredible 55-year member milestone.

JOHN HASKINS AWARD

At the Annual Dinner we announced a new award in honour of MBA Life Member and former MBA ACT President, John Haskins AM. John was also the founder of the MBA ACT Alumni Committee, and I’m going to miss John’s contribution around the table. I hope to bring the same level of dedication to our organisation that John did throughout his career and into retirement.

After an extremely busy and stressful three years, I hope all MBA Members take time to rest and recover over the Christmas and New Year period. I look forward to seeing or speaking with you all in 2023.