News
Applications for the Western Australian government's $10 million Builders' Support Facility will be open next week, assisting in the completion of homes that have been under construction for over two years.
Unveiled in January, the scheme was introduced to help Western Australians move into their new homes while supporting eligible residential builders with the completion of projects that have been under construction for over two years.
WA Treasurer Rita Saffioti said: “We know that the construction industry has experienced significant labour and material price hikes over the past few years, delaying som... more
Hutchinson and CFMEU appeals ruling upheld in Federal Court
A full Federal Court has upheld appeals by the Construction, Forestry and Maritime Employees Union (CFMEU) and construction company J Hutchinson Pty Ltd against an earlier judgment in favour of the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC).
The trial judge had found that the CFMEU and Hutchinson agreed to boycott a waterproofing subcontractor at the Brisbane Southpoint A apartments construction site in 2016, meaning the subcontractor could no longer perform the work.
The decision by the full Federal Court overturned the trial judge’s decision that the CFMEU and Hutchinson entered into and gav... more
Five ways construction and mining workplaces can support women
The construction and mining industries have long been considered industries for men. Indeed, 2022 data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics found that construction and mining are the two most male-dominated industries in Australia with just 18 and 20 per cent of their workforces occupied by women respectively.
Gender inequality remains a hot topic; Australia's first private sector gender pay gap report by the Workplace Gender Equality Agency (WGEA) is making national and global headlines, finding that male-dominated industries had the largest gender pay gap, with construction topping the list at 31.8 per ... more
Policy platform to boost female participation in building
To coincide with International Women’s Day, Master Builders Australia has today released a multifaceted policy platform, Breaking Ground: Women in building and construction, to increase female participation in the building and construction industry.
Master Builders Australia CEO Denita Wawn said Breaking Ground represents a proactive effort to not only acknowledge the challenges faced by women in construction but also to present practical solutions and ignite meaningful discussions on this critical issue.
“As one of the biggest sectors in the economy, the building and construction industry employs o... more
Revised WA planning policy to boost residential supply and choice
The Western Australian government has published the revised Residential Design Codes Volume 1 (R-Codes), which will boost housing supply and choice while improving design standards across the state.
The changes respond to industry feedback to help reduce any further impacts on the residential construction sector and keep the cost of delivering affordable housing down.
Single homes in areas coded R40 and below will not be subject to the 2023 draft Medium Density Code provisions and existing standards from the R-Codes will continue to apply, minimising impacts on popular housing products in new residential e... more
Trial to build gender equality on WA government projects
The Western Australian government is joining with industry for a gender equality pilot to deliver results for women in construction in WA.
The $63 million Fremantle Hospital 40-bed Mental Health redevelopment is the first State Government construction project to trial gender equality targets and reporting.
The pilot aims to increase female representation on non-residential construction projects and demonstrate what can be achieved by female talent within the construction industry.
The state government is working with ADCO Construction to deliver the 40 additional mental health beds at Fremantle Hospital... more
New report reveals Australia’s material use and circular rate
CSIRO has released a new report on Australia’s material use, highlighting opportunities to transition to a more circular and sustainable economy.
The Australian material flow analysis to progress to a circular economy report details how Australia uses its resources, linking human consumption to environmental impacts, which can inform approaches to resource efficiency, waste minimisation, and greenhouse gas abatement.
RIGHT: Transport and housing make up more than half of Australia’s material footprint, followed by food.
It found that Australia’s circularity rate – the measure of efficiency in wh... more