Victoria Building News - December 2014

Transcription

BUILDING NEWS
VICTORIA
ISSUE 5 DECEMBER 2014
2014 HIA-CSR Victorian
Housing and Kitchen &
Bathroom Awards
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EDITOR’S NOTE
Cover Story
06
2014 HIA-CSR
VICTORIAN HOUSING
AND KITCHEN &
BATHROOM AWARDS
KEITH BANKS,
Editor
All the awards from this years
2014 HIA AWARDS
Welcome to the final edition of Building News
magazine for 2014.
In this issue we focus on acknowledging and
congratulating our members who participated in
the 2014 HIA-CSR Victorian Housing and Kitchen
& Bathroom Awards.
We showcase all the HIA-CSR Victorian award
winners and acknowledge those who continue to
contribute, and increase the level of building in the
state of Victoria. This issue is full of great design,
quality construction and the people that make our
industry world class.
Pick-up or
order online
We also take a look at the economy and how
many homes we need to build in 2015 to keep
up with demand. The importance of locking up
for Christmas and the new year is on the agenda.
Safety around bushfire season is also prominent
and important in the lead up to Christmas.
49 HIA STATIONERY AGENTS
40 OUT & ABOUT
Get organised for 2015.
All the pictures from the 2014 HIA Awards night.
CONTENTS
05
Current Issues
06
Cover Story
16 Economics
18Apprentices
20 Legal
25 OH&S
26 Safety Services
28Planning
30GreenSmart
32Technical
36Training
37
2014 HIA Events Calendar
40 HIA Out & About
48
Members Services
For details on advertising, contact our advertising
consultant Helen Cooper.
Any feedback we receive is always greatly
appreciated so let us know what you think at
k.banks@hia.com.au
KEITH BANKS, Editor
UR
ON O ER
V
CO
IMPORTANT DISCLAIMER
The authors, editors, publisher and their staff and agents are not responsible for the accuracy or correctness of statements
made or information contained in this publication or for the consequences of any use made of the products, plans and
information referred to in this publication. All liability of whatsoever nature is expressly disclaimed for any consequences
arising from any errors or omissions contained in this publication whether caused to a reader of this publication or
otherwise. The views expressed in the articles and other material published herein do not necessarily reflect the views
of the editor and publisher or their staff or agents. It is impossible for the publisher and editor to ensure that the
advertisements and other material herein comply with the Trade Practices Act 1974. Readers should make their own
inquiries in making decisions and, where necessary, seek professional advice. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole
or part, without written permission, is strictly prohibited.
© 2014 Housing Industry Association Ltd
We hope you are enjoying our up to date news,
events and current affairs throughout the year
and we look forward to continually improving our
publications and digital applications throughout
the rest of 2014.
Published by Housing Industry Association Limited
ABN 99 004 631 751
HIA COMMUNICATIONS
EDITOR: Keith Banks
VICTORIAN EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR: Gil King
PRODUCTION: Cobi Davies
HIA HOUSE
70 Jolimont Street, Jolimont 3002
Phone: (03) 9280 8200 Fax: (03) 9280 8280
ADVERTISING REPRESENTATIVE
Helen Cooper
Phone: (03) 9280 8252 Mobile: 0408 082 500
Fax: (03) 9280 8280
PRINTING & DISTRIBUTION
Offset Alpine Printing (03) 9821 4442
HIA BUILDING NEWS: DECEMBER 2014
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CURRENT ISSUES
HIA’s celebration
of excellence
IAN HAZAN, HIA Victoria President
What an amazing night we had at Crown
on 7 November to celebrate the HIA-CSR
Housing and Kitchen & Bathroom Awards.
Congratulations to Grollo Homes for taking
out the much-coveted Home of the Year;
a truly wonderful building. In fact it is
important to congratulate all of the winners,
finalist and entrants into this years’ Awards
program, including our Regional Awards. The
standard of entries was superb making the
judging process particularly difficult. Special
congratulations must go to Jack Robins our
newly crowned Apprentice of the Year.
It was a wonderful night that showcased all
that is good about our industry. All too often
we hear the negatives, about the relatively
small number of bad builders that operate in
our State who drive governments to place
more and more regulation and red tape onto
our industry. These extra layers of regulation
may help in the fight against dodgy builders,
but they also impact very heavily on all the
good builders who serve the public so very
well. This additional regulation also impacts
on driving up the price of housing; and this
ultimately comes out of the pockets of those
consumers the government is trying to
protect from the minority.
We have a world class building industry
here in Victoria, a fact often overlooked
by the detractors. It is the detractors who
get the publicity on talk radio and current
affairs programs. It is a pity that the same
attention isn’t given to the vast majority of
home builders, contractors and suppliers who
provide day in and day out, the high quality
that is evidenced by our Awards night. Let’s
hope that our newly formed government will
recognise the worth of our industry to this
State and nurture it and allow it to grow and
prosper as it should.
On a personal note, it was a great pleasure
to be involved in presenting George Kline
from Metricon with HIA Life Membership for
his outstanding service to our industry for
many years. George is an active member of
your Regional Executive Committee as well
as serving on the Planning and Environment
Committee. Congratulations to George; an
award that is well deserved.
Finally, I wish you, your family, friends and
colleagues, all a very happy and safe festive
season and all the best for the New Year.
What now?
GIL KING, Regional Executive Director Victoria
As I write this article the outcome of the
November 29 State Election is not known,
however it is very likely that it is known as
you read this. What we hope for in the next
four years is for a vibrant and efficient and
high quality home building industry free from
excessive regulation and red-tape. In order to
achieve this, common sense is required and
we look forward to fruitful discussions with all
relevant Ministers and bureaucrats over the
next four years.
Regulation is necessary to keep the ‘cowboys’
at bay. The vast majority of our industry does
not fall into that category. However most
of our industry is concerned at, and indeed
affected by the ever burgeoning regulatory
environment. I don’t recall seeing too many
‘cowboys’ at the HIA-CSR Housing and Kitchen
& Bathroom Awards. Congratulations to
the winners and finalists. During the years
I have seen the standard of the entrants into
the State and Regional Awards increase
noticeably. I would encourage all HIA
Members to consider entering the Awards in
2015. The people I have spoken to who have
been involved in the Awards have been excited
by the experience, even if they did not end up
being eventual winners. Just by entering you
are negating the adverse comments by those
who see our industry in a poor light. Our home
building industry in Victoria is something to
be proud of and something that needs to be
protected and encouraged.
On your behalf I would like to extend sincere
gratitude to our marvellous volunteers,
whether they be on the Regional Executive
Committee or the many Committees and
Branches that make up HIA in Victoria.
Particular thanks must go to our President
Ian Hazan and his able Vice President
Robert Griek. They have represented and
advocated for you all very well.
Finally, thanks must go to all the fabulous
staff in our Victorian offices for their tireless
efforts this year. The level of support by both
local and national staff and my HIA colleagues
in other regions has been wonderful. It has
been a challenging year and I am sure that
future challenges will be met with equal
enthusiasm and expertise. I wish all HIA
Members, volunteers and staff (and their
families) a very Merry Xmas and a happy and
safe New Year. I look forward to working with
and for you all next year.
5
COVER
STORY
2014 HIA-CSR Victorian
Housing and Kitchen
& Bathroom Awards
HIA-CSR VICTORIAN HOME
OF THE YEAR, AND DISPLAY
HOME OF THE YEAR
Winner: Grollo Homes for the Grollo 108
in Balwyn North
Award Partners: CSR and Beacon Lighting
Commercial
The Grollo 108 is a striking four bedroom,
three bathroom home with an exceptional
level of finish that blends seamlessly with
the surrounding streetscape. Spread over
6
three levels adjoined by a central floating
staircase, the Grollo 108 provides both
functional and luxurious living with plenty of
storage space. The sleek lines of the façade
are carried into the home where stained
Australian hardwood floors provide the
perfect backdrop for the inspired combination
of materials and colours. ‘This home is a
polished contemporary designed dwelling
with first rate finishes throughout,’ the judges
commented. ‘It represents phenomenal value
for money,’ they added.
CUSTOM BUILT HOME OF
THE YEAR
Winner: BCG Constructions Pty Ltd
Award Partner: Smeg
This ultra-modern two storey home is nothing
short of exceptional. The steeply sloped site
enabled the basement to be built on grade
with the street and the integrated Quartz
rendered swimming pool with spa, providing
a secluded private open terrace. The judges
commented on the ‘very clever use of space
SPEC HOME — STONEHAVEN HOMES
CUSTOM BUILT HOME OF THE YEAR – BCG CONSTRUCTIONS PTY LTD
PROJECT HOME OF THE YEAR —
ENGLEHART HOMES
and design that maximizes the sloping site.’
They noted a ‘wow factor on each level with
both design elements and use of materials.’
BCG Constructions have used ‘superbly
thought out construction methods; amazing
pre-construction planning and an extremely
high attention to detail which is all reflected
in the final product,’ they added.
HERALD SUN HOME
MAGAZINE READERS’
CHOICE AWARD
courtyard. An expansive kitchen, dining and
living area is effectively doubled in size by an
adjoining alfresco verandah.
Winner: SJD Homes for The Grande
in Clyde North
SPEC HOME
Award Partner: Herald Sun home
Magazine
Award Partner: Hardings Hardware
RENOVATION/ADDITION
PROJECT OF THE YEAR
The Grande has the perfect mix of zoned and
open plan living. The generous size allows for
comfort with the utmost in style and luxury.
The quality finishes throughout including
taller doorways, polished concrete flooring,
opulent ensuite bathroom, Colourbond roof
and stacker doors to the alfresco, certainly
give the feel of pure class. Reveal in the lavish
master ensuite and dressing room; proudly
present guests with their own quarters
incorporating large ensuite and WIR; watch
the latest movies in the dedicated theatre
room with clever raised seating platform; or
just enjoy the functionality, space and luxury
of the ultimate in contemporary living.
Winner: Spacemaker Home Extensions
Award Partner: Technika
Each of this house’s three levels were altered
and extended, with the basement more
than tripling in size. This was a truly complex
build due to both its scale and many unique
features. A spacious living, dining and kitchen
zone was created complete with butler’s
pantry and cool room. Cleverly designed
vaulted ceilings within the kitchen area repeat
the use of exposed beams with skylights
ensuring an abundance of natural light and
add to the spacious feel. ‘The seamless
transition from the old to the new is a credit
to the builder. The reclaimed bricks, second
hand roof tiles and external render finishes
meticulously matched to the existing external
finishes,’ applauded the judges.
RENOVATION/ADDITION
PROJECT OF THE YEAR —
SPACEMAKER HOME EXTENSIONS
PROJECT HOME OF THE
YEAR
Winner: Stonehaven Homes
This architecturally designed home blends
seamlessly with its surrounding streetscape
and may leave you assuming this is a just
another inner Melbourne single storey home.
However with its innovative design approach,
the home steps down to two storeys at
the rear. Exposed truss ceilings with raking
timber lining to the open plan kitchen,
dining, living room and alfresco areas adds a
unique yet spacious feel. The home features
extensive custom built in joinery in addition
to the kitchen and wet areas, a provision for
a future lift for disabled access, a two car
garage plus room for two car stacker storage,
a study, cellar, rumpus room, two bathrooms
plus powder room and two 10,000 litre
water tanks.
Winner: Englehart Homes
Award Partner: Hardings Hardware
This home blurs the lines between interior
and exterior space, formal and casual living.
Divided into two distinct parts, the front
half of the house offers an impressive lobby,
study, formal living area, powder room, hotel
suite proportioned master bedroom, ensuite
and dressing room. From the living room two
sliding doors lead to the discreetly located
wing including two double bedrooms, a
well-appointed main bathroom and generous
laundry. The second half of the house is an
exciting reveal beyond the feature pool and
TOWNHOUSE/VILLA —
BCG CONSTRUCTIONS PTY LTD
7
COVER STORY
OUTDOOR PROJECT – EXCELCON
and outdoor dining setting. The north-facing
aspect, park frontage and spectacular city,
river and bay views set this tower apart.
SPECIAL PURPOSE HOUSING
Winner: Community Housing (Vic) Ltd
Award Partner: Origin Energy
APARTMENT COMPLEX — MIRVAC DOCKLANDS PTY LTD
TOWNHOUSE/VILLA
Winner: BCG Constructions Pty Ltd
Award Partner: Rheem
Detailed by its contemporary, yet timeless
design, this townhouse is the ultimate in
fine detailing and crafted workmanship.
The basement boasts a spacious three-car
garage, large gym, laundry, cellar, store room,
bathroom and two bedrooms opening to a
private courtyard to take in the natural light.
The upstairs houses the master bedroom, WIR
and a large ensuite with honed basalt floors,
along with a second bedroom and ensuite.
The Bontempi kitchen is complete with
Stone Italiana bench tops, Miele appliances
and butler’s pantry. Additionally, ‘this
dwelling demonstrates excellent innovation
throughout, with a CBUS automation system,
recessed ceiling lighting, fully pre-wired for
computer network, phone and Foxtel are just
some examples, ‘ noted the judges.
TOWNHOUSE/VILLA
DEVELOPMENT OF THE YEAR
Winner: Grollo Homes
timber, stone brick and glass façade elements
lending to a very contemporary feel. ‘This
development demonstrates the highest
quality of finish and detail in two diverse
products,’ the judges said. ‘Contemporary
and traditional, each with detailing second
to none in all joinery, floor and wall features,’
they added.
APARTMENT COMPLEX
Winner: Mirvac Docklands Pty Ltd
Award Partner: Miele
This luxurious apartment development on
the banks of the Yarra River offers a broad
range of apartment types spread over 31
levels. Catering for established home owners,
families, first home buyers and investors
alike, the 201 apartments have 1, 2, 3 and
4 bedroom configurations and two retail
tenancies. The podium rooftop encourages
community interaction by providing a series
of contemplative spaces. The garden includes
community garden beds, allowing residents
to tend to their own plots. In addition the
wind protected space boasts a built in BBQ
Built to provide social housing and support
people with an intellectual or physical
disability, this unit development contains
20 units offering secure and long term
rental accommodation. All units have open
space, maximizing solar exposure and catch
prevailing sea breezes and have views over
the neighbouring parkland towards Western
Port Bay. Designed as a 4-pack configuration,
or four units sharing a stairwell, with two
units on the ground floor and two units on
the first floor, this development has the
advantages of security and aids a sense of
ownership and ease of access from the street
for residents.
OUTDOOR PROJECT
Winner: Excelcon
Award Partner: Dial Before You Dig
Designed as an extension of the casual living
area, this new outdoor space incorporates
commercial quality cooking facilities, an
integrated bar and dining area. Surrounded
by the kitchen, living, swimming pool and a
newly reinstated deck, this outdoor space
has quickly become the central hub of the
home. The profile of the structure lends itself
to the existing architecture and beautifully
complements the rest of the home. The
judges commented on the ‘exceptional
Award Partner: Rheem
This two townhouse villa development
stands out from the crowd by
intentionally creating a strong contrast
between old and new design. The French
provincial styled dwelling gives the
impression of a mansion within a modest
footprint and proves opulence and grandeur
can be achieved on a smaller scale. Unit 2
on the other hand is striking with the use of
8
SPECIAL PURPOSE HOUSING —
COMMUNITY HOUSING (VIC) LTD
TOWNHOUSE/VILLA DEVELOPMENT OF
THE YEAR — GROLLO HOMES
finishes, directness, authenticity and textured
surfaces, this project demonstrates a fine
crafted approach.
CUSTOMER SERVICE
Winner: Carlisle Homes
Award Partner: Claytons
GREENSMART ENERGY EFFICIENCY —
ECOLIV BUILDINGS
SMALL COMMERCIAL PROJECT (UNDER
$4 MILLION) — CUBED PROJECTS
quality of workmanship’ and ‘degree of
difficulty accessing materials on such a
steep block.’ Relatively modest in scale, yet
designed to entertain various capacities, the
space allows the owners to take advantage
of the amazing views all year round.
builder – including the selection of materials
right through to the final delivery. The final
result is a studio like no other in Melbourne but
also a comfortable, functional workspace.
GREENSMART ENERGY
EFFICIENCY
Winner: EcoLiv Buildings
Award Partner: Origin Energy
This compact, lightweight and low maintenance
home, achieves an 8 star energy rating without
relying on high embodied energy materials
and thermal mass. Designed as a ‘weekender’,
this home could be described as a sustainable
bushland retreat for environmentally conscious
living. The home’s lateral design and streamlined
layout create maximum and an efficient use
of space. Internally the home is functionally
efficient allowing zoning of areas to provide
privacy, avoid noise disturbance and facilitate
thermal control. External entertaining decks
are cleverly positioned to cater for differing
weather conditions and times of the day. The
material selections throughout balance the
homes environmental impact with affordability,
aesthetics and is all locally sourced.
RESIDENTIAL BUILDING
DESIGN
Winner: Graham Jones Design
Award Partner: Smeg
Rectilinear in form, the house harmoniously
complements the site and works with the
challenging slope. Informed by the idea of
focusing the principal living and entertaining
areas towards the rear, ensures the northern
aspect across the pool and garden whilst
achieving increased privacy. The main
bedrooms are located on the first floor.
The layered façade exhibits a playful yet
appropriate mix of materials and exudes a
sense of permanence and sophistication.
Extensive landscaping along with variation
of spatial volumes generated by the
façade ensures the entrance sequence is a
memorable experience. Celebrating bespoke
After 10 years of operation in the Victorian
volume building market, Carlisle Homes
has grown to become a market leading
builder of choice and is a recognised brand.
The Carlisle Homes customer ranges from
budget conscious first home buyers, to
upgrade homemaker, knockdown re-build
and investors. From day one of business,
their goal and mission has been ‘to build
homes of exceptional quality exceeding
customers’ expectations.’ Carlisle Homes
believe bringing together the key themes of
‘listening’, ‘collaboration’ and ‘continuous
improvement’ are the vital ingredients for
the ongoing satisfaction of their clients.
The judges commented on their ‘great
client-centric mission statement’ and noted
their ‘interesting initiatives including the
employment of multi-lingual staff.’
PROFESSIONAL SMALL
BUILDER/RENOVATOR
Winner: SD Davies Builders
Award Partner: HIA Insurance Services
From the humble beginnings of a sole
operator and employee, sub-contracting
to builders in the eastern suburbs of
SMALL COMMERCIAL
PROJECT (UNDER
$4 MILLION)
Winner: Cubed Projects
Award Partner: Stegbar
A boutique space for freelance designers, video
editors and film/advertising professionals,
this unique project features two state of the
art edit suites housed within custom made
plywood pods. Impeccably designed, this
project is a lesson in the beauty of fractal
lines, trigonometry and lots and lots of glass.
Building stand-alone ‘pod’ structures within a
small confined space on a second level was
a hurdle which was overcome with detailed
planning and scheduling. Totally constructed
onsite, the intricate puzzles were a cohesive
team effort between architect, client and
RESIDENTIAL BUILDING DESIGN — GRAHAM JONES DESIGN
9
COVER STORY
KITCHEN IN A DISPLAY HOME —
GROLLO HOMES
Melbourne, SD Davies Builders has grown
to become a successful building company
now employing seven carpenters, one
director and an administrative staff member.
With an unwaivering dedication to both
customer and employee satisfaction, SD
Davies services all metropolitan Melbourne
and into regional Victoria. Their target
market is families looking to extend and
renovate or alternatively build and design
their dream custom home. Their goal is to
achieve the highest quality product for the
best value. At the heart of their commitment
is communication, honesty, quality,
transparency and fairness.
PROFESSIONAL MEDIUM
BUILDER/RENOVATOR
Winner: Latitude 37 Group
Award Partner: Stegbar
Since first commencing operation in
2006, the Latitude 37 Group has become
a well-recognised and respected brand in
Melbourne’s East, South East, Bayside and
Mornington Peninsula regions. Operating with
three core principles of ‘outstanding client
services’, ‘innovative high quality housing
solutions’ and ‘rigorous business management
and governance’, the Group has experienced
consistent and profitable growth. With
building solutions ranging from $190,000
family friendly townhouses to $1.5M custom
designed and built luxury homes, the Group
offers something for every client whatever
their stage of life. The Latitude 37 Group
includes brands such as Latitude 37 Homes,
Esperance Homes and L37 Projects.
PROFESSIONAL MAJOR
BUILDER
Winner: Henley Properties Group
Award Partner: Herald Sun
home Magazine
From the beginning, Henley Properties
Group has maintained market position based
on product innovation, value and quality –
factors that saw it become the largest builder
in Victoria within 4 years of commencing
operation. Today the Group operates in
Victoria, Queensland and New South
Wales. They have grown to employ 455
staff members and are directly responsible
for employing more than 3,000 trades and
related professionals. With 81 unique home
designs to choose from in the Henley range
and a further 30 in the MainVue range,
there are homes to accommodate the most
diverse land sizes, price points and customer
preferences and lifestyles.
KITCHEN OF THE YEAR
Winner: Let’s Talk Kitchens
KITCHEN DESIGN
Winner: Let’s Talk Kitchens
This stunning Hamptons style kitchen is a
wonderful addition to the large Edwardian
home it sits within. Designed specifically to
cater for a large family and numerous social
gatherings this kitchen was described by the
judges as an ‘absolutely stunning, spacious
and a very well designed kitchen.’ The choice
of materials and colours flowed throughout
the room and surrounding spaces. ‘The
design works around building structural
elements whilst adding to the unique layout.
Incorporating alternate height cabinetry with
both recessed and pronounced elements
creates visual appeal and interest to the
space,’ they added. ‘This is a baker’s dream
designer kitchen,’ noted the judges.
Award Partner: Clark
KITCHEN IN A DISPLAY HOME
Designed to specifically cater for a large
family and numerous social gatherings
this kitchen was described by the judges
KITCHEN OF THE YEAR AND KITCHEN DESIGN — LET’S TALK KITCHENS
10
as an ‘absolutely stunning, spacious and
well executed kitchen.’ Imported English
Oak doors were finished with a two-pac
satin paint, allowing the open grain to lift
through and achieve the desired look and
feel. Beautiful super white granite benchtops
add class and elegance, being matched with
precision along the 5.8metre island bar. Full
of many innovative and hidden features such
as the ‘pot filler’ tap on the wall immediately
behind the stone, fully integrated fridge with
freezer drawers below, a large butler’s pantry
with copious amounts of storage, is there
anything that this kitchen doesn’t have?
This cleverly planned kitchen makes use of
the limited space without compromising the
‘necessities’ of a modern kitchen. The island
bench specifically designed to complement
to the living room furnishings appears more
like a piece of furniture itself. Its placement,
attached to the full height window frame
creates a link to the exterior of the home.
The cabinetry incorporates floor to ceiling
doors which allows clutter to be banished
after the family meals have been enjoyed.
OUTDOOR KITCHEN — SHERIDAN
BUILDING SERVICES
LAUNDRY — SMARTER BATHROOMS
& KITCHENS
OUTDOOR KITCHEN
Winner: Sheridan Building Services
This outdoor kitchen and entertaining space
is both versatile and functional. Allowing the
owners to host a variety of functions in any
weather condition is a real feature of the
space. The kitchen itself appears simple, but
includes a range of features creating a brilliant
workplace and true stand-alone kitchen. Two
fridges, Miele integrated dishwasher and
oven, zip tap, BBQ with hood and wok burner,
70mm Caesarstone benchtops, Blum Intivo
drawers, Hafele spice pull out, internal pull out
bin and the list goes on! Carpet tile flooring
provides warmth for young children to play
on but allows the owners to interchange tiles
should a grease spill occur.
BATHROOM OF THE YEAR
Winner: Bubbles Bathrooms
Award Partner: Caroma
This ensuite is packed full of innovation, style
and luxury. Upon entry you are drawn to the
sculptured curved feature wall that divides the
working areas of the room whilst appearing
to hug the elegant freestanding bath. The
judges loved the pendant lights over the bath,
noting that they added to the elegant feel of
the room, whilst ‘the curved tiled wall using
the same tile, neatly sliced, creates a unique
effect.’ ‘Separated basins and storage cabinets
provide good individual access and use of the
room,’ they added. The judges also applauded
the tilers for their ‘excellent workmanship and
attention to detail in respect to tiling, mitering
and final caulking – simply outstanding!’
BATHROOM IN A DISPLAY HOME —
GROLLO HOMES
BATHROOM OF THE YEAR AND BATHROOM DESIGN – BUBBLES BATHROOMS
BATHROOM DESIGN
Winner: Bubbles Bathrooms
Award Partner: Caroma
This ensuite showcases an elegant, well
considered design and use of materials.
Entering from the walk in robe, the
freestanding bath and feature wall are
positioned to visually balance the room
and create the focal point of the space.
The wall specifically built to ¾ height
allows natural light from the window to
filter through. Designed to appear to
hug the bath, the curved feature wall
eliminates the difficult to clean spaces
often associated with freestanding
baths. Tucked behind the feature wall is
an additional floating cabinet housing
bathroom cleaners, leaving the vanity
cabinets free for personal items. This
innovative design has created a spacious,
clean and well-measured ensuite.
BATHROOM IN A
DISPLAY HOME
Award Partner: Highgrove Bathrooms
This open plan ensuite is designed to share
its view with the master bedroom. The use
of natural stone provides a classic touch
in this otherwise modern design. Floor to
ceiling glass showerscreen, stone bench
tops, the free standing bath and quality
fittings are just some of the features that
make this an elegant ensuite. Coupled with
the design, these features are transformed
into something more stylish, stylishness
incidentally, which belies the functionality
of this bathroom.
APPRENTICE OF THE YEAR
Winner: Jack Robins from Peter Priftis
Constructions
Award Partner: Dahlsens
LAUNDRY
Winner: Smarter Bathrooms & Kitchens
Award Partner: Clark
This laundry is one that stands out from
the crowd. Lime glass mosaic tiles to the
splashback provide a blast of colour against
the light tones of the cabinetry. Floor to ceiling
cabinetry provides an abundance of storage
and retaining the side window allows plenty
of natural light to stream through. This laundry
is light, bright and extremely functional.
Interested in entering a project in 2015?
Contact HIA Events today for further details on
03 9280 8255 or
email vic_events@
hia.com.au
Grab your copy
of the HIA Top
Homes magazine
from a leading
newsagency
today —
only $7.95
11
COVER STORY
Regional Winner
EASTERN VICTORIA HOME OF THE YEAR — BRYNOR CONSTRUCTIONS
In addition to the Western Victoria and
Murray River Regional Home of the Year
winners, Pivot Custom Homes and Lockstar
Homes, showcased in our last edition
of Building News. HIA would also like to
congratulate Brynor Constructions who
were crowned the 2014 HIA Eastern Victoria
Regional Home of the Year winners on
October 3 in Healesville.
MORNINGTON PENINSULA
HOME WINS 2014 HIA
EASTERN VICTORIA HOME
OF THE YEAR…AGAIN!
For the seventh consecutive year, a
Mornington Peninsula home has been
awarded an HIA Regional Home of the Year
Award. This year the accolade has been
awarded to Brynor Constructions for its
distinctive Red Hill custom built home.
Appearing to float over an embankment
of grasses, this home engages with its
surrounding environment in both form
and colour.
Set on a tiered hill, surrounded by undulating
bushland, distant views to vineyards and
the bay, the design of this home makes
‘innovative use of the site’, describe the
judges.
12
The cantilevered building form supported by
Super truss ‘V’ supports, together with the
external colour palette, is influenced by the
changing nature of the property through the
seasons – earthy, sand tones with highlights
of vivid greens.
This home is completed to a ‘very high
standard of workmanship with an effective
yet dynamic design’, commented the judges.
‘With its interesting façade, this home is
both internally and externally appealing’,
they added.
2014 HIA CSR Victorian Housing
and Kitchen & Bathroom Awards –
WINNERS LIST
Category
Builders Name
Project
Up to $500,000
Excelcon
Emerald
$500,001 - $1 Million
Pivot Custom Homes Pty Ltd
Inverleigh
$1 Million - $2 Million
BCG Constructions Pty Ltd
Ivanhoe
Over $2 Million
Camberwell
Custom Built Home of the Year
Ivanhoe
Up to $250,000
Metricon
Cohen 31 – Vogue, Cranbourne
$250,001 - $300,000
Arden Homes
Milan, Clyde North
$300,001 - $350,000
Metricon
Vantage 45 Calibre, Craigieburn
$350,001 - $400,000
Metricon
Sovereign 50 – Verve, Craigieburn
$400,001 - $500,000
BH Prestige Homes
The Entertainer 41, Mernda
$500,001 - $600,000
Grollo Homes
Grollo 108, Balwyn North
Over $600,001
Mahercorp T/A Urbanedge Homes
Sogo 6-54, Clyde North
Display Home of the Year
Grollo Homes
Herald Sun home Magazine Readers’ Choice Award
SJD Homes
The Grande, Clyde North
Apprentice of the Year
Jack Robins of Peter Priftis Constructions
Custom Built Homes
Display Homes
Professional Builder Awards
Small Builder / Renovator
S.D. Davies Builders
Medium Builder / Renovator
Latitude 37 Group
Major Builder
Henley Properties
Project Homes
Up to $400,000
D.R. Gordon Building
Alfredton
Over $400,001
Englehart Homes
Balwyn North
Project Home of the Year
Englehart Homes
Balwyn North
Up to $300,000
Cameron Construction
Glen Iris
$300,001 - $500,000
H & R Building Group Pty Ltd
Brunswick
$500,001 - $700,000
Devlin Mees Builders
Malvern
$700,001 - $1 Million
Devlin Mees Builders
Glen Iris
Over $1 Million
Spacemaker Home Extensions
Malvern
Renovation / Addition Project of the Year
Spacemaker Home Extensions
Malvern
Up to $700,000 per dwelling
Lowe Construction
Chelsea
Over $700,001 per dwelling
Grollo Homes
Balwyn North
Townhouse/Villa Development of the Year
Grollo Homes
Balwyn North
Townhouse/Villa
Kew
Apartment Complex
Mirvac Docklands Pty Ltd
Docklands
Special Purpose Housing
Community Housing (Vic) Ltd
Hastings
Outdoor Project
Excelcon
Belgrave South
Greensmart Energy Efficiency
EcoLiv Buildings
Wonthaggi
Residential Building Design
Graham Jones Design
Mt Martha
Small Commercial Project
Cubed Projects
Richmond
Customer Service
Carlisle Homes
Renovation/Addition Projects
Townhouse/Villa Developments
13
COVER STORY
Category
Builders Name
Project
Up to $30,000
Hargreaves Joinery
Rutherglen
Over $30,001
Atkinson Pontifex
Black Rock
Up to $40,000
Atkinson Pontifex
Southbank
$40,001 - $50,000
Damco Kitchens
Surrey Hills
Over $50,001
Let’s Talk Kitchens
Surrey Hills
Kitchen of the Year
Surrey Hills
Atkinson Pontifex
Black Rock
Up to $30,000
MVH Constructions
Blackburn North
$30,001 - $50,000
The Inside Project
Williamstown
Over $50,001
Bubbles Bathrooms
Glen Iris
Bathroom of the Year
Bubbles Bathrooms
Glen Iris
Kitchen Design
Surrey Hills
Bathroom Design
Bubbles Bathrooms
Glen Iris
Kitchen in a Display Home
Grollo Homes
Bathroom in a Display Home
Grollo Homes
Outdoor Kitchen
Sheridan Building Services
Epping
Laundry
Smarter Bathrooms & Kitchens
Northcote
Kitchens
New Kitchens
Renovated Kitchens
Bathrooms
New Bathroom
Renovated Bathroom
Many thanks to our Awards partners:
14
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Jeremy Bree, Henley Properties, Victoria
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Get online today!
To get contracts online jump on to hia.com.au/contracts
Or to get integrated call 1300 650 620
3026_HIA_CO_BN_HP.indd 1
4/06/14 2:06 PM
15
ECONOMICS
How many homes do
we need to build?
GEORDAN MURRAY, Economist
This is the million dollar question that policy
makers, economists, demographers, and
other pundits around the country continue
to grapple with. Most analysis tries to put
an exact number to it, but in reality there are
almost infinite possibilities for what actual
demand for new home building could be. The
range of possibilities reflects the wide range
of economic and demographic changes that
could occur over time.
As the population grows, more households
will be formed and these households will
require a home. However, population growth
16
and household formation only tells part of
the story. Changes in other demographic
trends (e.g. age profile of the population) and
variations in economic conditions also have
an impact on the way households utilise
housing, and thereby the number of new
homes the industry should supply.
Furthermore, the number of homes we
need to build is not equal to the number of
homes needed to house the population. The
steady flow of existing homes that become
uninhabitable or are demolished must also be
replaced.
A change in our living standards (from an
economy-wide perspective) also exerts a
significant influence on the quantity of homes
we need to build. Positive changes in living
standards increase the demand for residential
building. This enables households to increase
the quality and quantity of housing they
consume.
An increase in the quality of housing equates
to an increased incidence of households
knocking down existing homes and building
a new one (or more than one) in its place or
undertaking substantial renovations.
ECONOMICS
Population Growth Scenario
High
Mid-Range
Low
Population in 2012
5,629,122
5,326,122
5,629,122
Population in 2050
10,511,351
9,346,877
8,461,387
1.7%
1.3%
1.1%
49,614
37,781
28,782
Implied annual population growth rate
Additional dwellings required per annum
Required annual build rate
Low real income growth
54,058
42,225
33,226
Medium real income growth
58,503
46,669
37,670
High real income growth
62,947
51,113
42,114
An increase in the quantity of housing
demanded is likely to be reflected in a decline
in the average household size as more
households occupy more than one dwelling
(e.g. a holiday home, or a second home for
working away from home).
New research by HIA Economics has looked
into the wide range of growth scenarios
that Victoria could track between now and
2050. Each scenario considered different
combinations of population growth rates,
and changes in living standards that could
eventuate over this horizon.
The average number of homes required to
be built in Victoria each year between now
and 2050 lies within a range of 33,226
and 62,947. We would only need to build
33,226 homes per annum if we consistently
recorded a low rate of population growth and
achieved a very modest improvement in living
standards. In contrast, if we consistently
achieved large improvements in living
standards and strong population growth
we would need to build nearly 63,000 new
homes per annum.
This modelling clearly implies a wide range of
possibilities. However, these figures represent
the upper and lower bounds of plausibility
and we should note that the extreme ends
of the spectrum are probably unlikely to
eventuate. Across the numerous economic
cycles we could expect to encounter between
now and 2050, activity in any single year is
likely to vary within this range.
with the natural increase in the population
(accounting for births and deaths), saw
the state’s population increase by around
112,000 people during the year. This equates
to an annual growth rate of 1.9 per cent
in 2013/14 which is consistent with the
previous year.
If we look at the contemporary demand
conditions, the relatively low rate of growth in
real household income during the fiscal year
is likely to have contributed to a subdued
demand for knock down-rebuild and for
second homes. However, this is likely to have
been counter balanced by the increased
purchasing power of households through
lower borrowing costs.
Taking account of the demographic and
economic developments during the year,
it is likely that there was demand for the
construction of around 53,200 homes. This
was generally consistent with the 51,000
dwellings commenced during 2013/14.
Across economic cycles Victoria has
experienced periods when there has been
strong population inflows from interstate
as well as periods where there has been a
net loss. The state is currently experiencing
particularly strong net inflows. Overseas
migration also contributed more strongly to
the state’s population growth than had been
expected in 2013/14.
The net increase in the population due to
overseas and interstate migration, along
From this point, the challenge for the newly
elected Victorian government is to ensure
that policy settings will enable alignment
of demand and supply to persist over the
long term. Policy reforms must be designed
in such a way that residential building can
quickly respond to fluctuations in economic
cycles and variations in demographic
requirements for housing. Reducing the red
tape in the lengthy planning pipeline would be
a good place to start.
For further assistance please contact
HIA Economics on 02 6245 1393 or
email economics@hia.com.au
17
APPRENTICES
18
19
LEGAL
Protection works: getting it right
ANDREW WHITELAW, Partner, TressCox Lawyers
One of the most common areas of disputation between builders, owners and the people
next door is the provision of, or failure to provide, proper protection works during a build.
Even those who have operated in the building
industry for years can face challenges when
protection works are to be carried out.
Protection works are a different requirement
to building works. Understanding the
differences will help avoid disputes and make
sure the job gets done.
Put simply, protection works are designed
to “protect” all adjoining property from
potential damage during the carrying out of
the building works. An adjoining property may
include land, buildings, a street, highway, lane,
footpath or square that has the potential to
be damaged by building works.
Protection works can be permanent or
temporary and may include underpinning,
support, shoring up, overhead protection or
any other work designed to maintain stability
or to protect the adjoining property
Most adjoining owners think protection
works are required on every construction.
This is not the case. Protection works are only
required if the Relevant Building Surveyor
(RBS) engaged for the job decides they are
required.
The RBS, in assessing the proposed building
works under the Building Act 1993, must
also assess whether those works may cause
damage to an adjoining property.
20
If the RBS says “Yes protection works are
required”, the owner of the property must
serve a Form 3 notice on the adjoining
owner setting out what “building works” will
be undertaken and what “protection works”
are to be carried out. The Form 3 must
include details as to the nature, location,
time and duration of the protection works. It
is critical the Form 3 is correct. It is common
for a Form 3 to be deficient, lacking in
information and in breach of the Act. In such
cases, the Form 3 can be easily objected to,
causing delays.
to avoid litigation and reach an agreement
where possible.
Other requirements for protection works
include the parties preparing a dilapidation
report to record the state of next door’s
building before works start. Insurance is also
required to protect next door from damage
and for public liability.
A builder can be charged and fined for
failing to comply with protection works
requirements.
The adjoining owner has other rights
including engaging their own engineer to
consider the protection works and can seek
the costs of doing so from the owner.
An alternative to carrying out protection
works is to obtain “dual certification”. If the
RBS is satisfied the building works will not
adversely affect the stability of or cause
damage to the adjoining property, the RBS
can be provided with certificates from the
engineer who designed the building works
and from a second “independent” engineer
certifying the structural design complies with
the Act and Regulations. This process does
not then require the permission or consent to
the works from the adjoining owner.
When a Form 4 is served, the RBS must
make a further decision to either approve
the protection works or require further
clarification. If either party remains
dissatisfied, an appeal can be made to the
Building Appeals Board. It is always better
The requirements for protection works can
be complicated. To avoid costly disputes and
delays, it is in the interest of all those involved
to reach early agreement and for the builder
to ensure the requirements for protection
works are followed.
If a valid Form 3 is served, the adjoining owner
has 14 days to respond by completing a Form
4 and agreeing, disagreeing or requesting
further information. If the adjoining owner
fails to respond in time the proposed
protection works are deemed accepted.
LEGAL
Fencing Act amendments
ALLIE LEVINE, Workplace Advisor
The Fencing Act has been amended, with the aim of clarifying the way that
fencing costs are apportioned between neighbours and altering the dispute
resolution procedure.
Key changes include:
• Outlining provisions for making tenants
responsible for paying a portion of fencing
costs in certain circumstances
• Providing for the Magistrates Court
to make an order if, after 30 days, the
neighbours cannot agree on one or more
matters relating to the fencing issue
• Outlining a procedure for conducting
urgent fencing works without abiding by
the usual notice requirements, in certain
circumstances
Fencing Notices
Owners must not carry out fencing works
unless in accordance with a ‘fencing notice
agreement’, which has been reached
between the adjoining owners.
If an owner wishes to undertake any fencing
works, they must issue the adjoining owner
with a fencing notice pursuant to s13 of the
Fencing Act. The notice must:
• be in writing
• include the name and contact details of the
person issuing it
• state that it is a notice under s13 of the
Fencing Act
• outline the boundary line that it is to follow
• state the type of fencing (or nature of
repairs)
• the name and contact details of any person
engaged to carry out any works
• contain a statement that either owner may
seek assistance from Dispute Settlement
Centre of Victoria to resolve any disputes
• detail of any costs that are to be borne
by the adjoining owner, if this is being
requested. This must include an estimate of
the works, the proportion being requested
and an estimate of the cost of this
proportion.
The amendments have simplified the Act and
the way that responsibility for constructing
and paying for fencing is apportioned. The
general principle is that adjoining owners of
a property are responsible for contributing in
equal part to the cost of creating a dividing
fence. However parties are able to make any
other arrangements to apportion the cost
or responsibility between them, should they
choose to.
If one owner requires more than a ‘sufficient
dividing fence’, that owner must pay the
entire cost of fencing, and any subsidiary
works as far as they exceed the standard for
a ‘sufficient dividing fence’. What constitutes
a ‘sufficient dividing fence’ is determined
based on a number of factors, including any
existing fence, the type of fencing used in that
area, any policies, planning or building laws
that affect the land, or the purposes that are
used by the land.
The Act includes procedures for dealing with
situations where an adjoining owner does
not agree to the proposed works outlined in
a notification, or where the owners cannot
agree on the common boundary between the
properties.
Powers of the Magistrates Court
The Magistrates Court can now make orders
on a number of matters, including:
• the line on which fencing works are to be
carried out
• the common boundary
• whether a dividing fencing is required and
whether fencing works should be carried
out
• whether a person is liable to contribute
to fencing works, and how to apportion
liability
• whether one party must cease activity that
is damaging dividing fence
The Magistrates Court can also hear adverse
possession claims that arise out of fencing
disputes, for example where a fence has
been located on land that is not the common
boundary for more than 15 years.
Note that this article does not cover all
changes to the Fencing Act, but those which
are most pertinent to HIA members. There
are changes to the Act which affect long
term tenants, however tenants to which the
Residential Tenancies Act or Retail Lease Act
apply are not affected by this legislation.
For further assistance please contact a
HIA Workplace Advisor on 1300 650 620
or visit hia.com.au
21
LEGAL
Defective work – trades
and contractors
PAUL FERGUSON, Assistant Director, Business Practices
As a principal builder, much of the building
work undertaken on site will be performed
by contractors and trades engaged directly
by you or your company. Although you
supervise and trust your trades to undertake
the work correctly, defects may arise during
the building period or after handover to the
owner. While minor issues and defects are
often rectified informally, any serious or costly
defects should follow a formal process and be
in writing.
If you become aware of significant defective
work or materials by a subcontractor, put
the claim in writing to the subcontractor or
tradesman and request rectification. This
is important, as a defect detected at a later
date may lead to consequential damage and
extensive rectification.
22
To ensure you have a claim against the
contractor:
• Ensure that any agreement with a trade or
contractor to undertake work is in writing,
such as a period or project trade agreement
with necessary plans and specifications.
• Let the subcontractor know as soon as you
become aware of the claim and that the
work may be defective.
• If the contractor is not responsive, issue a
‘letter of demand’ for the rectification of the
defect and any associated costs and damages.
• Consider the application of any insurance
policies that you or the trade/contractor
may have access to, including public liability
and/or product liability insurance.
• Take photos of the defective work.
• Consider obtaining an expert report before
any rectification is undertaken, particularly
if liability is anticipated to be argued or
contentious.
• If the trade/contractor refuses to rectify,
clearly respond in writing, indicating that
the defects will be rectified and that they
will be pursued for the costs.
In the event that legal proceedings are
undertaken, it is critical that you ensure all
relevant claims are made; claims for known
defects that are not pursued may be lost. The
circumstances of each case will be different,
so it is important that you obtain advice from
a HIA Workplace Advisor or your lawyer.
or visit hia.com.au
LEGAL
Licence lending – not worth the risk
PAUL FERGUSON, Assistant Director, Business Practices
Getting registered as a building practitioner is a significant application process
requiring specific education, industry experience, financial capacity and personal
probity. In most cases, your building business will wholly rely on your registration
status as a registered builder to operate.
From time to time, friends, family or
colleagues might seek to use your
registration status to undertake their
own building work and suggest that they
“borrow” your registration number, just
for convenience. Such an arrangement is
improper and is often undertaken by ownerbuilders, trades or developers who:
• cannot acquire registration
• cannot obtain an ‘owner-builder’ permit
• don’t want to contract with a Registered
Building Practitioner
• have difficulty obtaining appropriate
insurance, including warranty insurance
• don’t want to take responsibility and liability
for the building work
• want to reduce costs that might otherwise
be payable to registered builders and trades
While the individual circumstance of each
case will be different, a licence lending
arrangement often has the following
characteristics:
• you do not actively supervise the job as the
registered building practitioner
• you do not have a contract for the delivery
of building work
• you may be paid a ‘fee’ for the use of your
licence details
• you do not have a financial interest in the
building work
Why is registration important?
Registration is a key aspect of consumer
protection and regulation of appropriate
standards in our industry. Policy makers and
regulators regard the registration of building
practitioners as a cornerstone of regulation.
What are the risks of licence lending?
The risks with licence lending are very serious,
particularly given that the person using your
registration details will be unlikely to provide
the same care and attention to the building
process, leading to defects, claims and
failures.
Civil liability
Following the construction, the current
or subsequent owner may make a claim
for the rectification of defects. A building
action can be taken within 10 years of the
occupancy permit and the registered building
practitioner details on any building permit,
contract and/or insurance policy will be
primary evidence that you undertook the
work and are liable. It can be very difficult to
prove that you were not the actual builder
and the person who undertook the work is
likely to be absent. Civil proceedings in VCAT
or another jurisdiction may result in costly
outcomes for rectification.
Insurance risk
In the event of a warranty insurance claim by
the owner, the insurer may seek to recover
the costs of any accepted claim through any
personal guarantee. If a personal guarantee
has been given to the insurer for eligibility
purposes, it will most likely to remain until the
expiry of the last insurance policy. In addition,
if the insurer becomes aware of a ‘licence
lending’ arrangement, they may review your
eligibility for warranty insurance and consider
your inappropriate conduct, most likely
resulting in loss of eligibility and the ability
to be registered.
The VBA and the Building Practitioners
Board
The Victorian Building Authority and/or the
Building Practitioners Board may initiate
an investigation and conduct an inquiry into
any conduct related to licence lending of
registration details. Regulatory processes are
likely to lead to adverse outcomes, including
suspension or loss of registration.
Fraud and misrepresentation
Finally, the conduct of licence lending may
involve fraudulent documentation or false
or misleading representation to another
party. This could have adverse criminal
or civil consequences for any party involved
in a ‘licence lending’ arrangement.
What to do?
If you are approached to ‘lend’ your
registration details, politely refuse the
suggestion and indicate that you only
undertake legitimate building work. If you
think you may have already entered into an
arrangement to lend your licence, obtain
immediate legal advice about how to remove
yourself from such an arrangement.
Your registration status as a registered
building practitioner is valuable. HIA
recommends that you guard your registration
status closely and do not allow others to
‘use’ your registration to undertake their
own work.
or visit hia.com.au
23
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OH&S
What’s hot?
TONY LOPEZ, Assistant Director, OHS Policy
We are now into the hottest part of the year when the level of ultraviolet (UV)
radiation is at its highest. It is also a time of increased risks of heat stress and of fire.
UV from sunlight
Victorian UV levels are most intense from
September to April between the hours of
11am to 3pm. Unlike heat from the sun, UV
cannot be seen or felt so it can be damaging
without us knowing. Health risks of overexposure to UV include sunburn, wrinkles,
eye damage (e.g., cataracts) and skin cancer.
According to the Victorian WorkCover
Authority (VWA):
“construction workers have a higher risk of
skin cancer than many other workers due
to long periods exposed to ultraviolet (UV)
radiation from direct sunlight and UV rays
reflected from nearby surfaces such as
concrete.”
Outdoor work during the above hours should
be reorganised, where practical, to avoid the
peak UV levels of the day or to make use of
appropriate shading. Outdoor workers should
cover as much skin as possible and wear wide
brimmed hats, UV rated safety glasses and
use at least SPF 30+ sunscreen on exposed
skin.
Remember that it doesn’t have to be sunny
or hot for there to be high levels of UV. You
can check the daily sun protection times for
your location each day on the SunSmart
app available for iPhone, iPad and Android
from www.sunsmart.com.au. The app lets
you know when you do and don’t need sun
protection.
Further information about the risk of overexposure to UV and to help you to develop
effective sun protection measures is available
from VWA’s website www.vwa.vic.gov.au search for Sun protection for construction
and other outdoor workers.
Heat Stress
Heat stress occurs when you absorb heat
faster than your body can get rid of it.
Signs and symptoms of heat stress illness
include feeling sick, nauseous, dizzy or weak.
Clumsiness, collapse and convulsions may
also be experienced. Workers with these
signs or symptoms need to seek immediate
medical attention.
• use mechanical aids to reduce physical
exertion
• wear loose fitting clothing preferably of
lightweight fabric and a wide brim hat that
shades the face and neck
• allow for extra rest breaks in a cool area
• make sure cool drinking water is available.
Further information: Guidance Note:
Working in heat – available from VttWA’s
website: www.vwa.vic.gov.au
Preventing fires
The threat of fire is present where there
are flammables on construction sites. It is
important to be prepared by assessing risks
and making sure that adequate fire control
measures, such as fire extinguishers, are
The best means of preventing illness from
heat stress will vary depending on the type of
work and other factors but a few simple rules
to consider are:
available. There are also CFA restrictions during
• reschedule work so the hot tasks are
performed during the cooler part of the day
gas cutting. Further information: CFA website:
• make use of indoor and shaded areas
during the middle of the day
For further assistance please contact HIA on
declared Fire Danger Periods to help prevent
fires from starting. Restricted activities
include welding, grinding, charring/soldering or
www.cfa.vic.gov.au
1300 650 620 or visit hia.com.au.
25
SAFETY SERVICES
Site security over the Christmas and
New Year period
COMPTON PEREIRA, Business Safety Manager - Victoria
With Christmas fast approaching it’s time to stop and think about how you are
intending to secure your sites when they are unattended over the holiday period.
With most construction businesses shutting down for the Christmas and New Year
period, it is important to leave your construction site in a safe and secure manner,
to prevent injuries to unauthorised visitors to your site.
Unauthorised visitors, particularly children,
The risks that unauthorised visitors can be
• electric shock from “live” cables
are not usually deterred by simple warning
exposed to can include (but are certainly not
signs and have a lack of awareness of
limited to):
• drowning in open excavations (if filled by
rain)/falling into open excavations
the dangers that may be present on a
• serious injury from falls from partially
construction site when they enter.
constructed houses and scaffolding
Some other things to consider
Crime levels
• Is there a history of crime in the area?
Talking to neighbours and police about
crime in the area gives you more insight
into how many layers of security you’ll
need. Maybe a fence will be enough.
• Visit the site at night - A quick visit to
the site one night after dark can speak
volumes about potential vulnerabilities
that you’d never see in the day time.
Get out of your car and walk the site and
consider it from all angles. You’ll start to
see where you are going to need lights
and where fences could be compromised
easily by thieves in the shadows.
Consider use of lighting
• Thefts generally occur under cover of
darkness. An effective deterrent is the
use of lighting after hours. Bright white
light is best but this needs a power
source ideally a generator or some other
independent power source.
26
• Identify site safety zones based on
visibility from the road - While you’re on
that night visit you can look at any “safety
zones” that are highly visible from the
road. If you have to leave “steal appeal”
items overnight these areas may be
appropriate.
Do you require site security?
• You may wish to use a security company
to conduct patrols of your site. If so,
ensure that you check that the company
is correctly licensed and qualified.
• Check that the security company is
licenced by asking for details of their
Security Licence. Also, legitimate security
companies are required to be members
of an industry association, so ask for
proof of an association membership.
• Do an internet search on the company
that you are considering and satisfy
yourself that it is suitably structured and
experienced for your requirements.
• suffocation or crushing from collapsing
material or excavations
• coming into contact with hazardous
substances or protruding objects
• falling onto or over protruding
reinforcement bars
• general construction site hazards such as
trips and falls
Simply putting a safety perimeter fence up
around the site is not enough if any of the
risks above are not controlled.
When the last worker leaves the site, before
you shut down for the holiday period, a risk
assessment of the site should be carried out
and, as a minimum, the following questions
should be asked:
• Are all excavations secure, covered or
barricaded?
• Have all rubbish bins/rubbish, particularly
materials containing sharp edges,
protruding nails or slippery surfaces been
removed from site?
• Have all protruding objects, such as starter
bars, nails, PVC pipe been removed,
capped, covered or bent over?
• Has all access to scaffolding, ladders, or
first floor been eliminated?
• Are all chemicals removed from site?
• Has power been shut off or exposed wires
protected?
SAFETY SERVICES
• Is the fence secure, stable (from high
wind), locked, and free from gaps for a
person to fit through?
adventure playground, it’s a place to explore,
scrap metal or another injury can lead to a
climb and run around, and it’s a place
possible Work Safe investigation or even
where they can get material to build their
legal action.
If you cannot answer YES to all of the above
then you need to put controls in place before
you shut down.
skateboard ramps and bike jumps.
Children can view building sites as an
Whilst children or even adults should not
HIA Safety Services on 1300 650 620
be there in the first place, a fall from height,
or safetyservicesvic@hia.com.au or
treading on nails, cutting themselves on
visit hia.com.au
OH&S site management program
now available
COMPTON PEREIRA, Business Safety Manager - Victoria
HIA Safety Services Victoria has just launched an exciting new program designed
to assist builders in achieving their safety compliance.
We will set up your site safety compliance
paper work, including registers and recording
documentation, conduct annualised safety
system inductions for sub-contractors,
collect all required documentation from subcontractors, provide site supervisor skilling
sessions and sub-contractor information
sessions. All of these components are
suggested to achieve a compliant work site.
We can help you achieve these outcomes.
• First Aid
Other Services available
•Licences
• Conduct onsite inspections/site
assessments of construction sites inclusive
of a full report of all OH&S related site
activity, outcomes/observations, corrective
actions and photographic evidence.
Site safety paper work
HIA can conduct a 1-2 hour skilling session
with the intended site supervisor/s to ensure
a full understanding and working knowledge
of site OH&S systems and requirements.
• Site safety co-ordination plan
• Induction tools
• SWMS guidance
• Site specific registers and recording
documents
• Site signage (optional)
Engagement and induction of all subcontractors
HIA Safety Services can ensure all subcontractors are inducted and supply all
required documentation required inclusive of:
• Evidence of electrical test and tag
• MSDS’s
• General site rules and responsibilities
• OH&S management on site
• Incident response/management
Conduct supervisor training
Conduct sub-contractor sessions
HIA can conduct sub-contractor induction/
information sessions across the course of
the project with the intention of ensuring
complete on site compliance, especially
surrounding:
• SWMS compliance
• Insurances and licences
• Evidence of GIC (white/red card)
requirements
• Safety on site
•SWMS
• a full understanding of their requirements
for engagement
•Insurances
• OH&S obligations on site
• Communication and consultation – HIA
Safety Services can provide a presence and
awareness of all things relating to OH&S in
the form of:
•tool box meetings
•training
•participation in construction meetings
(where appropriate)
You will still need to manage your day to
day safety activities on site, this program
is designed to assist you only. We would
welcome the opportunity to discuss your
current processes and systems that you
have in place and how we can assist you in
achieving your OH&S requirements without
you being bogged down in paper work.
HIA Safety Services on 1300 650 620
or safetyservicesvic@hia.com.au or
visit hia.com.au
27
PLANNING
Residential zones update
MIKE HERMON, Assistant Director – Planning and Environment, Victoria
Various metropolitan councils are continuing
to refine their respective planning schemes
via draft amendments as part of Stage Two
of the Residential Zones Standing Advisory
Committee (the Committee). Some Councils
such as Darebin have made written requests
to participate in Stage Two whilst other
Councils such as Banyule, Boroondara and
Maribyrnong have been referred to the
Committee by the Minister for Planning.
The purpose of the Committee is to advise
the Minister for Planning on the method and
application of the proposed new residential
zones into a local planning scheme.
HIA has been reviewing all draft amendments
and lodging submissions with the Committee
and presenting at panels where it considers
such draft amendments may have an
impact for members. A summary of recent
submissions and presentations are:
Darebin draft Amendment C147
This amendment proposes to apply the
Residential Growth Zone to four key areas within
the City of Darebin, generally in accordance
with principles and recommendations of the
Darebin Housing Strategy 2013 and introduce
a Higher Density Residential Building Typologies,
September 2014.
HIA lodged a written submission to the
committee objecting to the amendment
in particular the proposal to insert a new
document titled: “Introduction of the Higher
Density Residential Building Typologies,
September 2014.” HIA considers such a
local policy is not warranted in the context
28
of the existing Guidelines for Higher
Density Residential Development and the
Draft Better Apartment Design Victorian
Apartment Standards 2014 recently referred
by the Department of Transport, Planning
and Local Infrastructure to industry for
comment. A panel hearing was held in midNovember at which HIA presented.
Banyule draft Amendment C125
This amendment proposes to introduce
two new schedules to the Neighbourhood
Residential Zone.
committee and presented at a panel in early
November objecting to the amendment
on the basis that further mandated and
prescribed planning control is not warranted.
Boroondara draft Amendment C225
This amendment proposes to introduce
two new schedules to the Neighbourhood
Residential Zone.
committee objecting to the amendment
on the basis that further mandated and
prescribed planning control is not warranted.
A panel hearing was held in late November at
which HIA presented.
Maribyrnong draft Amendment C150
This draft amendment proposes
implementation of the new residential zones.
It is a combination of Council’s Amendment
C130 and the Minister’s Residential Growth
Zone investigation areas.
Committee requesting further information,
being a percentage breakdown of three
residential zones. HIA considers such
information is necessary to enable an
informed decision to be made as to whether
a subsequent submission is warranted.
Further information as requested has not yet
been provided and a panel hearing date has
not yet been set.
Other Planning Matters
HIA has recently been actively involved in
the Panel Hearing for Moreland Planning
Scheme Amendment C133 which proposes
the introduction of a Development
Contributions Plan Overlay. HIA objected to
this amendment principally on the basis that
introduction of such an Overlay would have
an impact on housing affordability. HIA also
recently responded to the Discussion Paper
released by the Office of Living Victoria titled
Developing the Metropolitan Whole-of-WaterCycle Strategic Framework 2014-2024.
HIA will shortly be attending a panel hearing
in relation to Stonnington Planning Scheme
Amendment C186 which proposes to
increase the Public Open Space levy.
HIA encourages members to contact Mike
Hermon on 9280 8236 or alternatively
m.hermon@hia.com.au regarding any
planning or environmental matters they
wish to discuss or have HIA research and
provide advice. Mike joined HIA in September
as the Assistant Director – Planning and
Environment.
PLANNING
VCAT – awarding of costs
Changes to the provisions relating to failure
to determine applications have recently
been introduced at VCAT, more specifically
these changes relate to the reimbursement
of council application fees for failure to
determine applications.
Section 115CA Presumption of order for
reimbursement of fees in certain planning
matters, has been inserted into the Victorian
Civil and Administrative Tribunal Act 1998.
The changes seem to have been made
without any notification or consultation
-though on balance it may be a clause that
can assist HIA members, particularly where
the delays have been caused at Council’s end.
An applicant is now entitled to seek that
the responsible authority reimburses the
applicant the whole of any fees paid by the
applicant in the proceeding.
This requirement does not apply if the
responsible authority satisfies the Tribunal
that there was reasonable justification for
the failure to grant a permit having regard
to the nature and complexity of the permit
application, the conduct of the applicant,
and any other matter beyond the reasonable
control of the responsible authority.
Since this provision was inserted HIA is
aware of only one application being made.
The applicant was not successful in having
fees reimbursed as council was successful
in demonstrating most of the delays in
processing the application were caused by
the applicant. HIA will continue to watch
this matter with interest and keep members
informed of the outcome of any further
applications made to the VCAT pursuant to
this section.
HIA has long argued with Government for the
reimbursement of fees and costs associated
with delays in the planning process –
particularly where they have been caused by
Councils. This may therefore be a small step
towards achieving better cost outcomes
from the appeals process.
Aside from HIA’s longstanding campaign
around implementing changes that would
remove the number of applications to be
heard by VCAT, HIA’s other main point has
been where matters do proceed to VCAT
that there should be clear guidelines and
criteria for the awarding of costs against all
appeals that are considered to be largely
unsubstantiated.
HIA Planning on 1300 650 620 or
visit hia.com.au.
29
ANNUAL REGIONAL MEETING OF MEMBERS OF VICTORIA REGION
NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN THAT THE ANNUAL REGIONAL MEETING OF MEMBERS OF THE VICTORIA REGION
OF HOUSING INDUSTRY ASSOCIATION LIMITED WILL BE HELD ON MONDAY 23rd MARCH 2014
AT LEVEL 5, 70 JOLIMONT STREET, JOLIMONT COMMENCING AT 4PM
The business of the meeting shall be as follows:
1.
To receive and consider all reports or statements as required by law;
2.
To declare the result of the elections of Regional President and Regional Vice-President;
3.
To vote for the Chair and Vice-Chair of the following Committees;
3.1.
3.2.
3.3.
3.4.
3.5.
3.6.
Technical Services
Training and Professional Development
Planning and Environment
Industrial Relations and Legal Services
Membership Services
HIA Kitchens & Bathrooms.
4.
To transact any other business required by law or of which notice in writing is given to the
Regional Executive Director at least 21 days prior to the meeting.
CALL FOR NOMINATIONS
Nominations are now called for the following positions:
•
Regional President
•
Regional Vice-President
•
Chair, Technical Services
•
Chair, Training and Professional Development
•
Chair, Planning and Environment
•
Chair, Industrial Relations and Legal Services
•
Chair, Membership Services
•
Chair, HIA Kitchens & Bathrooms
•
Vice-Chair, Technical Services
•
Vice-Chair, Training and Professional Development
•
Vice-Chair, Planning and Environment
•
Vice-Chair, Industrial Relations and Legal Services
•
Vice-Chair, Membership Services
•
Vice-Chair, HIA Kitchens & Bathrooms
In all cases proposers and seconders of nominees must be financial members of the Association.
Nomination forms can be obtained from the Regional Office.
ELIGIBILITY AND ELECTION
No candidate is eligible for election as Regional President or Regional Vice-President unless the candidate
has served at least two years as a member of a Regional Executive Committee. They are to be elected at a
meeting of the outgoing Regional Executive Committee to be held at least 7 days prior to the annual
regional meeting of members.
For all other positions, candidates must have been a member of the Association for at least two consecutive years.
VOTING
All voting at the annual regional meeting of members for any elected office will be by secret ballot
and require a simple majority.
30
CLOSING DATE OF NOMINATIONS
Nominations must be received by the Regional Director no later than 5:00 pm on:
•
Saturday 17th January for Regional President and Regional Vice-President
•
Monday 9th March for all other positions
GREENSMART
Victorians win two national
HIA GreenSmart Awards
The GreenSmart Awards, announced
in October recognize the best in
environmentally–responsible housing.
Victorians have won awards in the
following categories: GreenSmart
Project Home and GreenSmart Product.
In congratulating the winners, HIA
Managing Director Shane Goodwin said
the HIA GreenSmart Awards set the
benchmark in progressive sustainable
building techniques and products.
“Consumer demand for practical,
affordable and durable environmental
solutions for residential housing is ever
growing; HIA is dedicated to recognising
excellence in the field of environmental
construction and design.
The HIA GreenSmart program is
a voluntary initiative and one our
members can incorporate into their
building practices. The GreenSmart
Awards recognise the high standards
and excellence among these
practitioners.”
Award winners were announced online
at housinglocal.com.au
GreenSmart Project Home
The 2014 HIA GreenSmart Project
Home award has been won by Victoria’s
Positive Footprints at the 2014 HIA
GreenSmart Awards. HIA GreenSmart
Project Home award is partnered
by Austral.
Judges commented, “This project home
is a holistic example of modern ecological
living which embodies sustainability. This
has been achieved through use of reverse
brick veneer construction, waffle slab and
lightweight claddings.
The 9-star energy rating has been
achieved by the highly efficient use
of water and energy, including a solar
system and redwater thermal transfer
valves and grey water diversion valves
for water re-use.”
GreenSmart Product
The 2014 HIA GreenSmart Product award
has been won by Victoria’s GreenCoWater
for their Pak Flat Tank at the 2014 HIA
GreenSmart Awards. HIA GreenSmart
Product award is partnered by HIA
Insurance Services.
Judges commented, “The Pak Flat Tank is
an innovative and inexpensive Australian
product. Weighing only 23kg, it can be
easily assembled on-site without special
tools or technical knowhow.
“It is designed to eliminate the high logistic
cost of delivering and installing standard
tanks. Once assembled the tank can hold
1,000 litres but can be expanded to 2,000
litres in later versions. It has far reaching
applications both here and throughout the
world for even the most remote areas.”
31
TECHNICAL
Domestic building warranty
insurance and builders liability
STEVE GREENWOOD, Assistance Director Building Services
HIA Building Services receive many member enquiries in relation to domestic building
warranty insurance provisions.
Most enquiries relate to the warranty period,
when the insurance can be accessed and
structural and non-structural defects; the
following may help to clarify the current
provisions.
It is a statutory requirement to provide
domestic building warranty insurance for
certain contracts which provides a level of
consumer protection to the building owner.
The requirements for domestic building
warranty insurance are contained in the
Domestic Building Insurance Ministerial Order
that specifies the insurance that a builder is
required to be covered by in order to carry
out or manage or arrange the carrying out
of domestic building work under a domestic
building contract.
Currently the contract price must exceed
$16,000 to require domestic building
warranty insurance to be provided for the
owner; the policy protects owners for a
period of 6 years from the certificate of
occupancy or certificate of final inspection
and also contains a 24 month non-structural
warranty period within the 6 years.
• domestic building work that is defective
• a breach of any warranty implied into the
domestic building contract by section 8 of
the Domestic Building Contracts Act 1995
• a failure to maintain a standard or quality
of building work specified in the domestic
building contract
• conduct by the builder in connection
with the domestic building contract that
contravenes a trade practices provision
In these circumstances the insurance
provider may indemnify the building owner in
relation to the rectification of defects or loss
resulting from non-completion of domestic
building work for 6 years. If the defect is in
relation to a non-structural item, the policy
will only indemnify the owner for the first 24
months of the warranty period.
This is purely for the purpose of providing
protection to the consumer and this does not
relate to the builders liability.
Where the builder is concerned, the relevant
legislation in relation to contracts, the
Domestic Building Contracts Act 1995
applies.
The confusion for both the industry and
consumers generally relates to when the
warranty insurance can be accessed and
the extent of the builder’s liability; many
consumers have the impression that the
policy can be accessed at any time to rectify
defects, but this is not the case.
The Act among other things requires the
builder must warrant that domestic building
work is carried out in a workmanlike manner
in accordance with plans and specifications
and that all materials supplied will be suitable
and fit for the purpose they are intended to
be used for.
Warranty insurance can only be accessed
by the building owner if the builder dies,
becomes insolvent or disappears. The policy
must indemnify the building owner in respect
of loss or damage resulting from noncompletion of the domestic building work
and the following events:
Any defects claim would be judged on its
merits; there is no provision for structural
or non-structural defects under the Act
and the Act does not provide a time limit
for these ‘implied’ warranties so it could be
argued there is no time limit on warranty for
domestic building work, however:
32
The Building Act 1993 has a provision that
states action cannot be brought against a
builder in respect of the building work more
than 10 years from the date of issue of the
certificate of occupancy or certificate of final
inspection.
In other words a consumer can take action
against a builder in relation to a building
defect for up to 10 years, but beyond this the
limitation in the Building Act should apply.
To help determine if building work is defective
we access relevant Australian Standards that
contain tolerances or refer to the relevant
guides to standards and tolerances.
There are tolerances that are provided in
Australian Standards that are referenced
under the Building Code of Australia which
form part of building legislation; in this case
there is no question of the validity of the
information.
Beyond legislation there are other ‘non
referenced’ Australian Standards and industry
guides that adopt recognised industry
standards and tolerances for workmanship
and materials.
These guides can form part of the builder’s
contract documents, generally via the general
specification that if agreed with by the owner
will be the reference documents in relation to
determining suitable levels of workmanship
and acceptable tolerances.
HIA provides the HIA guide to materials &
workmanship for residential building work for
this purpose and can be accessed for free by
current members.
HIA Building Services on 1300 650 620
or visit hia.com.au
TECHNICAL
Bushfire construction products
and materials
STEVE GREENWOOD, Assistant Director Building Services
The Australian Standard AS 3959 Construction
of buildings in bushfire prone areas provides the
requirements for materials and construction
when building in areas that are deemed bushfire
prone.
the sarking has a flammability index of not more
than 5. This is to ensure the sarking is not easily
ignited; the flammability index is determined
through testing and it is important to ensure
you are using an appropriate sarking.
The Standard lists suitable materials and
systems such as external claddings, roofing
and windows and also specifies suitable
timber species that can be used under the
various Bushfire Attack Levels (BALs) covered
in the standard. There are also products and
materials available that may not match the
prescriptive requirements of the standard that
have been tested to determine they will perform
adequately but what should be considered
before choosing a material of system for
bushfire construction?
There are also generic roof systems for tile and
metal roofs provided for the most extreme
BAL, Flame Zone. Previously the Standard did
not provide a prescriptive or specified system
for roofs in Flame Zone only that the system
needed to comply with AS 1530.8.2, the
Australian Standard that relates to methods for
fire tests on building materials, components and
structures exposed to simulated bushfire attack.
These generic roof systems were developed
and tested by industry to provide a deemedto-satisfy solution but it is still possible to use
a system that has been tested as long as the
manufacturer can provide evidence that the
system complies with AS 1530.8.2.
‘Non-combustible’ materials
The Standard constantly refers to ‘noncombustible’ materials for claddings and other
components and it is important to ensure
that what is being used is actually a noncombustible material. The Standard defines
‘non-combustible’ generally as ‘not deemed
combustible as determined by AS 1530.1,
which is the Australian Standard ‘Combustibility
Tests for Materials’, and also the BCA. It is
important to ensure the material or product
you’re using has actually been tested under this
Standard or accepted under the BCA as being
non-combustible; this may also be information
the relevant building surveyor will request to
ensure compliance is met.
Roofs
The provisions for roofs are provided in detail in
the Standard with one common requirement to
provide sarking for both metal and tile roofs for
all BALs. The purpose of the sarking is to form a
secondary barrier to ember attack through any
minor gaps that may develop in roofing.
The Standard does not stipulate what type of
sarking needs to be installed; for example the
sarking could be of a type to provide a water or
vapour barrier, could be breathable or used for
thermal resistance, the only stipulation is that
Windows
The Standard prescribes the requirements
for windows including the type of glazing, the
window frame and screening the openable and
in certain cases the fixed portion of the window.
Even window seals for glazing are prescribed
under some of the BAL levels and there is also
an option to use bushfire shutters on standard
windows.
Some manufacturers have however developed
window assemblies that have been tested to
withstand the required level of radiant heat for
BALs which may remove the need to screen
the windows or remove other prescriptive
requirements. If considering the use of a window
that’s advertised as having been tested to
remove some of the prescriptive requirements
it is prudent to access the test data from the
manufacturer to ensure the window is fit for
the purpose you intend. This again may be
something the relevant building surveyor will
request.
Use of timber in bushfire prone areas
The Standard prescribes the requirements
for windows including the type of glazing, the
window frame and screening the openable and
in certain cases the fixed portion of the window.
Even window seals for glazing are prescribed
under some of the BAL levels and there is also
an option to use bushfire shutters on standard
windows.
Some manufacturers have however developed
window assemblies that have been tested to
withstand the required level of radiant heat for
BALs which may remove the need to screen
the windows or remove other prescriptive
requirements. If considering the use of a window
that’s advertised as having been tested to
remove some of the prescriptive requirements
it is prudent to access the test data from the
manufacturer to ensure the window is fit for
the purpose you intend. This again may be
something the relevant building surveyor will
request.
Sealing of buildings
The Standard requires that all joints in external
walls and roofs are covered or sealed to prevent
gaps greater that 3mm. There is an allowance
for combustible ‘external mouldings’ on external
claddings or sheeting material, such as cover
strips and trims, but generally sealing of buildings
requires non-combustible mesh or other suitable
non-combustible material.
One of the common methods to seal metal roofs
is using mineral wool which is a convenient and
effective seal; the concern when using mineral
wool in areas that may be exposed to weather,
such as under roof capping’s, is moisture ingress
which may have long term detrimental effects,
so this is also something to consider when using
such materials.
It is important to balance the material
requirements under the bushfire standard with
materials that are fit for purpose and will perform
as required for the general application.
For further assistance on construction of
buildings in bushfire prone areas please contact
HIA Building Services on 1300 650 620 or visit
hia.com.au
33
TECHNICAL
Concrete slab on ground preparation
and drainage
STEVE GREENWOOD, Assistant Director Building Services
Correct preparation and detailing for
concrete slab-on-ground construction is
most important to ensure the concrete
slab will have adequate foundation and that
drainage is provided to maintain the ongoing
performance of the concrete slab-on-ground.
The Building Code of Australia (BCA) Volume
2 (Housing provisions) and the Australian
Standard in relation to concrete slabs and
footings AS 2870 Residential slabs and
footings, provides information on both
preparing the site and filling under concrete
slabs as well as drainage requirements.
Initial preparation includes removing any top
soil and grass roots (organic matter) and if
there is a need to provide filling there are
specific requirements to comply with.
The BCA defines fill under concrete slabs as
either ‘controlled fill’ or ‘rolled fill’. Controlled
fill is ‘material that has been placed and
compacted in layers with compaction
equipment (such as a vibrating plate) within a
defined moisture range to a defined density
requirement’ and rolled fill is material placed
in layers and compacted by repeated rolling
by an excavator.
A concrete slab-on-ground can generally be
founded on rolled fill apart from the edge
beams that are required to be founded on
controlled fill. When founding on natural soil
a minimum bearing pressure of 50kPa is
required for the slab including internal and
external beams as long as they are connected
to the concrete slab and not separate strip or
pad footings.
Quality assurance is most important when
producing controlled or rolled fill to ensure
an adequate foundation is achieved; the
BCA and Australian Standard outline the
procedure and what materials are suitable for
controlled and rolled fill.
Materials used for fill
Both the BCA and AS 2870 provide that
either sand or clay can be used to create
controlled or rolled fill and both describe the
methods to achieve this.
34
If using sand it must not contain any gravel
size material and must also achieve a certain
‘blow count’ which provides an indication of
the density of the compacted fill.
This method of testing is described in AS
1289 Methods of testing soils for engineering
purposes. A reference to ‘gravel size material’
is provided in AS1726-1993 - Geotechnical
Site Investigations. This standard notes
in table A1 that gravel size is greater than
2.36mm.
Clay fill only requires a method of
compaction, which varies for controlled and
rolled fill, without the need to comply with a
test method as is the case for sand fill.
The BCA also requires that a minimum 20mm
level layer of clean quarry sand must be
placed on top of the fill or graded stone used
for termite risk management can suffice. AS
2870 does not require this blinding layer of
sand unless in aggressive soils such as saline
soils or to acid sulfate soils.
It is important to note that there is no
provision to use crushed rock or similar for
controlled or rolled fill for any concrete slabon-ground including slab on ground, footing
slab, stiffened slab with deep edge beam,
stiffened raft and waffle raft.
Edge beam support is also important both
for the support of the concrete slab and to
prevent undermining of fill due to weathering
and both the BCA and the Standard provide
information on what is required on sloping
sites where this could be an issue.
Drainage
Both the BCA and AS 2870 have provisions
for drainage for concrete slab-on-ground.
The BCA simply requires that a minimum
50mm of fall over the first metre is provided
away from the concrete slab is achieved
but AS 2870 has more detailed drainage
requirements for more reactive soils.
AS 2870 requires that moderately, highly
or extremely reactive sites shall be provided
with drainage systems as part of the footing
system and drainage controlled from the
start of the site preparation.
The base of all drainage trenches are required
to slope away from the building, obviously to
ensure drainage away for the concrete slab of
any water that migrates through the trench,
and the trench backfill must be compacted
clay in the top 300mm of the trench within
the first 1.5m of the building.
Also any subsurface drains to remove ground
water, for example at the base of a retaining
wall, that are placed within 1.5m of the
building must be designed using engineering
principles to ensure the subsoil drainage
system will perform adequately and there
is no potential detrimental effect to the
foundations due to moisture ingress from
sub-soil drains.
To ensure good performance construction
is one important factor for concrete slabon-ground but landscaping and ongoing
maintenance is also another important
consideration.
Landscaping should not compromise the
performance of the concrete slab and if
landscaping is the owner’s responsibility the
owner should be made aware what they should
or shouldn’t do. The owner is also responsible
for proper maintenance of the site such as
ensuring drains are functioning properly,
repairing any leaks and ensuring that vegetation
is managed.
A good document to provide to home owners
at handover is the CSIRO Technical Note
18 Foundation Maintenance and Footing
Performance: A Homeowner’s Guide which
provides guidance in relation to landscaping
and general foundation maintenance.
Good preparation and construction of
a concrete slab-on-ground, including
adequate drainage, can ensure the long term
performance is achieved and should be one
of the most important considerations when
constructing a dwelling.
or visit hia.com.au
TECHNICAL
Ask Steve
Dwayne from Warrandyte asks:
Q. What are the requirements for doors in sanitary compartments and
when do I need to use lift off hinges?
A.
The Building Code of Australia (BCA), both the housing provisions or Volume 2 and Volume 1 for
Class 2-9 buildings contain provisions for doors in sanitary compartments. The BCA provides that in
the case where a person collapses in a sanitary compartment where the door opens in, the door can
be forced open to access the person. If the toilet pan encroaches within 1200mm of the doorway in accordance with the figure provided
in the BCA, which clarifies a clear a quadrant of 1200mm measured from the hinge of the door cannot be encroached by the pan, lift-off
hinges need to be installed as an alternative means to access the sanitary facility.
35
TRAINING
Course Title
Face-to-face
Duration
Course Fee
GST EXEMPT
Member
CPD
Points
Course
Locations
Dates & Times (Subject to Change)
Jolimont
Commencing 1 February 2015
Lalor
Commencing 3 March 2015
Ringwood
Geelong
Bendigo
Commencing 1 April 2015
Woodonga
Commencing 13 April 2015
Frankston
Commencing 4 May 2015
Non Member
Nationally Recognised Training – Qualifications
Residential & Low Rise Building
• C
PC40110
Certificate IV in Building
and Construction (Building)
[Builder Licensing/
registration training]
182 hours
(26 days)
$3,400.00
$4,500.00
182
* In addition to the face-to-face attendance duration listed above, courses also require considerable self-directed learning, research, project work and assessment tasks for successful completion.
To register in training or obtain further information, contact HIA Training Services on:
1300 650 620 | Visit www.hia.com.au/training | Email vic_training@hia.com.au
36
EVENTS — CALENDAR
For further information regarding HIA Events, please contact the Events Team on
03 9280 8255 or visit hia.com.au/events
February
19
Industry Outlook Breakfast —
Crown Towers, Melbourne*
To keep updated on
local Vic events,
issues and policy
actions follow us on
@HIA_VIC
March
April
4
Building & Business Workshop —
Croydon
9-12
HIA Home Show — Melbourne
Exhibition & Convention Centre
18
Ballarat
10
Design and Construct Trends
Forum — Crowne Plaza
25
Building & Business Breakfast —
Wodonga
15
25
Shepparton
Building & Business Workshop
— Frankston
*Date to be confirmed — subject to speaker availability.
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Call (03) 9775 0096 or email office@bladepilevic.com.au
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www.bladepilevic.com.au
Victoria
37
38
39
EVENTS — OUT & ABOUT
David Waterman from CSR Bradford with the Grollo Homes Team
Matthew Ahern from Smeg with Brendan Gonzales of BCG Constructions
40
David Harding from Hardings Hardware with Ron Englehart of
Englehart Homes
Team from SJD Homes with Jeynelle Leffanue from Herald Sun home Magazine
Alex Noto of Technika with the Spacemaker Home Extensions Team
David Harding from Hardings Hardware with David Newnham of
Stonehaven Homes
41
Darren Searle from Beacon Lighting Commercial with the team from Metricon
Daniel Scalzo of GWA Bathrooms & Kitchens with Rex Hirst and the team at Let’s Talk Kitchens
42
My-Ann Pham from Origin Energy with Ashley Beaumont of
EcoLiv Buildings
Jeynelle Leffanue from Herald Sun home Magazine with the Henley Properties Group team
Team from Latitude 37 Group with Kane Gordon from Stegbar Showerscreens and Wardrobes
Rob Tait from Carlisle Homes with Glenn Earl of Claytons
43
Daniel Scalzo of GWA Bathrooms & Kitchens with the Team from Damco Kitchens
Mark Lydiard of GWA Bathrooms & Kitchens with Zacharia
Barnes of Bubbles Bathrooms
44
David Loakes from Cubed Projects with Steven Ziccone of
Stegbar Windows & Doors
Matthew O’Connor from Dial Before You Dig with Steve
Bright from Excelcon
Laurie Mihan of Miele with the Mirvac Docklands team
Team from SD Davies Builders with Michael Luu from HIA Insurance Services
Luke Coulson from Rheem with Brian and Matt Lowe from
Lowe Construction
45
Courtney Thompson from Highgrove Bathrooms with Grollo Homes Team
Brian Hegarty of Origin Energy with the team from Community Housing Ltd
46
Fabrice Boucherat from Dahlsens with Jack Robins Apprentice
of the Year.
HIA Eastern Victoria Regional Housing Award Winners
Alternate Vision with Gil King, HIA Victorian Executive Director
Lawrence Homes with Robert Griek HIA Victorian Vice President
2014 Apprentice Award Winners with Travis Kennedy of Dahlsens Laverton
Gem Homes Team with Justin Nicholson of Origin Energy
Brynor Constructions Team winners of Eastern Victoria Regional Home of the Year
2014 Apprentice Award winner Nathan Archer
47
MEMBERS
MEMBERSERVICES
SERVICES
HR Docs: Subscribe and save
ELIZABETH GREENWOOD, Procurement Manager - New Business
HR Docs powered by HR Advance is HIA’s newest business support initiative,
providing members with online access to a suite of customisable, legally compliant HR
documents – from workplace policies and agreements, to forms and correspondence.
Many owners of small to medium businesses
find themselves navigating the HR maze
fairly regularly. Keeping up-to-date with
changes to IR laws, as well as overseeing
staff recruitment and subsequent ongoing
employee management can drain time and
resources from your business.
And this is where a subscription to HR
Docs powered by HR Advance can help.
HIA has introduced the service to meet the
requirements of members whose businesses
are large enough to require regular HR
management.
HIA offers two levels of subscription:
• Premium – The premium subscription
provides full access to the entire online
library of HR documents for twelve months.
Subscribers can log in and access the
documents as often as they need to.
Customising the documents is as easy as
answering a series of prompts as you work
through the document.
• Essentials – The essentials subscription is a
little cheaper and is a scaled-down version,
giving members 12 months access to
about 50 documents suited to the needs
of smaller businesses. Again, subscribers
can select and then customise documents
online as and when required.
Even though the subscriptions are a ‘selfhelp’ option, meaning users can select and
customise documents themselves using
the HR Docs search function or Document
Wizard tool, your HIA workplace adviser can
also provide help and advice regarding which
documents to use based on your HR issue.
Once you’ve selected and customised your
documentation, it will be saved as either a
Word or PDF file, then automatically stored
online for your future reference, offering you
a safe and secure central location to edit and
manage your documents. Subscribers can
search all stored documents according to
name, author, last review date and user.
The HR Docs subscription service makes
perfect financial sense – giving members
access to professional, legally-sound
documents without having to spend money
on a lawyer or hours at the computer. And,
for businesses looking to expand or grow,
the benefits are even greater, as an ongoing
subscription will allow members to systemise
and streamline their internal HR procedures.
For more information, on how to make
HR Docs powered by HR Advance work for
your business, call your local HIA workplace
advisor on 1300 650 620.
hia.com.au
is on the move
Now you can access all the latest
HIA info on your smartphone
Find a HIA office
Access all the latest industry info
Book a training course or event
Shop online
and more
We know your time is important, which is why we offer a handy
call back feature so we can contact you at a suitable time.
48
MEMBERS SERVICES
HIA Stationery Agents
If you can’t make it into our Jolimont office (Level 1, 70 Jolimont Street, Jolimont), we have other stationery agents that might be closer to you
that stock our publications. Please make sure to call your chosen agent ahead of visiting as not all of our stationery agents carry all of our stock.
Please call 1300 650 620 for further information.
BAIRNSDALE 3875
529621
East Gippsland Building Permits
30 Macleod Street (03) 5153 0199
BALLARAT 3350
877996
Widdison Building Services
11 Dana Street (03) 5338 8544
BAYSWATER 3153 819023
Mitre 10
860-862 Mountain Hwy (03) 9729 1333
BEACONSFIELD 3807
958281
Beaconsfield Timber & Hardware
102-112 Old Princes Hwy (03) 9707 5055
BENALLA 3672 555457
Mitre 10
45 Sydney Road (03) 5762 6727
BENTLEIGH EAST 3167
912102
Bowens Timber & Hardware
717 Warrigal Road (03) 9579 1188
BENDIGO 3550
HIA Office
196 High Street (03) 5441 5066
BRIGHT 3741 526586
Alpine Building Permits
Shop 4, 1A Camp Street (03) 5755 1589
BUNINYONG 3357
590727
Daville Building Surveying Pty Ltd
602 Somerville Street (03) 5341 8041
CASTLEMAINE 3450 529621
81-83 Forest Street (03) 5472 4998
COLAC 3250 520418
Mitre 10
275 Murray Street (03) 5231 5811
COLAC 3250 581403
Civic Home Timber & Hardware
130 Bromfield Street (03) 5231 3336
COWES 3922 555062
Bowens Phillip Island
83-85 Settlement Road, (03) 5952 5633
CROYDON 3136
912055
352 Dorset Road (03) 9723 0394
ELTHAM 3095
509278
A & A Timber
13 Peel Street (03) 9439 3633
EPPING 3076 970770
13 Scanlon Drive (03) 9408 6566
FOOTSCRAY 3011 524833
Home Hardware
101 Geelong Road (03) 9689 1444
GEELONG 3220
HIA Office
76 Little Ryrie Street (03) 5249 6200
GEELONG 3220 521852
Maxwell Collins
55 Myers Street (03) 5222 4711
HALLAM 3803 500175
Bellbird Building Supplies
235 Princes Hwy (03) 9703 2444
HALLAM 3803 960460
48-50 Hallam South Road (03) 9796 3088
HASTINGS 3915 912056
1820 Frankston Flinders Rd (03) 5979 1267
HEIDELBERG 3084
570778
Danahers Timber & Hardware
464 Lower Heidelberg Rd (03) 9457 2645
HEIDELBERG WEST 3081 522742
Lamcal Builders Supplies
85 Northern Road (03) 9459 8844
KILSYTH 3137 845137
Dahlsens
7 Southfork Drive (03) 8720 8500
LANGWARRIN 3910 527399
Thomas Anderson Design Ltd
1/415 McClelland Drive (03) 9788 8700
LAVERTON NORTH 3026 912097
Bowens Timber & Building Supplies
163 Cherry Lane (03) 9353 7700
MARYBOROUGH 3465 501977
BF & R Douglas
98 High Street (03) 5461 1220
MILDURA 3500 837343
Anderson Group
101A Ninth Street (03) 5022 8196
MILDURA 3500 528342
Brent Williams & Associates
39 Pine Avenue (03) 5023 5136
MONT ALBERT 3127 533488
Collinson Fogarty Laws
687 Whitehorse Road (03) 9898 7177
MOORABBIN 3189 505619
Moorabbin Timber
230 Wickham Road (03) 9553 0155
MORNINGTON 3931 503425
Hoban-Hynes
364 Main Street (03) 5975 4233
MT ELIZA 3930
520716
Flatmans Timber & Hardware
30 Old Mornington Rd (03) 9802 2613
MT EVELYN 3796 912098
26 York Street (03) 9736 2588
MT WAVERLEY 3149 523697
Home Hardware
601 High Street Road (03) 9802 9211
MYRTLEFORD 3736 530868
Dahlsens Building Centre
39-49 Myrtle Street (03) 5752 2622
NORTH MELBOURNE 3051 912101
135 Macaulay Road (03) 9328 1041
PATTERSON LAKES 3197
510645
Draft-Rite
3 Salmon Bay (03) 9772 9111
RESERVOIR 3073 503165
Hardings Hardware
289-293 Edwardes St (03) 9469 7777
ROSEBUD 3939 530236
Nepean Building Permits
3/1283 Pt Nepean Rd (03) 5986 2466
ROWVILLE 3178 912104
963 Stud Road (03) 9763 7522
RYE 3941 506756
Rattray & Walker
Peninsula Avenue (03) 5985 2247
SALE 3850 509744
Avon Timber
34 York Street (03) 5144 5533
SALE 3850 529621
30 Princes Hwy (03) 5143 1882
SHEPPARTON 3630 961283
7 Wheeler Street (03) 5822 2364
SHEPPARTON 3630 834600
Shepparton Building Supplies
30 Byass Street (03) 5821 7277
SOUTH MORANG 3752 539383
Brendan Danaher Mitre 10
495 McDonalds Road (03) 9436 6222
SWAN REACH 3904 585592
East Gippsland Building Surveyors
20 Bylands Court 0458 564 141
TAYLORS LAKES 3038 912105
45 Melton Hwy (03) 9390 8899
TRARALGON 3844 529621
20 Breed Street (03) 5174 1794
TULLAMARINE 3043 503798
JMJ Timber & Hardware
7 Tullamarine Park Rd (03) 9330 2911
WANGARATTA 3676
971907
Greta Road Timber Sales
126 Greta Road (03) 5722 2180
WODONGA 3689
HIA Office
1/109 Hume Street (02) 6059 0100
WONTHAGGI 3995 533056
DB Design
47 Graham Street (03) 5672 1144
WONTHAGGI 3995 524851
Gippsland Building Advisory Service
149 Graham Street (03) 5672 4655
YARRAM 3971 529455
Coast To Coast Building Services
50 Bland Street 0419 539 336
49
MEMBERS SERVICES
BCA free online from 2015
In an historic decision by the Commonwealth
Government and all States and
Territories, it has been agreed that the
Australian Building Codes Board (ABCB) will
provide the National Construction Code
(NCC) series, which includes the Building
Code of Australia (BCA) and the Plumbing
Code of Australia (PCA), for free online from
1 May 2015.
The ABCB has now released a timeline for roll
out of free online access:
• 1 December 2014 – you can register you
details as a subscriber to the NCC
• 1 February 2015 – subscribers will be
allowed to view the 2015 edition of the NCC
As part of the HIA Federal Election Policy
• 1 May 2015 – subscribers will be allowed
to download and print copies of the 2015
edition of the NCC
lobbied for these important changes to BCA
Once the NCC is available for free online,
the ABCB will stop publishing hard copies.
Subscribers will be able to print the Codes as
suits their own purposes.
Government.
As part of this decision it was also agreed
that from May 2016, the Codes will only be
updated every 3 years, rather than every year as
currently happens.
Imperatives campaign at the last election, HIA
access and timeframes and are pleased with
the announcement from the Commonwealth
More information about free access to the
BCA from 2015 is available from the ABCB
webpage (www.abcb.gov.au)
or visit hia.com.au
IT’S WINE
O’CLOCK
Tyrrell’s Wines are pleased to offer HIA members these exclusive mixed cases.
Perfect for all your entertaining needs over the busy holiday season.
All sales benefit the HIA Charitable Foundation.
ALL
$199
HIA Mixed Dozen
HIA White Dozen
HIA Red Dozen
A CASE
Visit hia.com.au/foundation and click on the Wine Club link to access this special offer
50
51
NEW Showroom
OPENING SPECIAL
Merbau Decking 90mm x 19mm
(random lengths)
4
$
25
per Lm
excluding GST
235 Princes Highway, Hallam Vic. 3803
Phone. 9703 2444
f. 9796 3137 e. sales@bellbirdtimber.com.au

Victoria Building News - December 2014

Transcription

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