Industry News

Building and Construction Recovery on the Horizon

Master Builders QLD — Mon, 20 May 2013 22:26:30 +0000

Master Builders Australia today released forecasts for the building and construction industry showing a mixed recovery across the three major sectors based on a positive growth path over the three year forecast period to 2015-16.

The forecasts are derived from a sophisticated model purposely built for the building and construction industry developed by Master Builders in collaboration with Independent Economics.

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Reported 20 May, 2013 by Master Builders Australia.

ACIF forecasts in summary

ACIF — Mon, 20 May 2013 22:36:32 +0000

This article presents a snapshot of the outlook for each state and territory, from the ACIF Forecasts to be released 27 May 2013. Construction Market Reports with detailed analysis and commentary per state and capital territory are also available.

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Reported 16 May, 2013 by the Australian Construction Industry Forum (ACIF).

Skills Training One Positive in Budget

Master Builders QLD — Mon, 20 May 2013 22:28:58 +0000

Master Builders cautiously welcomes a new program to pilot alternative pathways into traditional trades, which sees $68 million invested over four years to trial innovative training models other than the traditional four year apprenticeship.

Wilhelm Harnisch, Chief Executive of Master Builders Australia welcomed this addition to the ongoing commitment to industry skills training, but warned there are some changes which will worry the industry.

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Reported 15 May, 2013 by Master Builders Australia.

Housing To Drive Post Mining Construction Growth

Master Builders QLD — Mon, 20 May 2013 22:32:19 +0000

The boom in resource projects and commercial building may have peaked but the property and construction industry in Western Australia appears set to discover a new growth engine with residential building set to drive solid growth in activity and employment throughout the sector over coming years.

Even as office vacancy rates edge up, expectations regarding near-term commercial property values remain buoyant.

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Reported 25 March, 2013 by Design Build Source.

Welcome respite for construction employment

Master Builders — Fri, 22 Mar 2013 00:12:06 +0000

The increase in the Australian Bureau of Statistics construction employment figure is welcome respite for the industry.

The total number of people employed in the building and construction sector in February 2013 rose to 1,035,300, up 1.4 per cent from the corresponding figure in 2012.

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Reported 21 March, 2013 by Master Builders Australia.

Master Builders welcomes improved guidelines for industry

Master Builders QLD — Fri, 08 Mar 2013 00:21:52 +0000

Master Builders welcomes the state government’s plan to implement new guidelines that will allow stricter controls to be enforced over industrial relations practices on Queensland’s construction sites.

Director of Construction Policy, John Crittall, said Master Builders fully supported the guidelines and hoped they would help to return certainty and productivity for its members, workers and the whole industry.

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Reported 5 March, 2013 by Master Builders QLD.

Master Builders remains confident that 2013 is the year to build

Master Builders QLD — Fri, 08 Mar 2013 00:16:58 +0000

Master Builders Director of Housing Policy, Paul Bidwell, said the early hopes for a positive start to 2013 after an increase in building approvals in December 2012 had not been realised, with dwelling unit approvals for Queensland falling 5.8% in January compared to December.

“However, on a positive note, the total dwelling unit approvals for Queensland has risen 12% in January compared to the same month in 2012,” Mr Bidwell said.

“Despite the figures we still believe 2013 is a great time to build and are pleased to see an improvement state-wide on where we were 12 months ago."

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Reported 5 March, 2013 by Master Builders QLD.

Encouraging Signs despite Fall in Housing Finance

Master Builders — Thu, 14 Feb 2013 02:52:12 +0000

December’s housing finance figures released today by the Australian Bureau of Statistics show some encouraging signs for the residential building industry, but do not herald a recovery.

The good news for builders is the number of commitments for the construction of new dwellings rose 1.2 per cent and commitments for the purchase of new dwellings rose 1.9 per cent, seasonally adjusted. However, the headline figure for dwelling commitments – dominated by the purchase of established dwellings – fell 1.5 per cent in December 2012, seasonally adjusted.

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Reported 11 February, 2013 by Master Builders.

131,200 construction jobs in the next 5 years

Design Build Source — Wed, 06 Feb 2013 23:42:14 +0000

Australia will create 131,200 jobs across residential, commercial and civil construction over the next five years as the nation’s construction industry workforce expands by 12.6 per cent to reach almost 1.2 million people, a new report says.

Despite an anticipated end to the resource construction boom, demand for mining workers is also expected to grow by more than 10 per cent, as is that for ‘green’ workers, including those involved with clean energy sources and architects and engineers designing sustainable buildings.

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Reported 6 February, 2013 by Design Build Source.

Why 2013 is a good time to build

MBA QLD — Mon, 28 Jan 2013 21:47:23 +0000

The November 2012 regional Building Approvals figures, released recently by the Australian Bureau of Statistics, highlight the patchy performance of the building industry across Queensland, but tell a positive story for home buyers and renovators, according to Master Builders, Queensland’s peak body for housing and construction.

Master Builders Director of Housing Policy, Paul Bidwell, said that while total dwelling unit approvals in Queensland fell by a disappointing 1.5% during November 2012 (seasonally adjusted), most regions of the state recorded positive growth.

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Reported 17 January, 2013 by Master Builders Association of Queensland.

New Year - Where is the work?

ACIF — Fri, 18 Jan 2013 00:35:31 +0000

"The new Construction Market Reports are derived from the ACIF Forecasts, rolling ten year forecasts of demand across all sectors, and will give businesses large and small greater clarity on the prospects in their state and capital city.

Some states are set to enjoy surprisingly good levels of demand in some sectors while others will see work falling away in previously busy work types and locations. The building and construction industry in New South Wales can expect some improvement over the next nine quarters, while Victorian businesses that have enjoyed better times than most states will see a softening."

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Reported 17 January, 2013 by ACIF (Australia Construction Industry Forum).

Building Approvals, Jury out despite signs of Life

MBA — Fri, 18 Jan 2013 00:31:19 +0000

Tenuous signs of an emerging recovery in residential building follow the release of the November 2012 Building Approvals figures by the Australian Bureau of Statistics.

The total number of dwellings approved rose 2.9 per cent due to a 10.1 per cent increase in the approval of residential apartments, while private sector housing fell slightly by 0.3 per cent (seasonally adjusted).

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Reported 10 January, 2013 by Master Builders Australia.

Master Builders welcomes new CRC

LEVESYS — Sun, 06 Jan 2013 23:12:58 +0000

Master Builders welcomes the new cooperative research centre (CRC) focusing on the construction industry and low carbon living, officially launched on 12 December 2012 by Senator Chris Evans.

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Reported 14 December, 2012 by Master Builders Australia.

MBA Updates Contract Management Suite

LEVESYS — Mon, 19 Nov 2012 23:53:55 +0000

Master Builders Australia has updated the standard form Construction Management and accompanying Trade Contract.

The contracts are a vital tool for builders and contractors. They have been updated to reflect new harmonised occupational health and safety legislation, to include provisions for service by email and to reflect improved dispute resolution practices.

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Reported 19 November, 2012 by Master Builders Australia.

New ACIF forecasts

LEVESYS — Mon, 05 Nov 2012 04:09:27 +0000

The ACIF Forecasts show a fragmented outlook for the industry, with improving prospects for one sector, a bleak time ahead for another, and the third sector set to peak soon before softening over the next decade. Latest construction industry forecasts show that the next twelve months will be make or break times for many businesses, from architecture and design, to building and concreting.

The stagnant forecasts are the cumulative effect of international concerns – economic woes of the Eurozone plus slowing growth in China, India and Brazil - moderating the growth expectations for Australia. Add to this a changing Australian economy and demographic, and the demand for building and construction is undergoing a sizable and structural shift.

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Reported 29 October, 2012 by the Australian Construction Industry Forum.