On 6 June 2017 the Fair Work Commission (FWC) awarded a 3.3 per cent increase to all modern Award wages, with wage-related allowances increasing proportionately. In addition, a number of Award expense-related allowances will also increase. The increases take effect from the first full pay period to commence on or after 1 July 2017. Updated […]

Read the full text of the Victorian Building and Construction Industry Outlook, March 2017 Quarterly Update here. The first quarter of 2017 saw the Victorian economy continue to strengthen, while the national economy expanded only slightly. The population in Victoria reached its highest ever recorded annual growth, with over 127,500 people added to the population […]

Todd Newman Builders and Fairbrother Pty Ltd were given top honours on Friday night at the North West Master Builders Regional Building Awards, held at Quality Resort All Seasons in Bendigo. Todd Newman Builders was named Residential Builder of the Year (North West) for a second year in a row, this time for their building […]

Threats made at the 20 June Melbourne Union Rally by CFMEU Victorian Secretary John Setka to employees of the construction industry’s industrial regulator, the ABCC, have provided a very public showcase for the necessity of both the ABCC and Building Code. In issuing his “dire warning” to ABCC inspectors (whose role is to industrial law […]

Note: This article appears in the June 2017 edition of Bowens Builders Bulletin. Among our staff, it is widely agreed that the Apprentice of the Year event ranks among our favourites. Yes, it’s a night to recognise the skill distributed so broadly across the young builders and tradespeople of Victoria, but it’s also a great time […]