23 April 2020 / COVID-19

PM & Treasurer Media Conference

The PM has just made the following comments:

5,000 additional staff have been added to Services Australia with another 3,000 redeployed within Services Australia and public sector to assist the effort
So far 587,686 JobSeeker and related applications have been processed
Treasurer has been meeting regularly with the banks – they understand there are frustrations with accessing bridging finance from banks etc and the Gov’t is working through it with them to ensure availability
Business feedback to the Gov’t is important to keep banks on the mark
The Gov’t is looking at the recovery phase with fresh eyes with any previously proposed reforms over the last decade to see how they can help:
- Important reform documents being reviewed (ie from Productivity Commission, the Shifting the Dial Report etc)
- Looking at all important policy options to have an effective and sustainable impact on the recovery
- Engaging with the many partners (National Cabinet, ACTU, all good relationships forged and continuing to do this)
- Not a matter of dusting off old reports and putting them in place, looking at them for today to see how they can best help Australians get back on their feet

The Treasurer’s comments:

Firmly in the implementation phase following parliament’s sign off of new reforms and support packages
ATO has approved 456,000 applications totalling $3.8 billion for early access to superannuation (avg. withdrawal is around $8,000)
ATO has also paid out $3 billion to 177,000 businesses employing 2.1 million Australians as part of the cash flow boost measure (min $20K and up to $100K)
ATO has brought in extra resources to process extra claims demand ahead of the original start date (28 April)
$750 cash payment has gone to 6.8 million people totalling $5.1 billion
900,000 businesses have registered interest for JobKeeper payments (275,000 have already filled in the application in 2 days)
Very conscious of the important role banks are playing in bridging payments to help them pay staff – today there was a telephone hookup with 4 bank CEOs and Tax Commissioner to emphasise the need for banks to provide support and have agreed to establish a dedicated hotline for customers to call to receive bridging finance ahead of money from JobKeeper available – they have also agreed to expedite all those applications to the front of the queue for processing

Relevant questions from the media:

Construction companies are laying people off in certain areas of their businesses / groups and aren’t eligible for JobKeeper
- o The Gov’t acknowledges issues where some projects might be finishing in areas of group businesses, if this is the case businesses should speak to the ATO to see what can be done
- o Current Fed, State / Territory gov’t construction jobs are being maintained and still underway
- o Looking to put the pedal down to keep gov’t funded construction work coming out

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30 October / Quality Alert

Prohibition on the Use of Engineered Stone

Engineered stone ban effective 1 July 2024

ALL engineered stone regardless of the silica content percentage will be banned

Alternative products must be considered and implemented on all projects.

The industry is shifting away from engineered stone due to the risks of respirable crystalline silica, which can cause silicosis and other silica-related diseases. Although the consultations are under way and there has been no official announcement by Federal or State Governments on the issue, the health and safety risks along with the uncertainty around this issue warrants a decision to ban all engineered products entering job sites nationally. The ban will take effect on 1July 2024 and will extend to ALL engineered stone regardless of the silica content percentage.

An update to this alert will be provided before the end of the year when the Federal and State Governments are expected to issue a formal decision on the ban. In the meantime, to mitigate the impact of potential delays and variations, the best approach is to inform the clients of the pending ban and to propose and seek approval for an alternative product. Similarly, ensure all future estimates have the stone specification qualified and priced accordingly.

Product alternatives going forward include:

Compact Laminates

Under 1% silica content
Extremely competitive pricing
Only comes in 12mm thickness
Heat resistance is an issue
Product not suitable for high end applications

Porcelain Surfaces

Under 10% silica content
Price dependant of product and supplier
Large variety of colours and thicknesses (4, 8, 12, 20 and 30mm)
Great resistance to staining, scratches, UV and heat
Good warranty terms

Acrylic Solid Surfaces

0% silica content
More expensive alternative
Limited thickness availability
UV stable and heat resistant but direct heat exposure not advised
Minimising wastage through flexibility in sheet sizing
Seamless joints

Natural Stone*

Various silica content percentages
Variety of products at different price points available
Ongoing maintenance may be an issue
Unlikely to satisfy specific warranty requirements

*Although this alert does not directly impact natural stone, some types have high silica content so risk of using these on projects should be considered carefully.

For an up-to-date list of available products and their usability, click here.

More information

If you need additional support, please contact the Quality Team:

Phone 1300 HUTCHIES
Email QualityTeam@hutchinsonbuilders.com.au

10 October / Update

Installation Details for Elephant's Foot & Wastech Bin Chutes

Make sure bin chute systems are installed correctly, following the tested systems and the manufacturers’ instructions.

Check the detailed drawings from Elephant’s Foot and Wastech for different wall types (plasterboard, shaft-liner, speed panel, concrete, Hebel, and masonry).

Any changes to the tested systems must be approved by your project certifier, signed off by the fire engineer in the fire engineering report (FER), and accepted by the relevant state / territory fire service.