6 August 2020 / COVID-19

Prime Minister, VIC Premier & NSW Announcements

Prime Minister & Minister for Home Affairs

The following announcements have just been made:

Mental health of Victorians is an great area of concern, additional mental health support is being provided
Another $5M to Headspace, $2M to Kids Helpline, $2.5M to Lifeline, $2.5M to Beyond Blue – these boosts to funding will add resources, deliver training and more availability
Additional Medicare subsidised mental health sessions will be available via GPs for people across Victoria
GPs and other mental health practitioners are available to Victorians via Telehealth
Resources available immediately include Beyond Blue, Head to Health, Headspace, Black Dog Institute and Suicide Call Back Service
Important to have difficult conversations openly about mental health during the pandemic
Additional restrictions in Victoria in August and September is estimated to reduce the size of GDP in the September quarter by between $7 billion and $9 billion
National unemployment rate is now expected to peak closer to 10 per cent, with effective unemployment rate expected to be in high 13 per cent range.
Announcing today a new Cybersecurity Strategy to keep the people, government and businesses of Australia safe
$1.67bn strategy over next decade primarily targets the dark web, paedophiles and terrorists and includes another 100 more cyber detectives
$2M has been provided to Lebanon by way of initial support for the terrible accident that occurred yesterday

Victorian Premier

The following announcements have just been made:

471 new cases, 8 more deaths since last update
It’s an imperfect process closing/restricting businesses because it’s never been done before, and changes may need to be made based on further discussions with industries/businesses
Primary aim is to drive down movement across Victorian communities
Regarding the second category of businesses/industries which are required to reduce workforce, further documentation coming in the next few hours [we will provide when available]
The restrictions for the construction industry – the settings already outlined will be delivered:
- Large govt jobs – down to 50% already but will be further reduced down to 25% if possible
- Projects above 3 storeys (private sector jobs) – down to 25% staff on site
- Domestic building – as arranged, no more than 5 staff on site, limited movement is allowed to other sites but permitted in some cases
- Building supervisors are allowed to move between sites too
- Strict COVIDSafe plans in place for the industry
- Only 25% of workforce on site allowed, not 25% per shift. There cannot be 25% per shift because that does not reduce the aggregate daily movement and pushes it to 50% or even 100% if delivered in shifts.
These restrictions have to be made to limit movement
These specific plans are about striking a balance between reducing movement and cases, but not compromising stock being on shelves
You may not be able to get exactly what you want, but you will still be able to get what you need. No need to buy bulk qtys of anything
Further mental health supports will be announced in coming days

New South Wales

NSW residents returning from Victoria must go into mandatory hotel quarantine for 14 days at their own expense from 12.01am Friday, 6 August

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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.