13 October 2022 / Event

Welcome to Indigenous Business Month!

October 1 marked the start of Indigenous Business Month, which has been held in October each year since 2015.

As a way of commemorating the occasion, some of our Team Leaders have helped us put together case studies on their engagement with the Indigenous business sector and some things for you to think about to give you a leg up on the competition.

Thanks to Justin Clark, Bernie Nolan, Aaron Ohl and Mitch Grimmer, we’ve created four business profiles, which we will reveal across Indigenous Business Month.

At any time, Hutchies is working with around 60 Indigenous businesses to the tune of around $10m per annum.  

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Business Profiles

Djurwa Profile - Justin Clarke

A joint venture between Yalagan Group and BINGO Industries offering waste management services, as well personnel hire and fully subsidised training courses.

Download

Kinaway Profile - Bernie Nolan

Social engagement and procurement partner; providing business support, advice, training, networking opportunities and access to their certified Indigenous business database.

Download

Sunstate Civil Construction - Mitch Grimmer

Civil construction contractors operating out of Brisbane, specialising in a range of services including structures, earthworks and roadworks across both public and private sectors. 

Download

Brilliant Brush Strokes - Aaron Ohl

Painting contractor offering contracts and ongoing care plans for commercial and industrial jobs with the assurance of high quality, defect free work. 

Download

A contact list of Indigenous businesses Hutchies has worked with is coming soon!

More Resources

For a list of Indigenous businesses and further information, contact the Social Responsibility Team:


TeamContact Details
Mark Kucks
Indigenous & Social Responsibility
Direct (07) 3335 5119 / Mobile 0428 031 654
Email mark.kucks@hutchies.com.au
Joel Anderson
Social Responsibility Manager / Indigenous Participation
Mobile 0437 356 180
Email joel.anderson@hutchies.com.au
Morgan Rooney
Social Responsibility Manager / Female Participation		Direct (07) 3859 6312 / Mobile 0448 331 420
Email morgan.rooney@hutchies.com.au

Carmen Lasserre
Business Support		Direct (07) 3335 5130 / Mobile 0401 983 169
Email carmen.lasserre@hutchies.com.au

Other Recent Activities

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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 1 July 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

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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.

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