2 April 2020 / COVID-19

PM Announcements

The Prime Minister just made the following announcements:

  • The measures Australians are adapting to in our daily lives will be in place for at least the next six months – we need to be prepared for that
  • The rate of growth has fallen on a daily basis to single digit numbers – but it’s not enough – community transmission is being monitored closely
  • Childcare and early childcare education is critical – particularly for those Australians who rely on it so they can go to work every day – if you have a job in this economy, then that is an essential job – its important that parents have access to childcare for the many months ahead and the government wants to see centres remain open
  • The Australian Government is making child care support free for people who need it as of Sunday night (April 6) under a new system which will provide this relief
  • They will pay 50% of the sector’s fee revenue up to the existing hourly rate cap based on a point in time before parents started withdrawing their children
  • JobKeeper wage subsidy will be synchronised to support the childcare sector’s wages to reduce costs, keep people employed and centres open
  • Schools will be the same to keep Australia running
  • While we have to be isolated, we can remain connected and Australians are finding innovative ways to do this

Industrial Relations update from the Attorney-General for Australia:

  • Series of reforms to Modern Awards and IR System undertaken in the past few weeks
  • It has been done quiet and cooperative
  • 10s of thousands of jobs saved from these changes
  • Change the equivalent of 30 years
  • Temporary reform to last the length of the pandemic
  • 121 Modern Awards – very significant changes
  • Restaurants, hospitality and Clerks are most significant awards affected
  • Key changes:
    • Individual worker performing 1 type of duty in 1 classification
    • Can now be reallocated to another classification under the Award
    • Allowed for working from home abilities (this was previously unlawful under the Award)
    • Allowed for taking longer durations of annual leave at half the pay
    • The idea is to introduce more flexibility to help secure jobs and prevent the failure of businesses
  • Next steps to be undertaken:
  • 103 Modern Awards will be changed to allow for:
    • Two weeks of Unpaid Pandemic Leave
    • Allowing for the taking of double the length of leave at half the pay
  • These changes are critical to protecting the supply and logistics chain workers in Australia

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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