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Asbestos in Australia is a serious issue, particularly in some mine sites and construction or renovation workplaces.  The government has this week (May 14) announced its plan to invest over $10.5 million in protecting Australians from asbestos-related diseases.  From 1917 until the mid-1980s Australia produced cement materials, so now all asbestos containing materials (ACMs) will [...]

Master Builders Australia (MBA) has responded to the 2013-14 budget, saying that the proposals are disappointing for the construction industry. The budget has set aside $24 billion for investment into urban road and rail infrastructure, but chief executive officer of MBA, Wilhelm Harnisch, believes that this alone is not enough. "There are no other measures [...]

A new program has been announced by the Australian government, with the potential to increase the number of small trade businesses and train new contractors. It is called the Apprentice to Business Owner Program (AtoB) and will provide training in a nationally recognised qualification in small business management, as well as providing business mentoring support [...]

Master Builders Australia (MBA) has released a statement requesting the federal government to prioritise repairing Australia's fiscal position and restoring business and consumer confidence in their budget announcement this week. Wilhelm Harnisch, MBA's chief executive officer outlined the need for "a clear deficit reduction strategy that does not rely on increasing business taxes over the [...]

The Federal Opposition has made a commitment to restore the Australian Building and Construction Committee, a move which has been applauded by the Property Council of Australia (PCA). PCA chief executive officer Peter Verwer said that reinstating a cop on construction sites will ensure the rules of civil society are observed at all times. "A [...]