As we approach the end of another eventful year, I’d like to thank our members, sponsors, alliance partners and staff for your support and contributions throughout 2017. It’s been a year filled with challenges and successes, some of which I’d like to highlight now.

Most recently, Master Builders hosted more than 200 people at the industry breakfast launch of the Victorian Cladding Taskforce Chairs’ Interim Report. Master Builders serves on the Stakeholder Reference Group of industry professionals and peak bodies who made submissions to the Taskforce and has responded to the recommendations made in this report.

Master Builders also responded to changes in Domestic Building Regulations which will have a lasting effect on the industry. Overall we believe the new regulations are a step in the right direction, but are cautious about how some of the measures will affect members.

We continued our marketing activity on your behalf– asking “Is your builder a Master Builder?” through our Someone Should Have Asked campaign. Ads have appeared on radio, in print, billboards and online with drawers that don’t open and taps that spill water over the edge of the sink. The digital advertising has resulted in nearly 8000 website visits, billboards across Melbourne in June, July and August have been seen by millions and the radio and digital ads on Triple M over the year have also reached millions. This campaign has also been shared widely on social media receiving hundreds of ‘likes’ and comments. Keep your eyes peeled for much more activity next year– with TV advertising on the cards.

We thank Melanie Fasham for her leadership during her inaugural term as President of Master Builders Association of Victoria. Breaking ground as the first female president in our association’s history, we commend her on her grace, professionalism and dedication in fulfilling her duties over the past year. We look forward to what the next year of her term will bring.

Our Annual Review 2016/17 highlights some important data you may not be aware of, like the fact that we delivered more than 78,000 hours of exceptional industry training to more than 4000 students; issued 2816 building permits, performed 220 onsite safety audits and processed 4730 calls through our legal services team. Lobbying for trades registration remains one of our key focus areas to strengthen our industry, along with pushing for greater investment in building technologies and continuing our call of the appointment of a Minister for Building and Construction.

We are proud to represent our members’ interests as Master Builders continues to be a relevant, important and leading industry voice. We will continue working to help you achieve your goal in 2018 and beyond. Here’s looking forward to a great year ahead.

Merry Christmas and best wishes,

Radley de Silva, CEO
Master Builders Association of Victoria