Message from the CEO - July 2025

The past month has seen significant traction on occupational licensing reform. In Queensland, we met with the CEO and Commissioner of the QBCC to reinforce our industry’s position and push for greater regulation, competency recognition, and CPD. We also met with the Ministers office and made a submission to the Queensland Productivity Commission. In Western Australia, Paul Sultana (AWCI Australia Director) and Kim Prout (Technical and Training Administrator) led productive meetings with the WA Building Commissioner, feeding directly into the “Blue Card “ program and licensing discussions. And in South Australia and Victoria, quiet but strategic steps continue as we prepare submissions and build our influence.

This level of engagement is only possible because of the growing strength of our membership. And what a month it has been—new members continue to join in high numbers, showing that our national voice is being heard and valued.

What’s Membership All About?

Joining AWCI Australia means more than just a logo on your email signature. Our members stand united around five core pillars. Put simply: we’re here to make your life easier, your voice louder, and your business better. Make sure you feed into what we are doing for you through all our channels.

We are off - FY2025/2026

As we kick off the new financial year, it’s the perfect time to renew your membership—or even better, bring an old mate on board who’s been standing on the sidelines asking what this AWCI thing is all about. We’re building something strong here, and everyone in the trade needs to be part of it.

If you follow our socials (and I hope you do), you’ll have seen we recently welcomed Rob Ferguson from Tasmania to the AWCI Australia Board. Rob is already active with manufacturers and suppliers across the state and we’re excited about what’s to come. Tasmanian contractors—get around him and your State Advisory Committee. If now you are thinking to yourself … I should be more involved with the AWCI, well reach out and see what opportunities are available, you can always be an observer at your next SAC meeting?

Mentoring & Inspection opportunities – If you are interested in mentoring and inspection opportunities in programs that we are developing for every state, please reach out to me. Whether retired, thinking of slowing down or just interested, we will provide training so you have an opportunity to give back. Inspection program has reimbursement of your time build it into it – get in touch and get involved!

Looking ahead, be sure to watch out for the next member events in your state. Our SACs are hitting their stride and planning some excellent opportunities to connect, learn, and grow together. As always, my door is open—no question is too small, and no issue too hard. I genuinely have time for our members and look forward to connecting with many of you soon. You have probably noticed that I do get around and like a good chat with members, even though I do tend to do a lot of the listening! We are also getting ready to welcome 5 interns studying business analytics and accounting at the end of this month – we definitely want to use data to serve your interests better!

Stay warm, stay positive, stay safe, and don’t forget to book your accommodation for the AWCI Australia Awards Night in Melbourne on 16 October. It’s shaping up to be a big one—and you deserve to be there.

🏆 The countdown is on!

The AWCI Awards return on 16 October in Victoria, where we’ll celebrate the best in wall and ceiling excellence across Australia. Don’t miss your chance to showcase your standout project—entries close 31 July!

✨ You’ve got to be in it to win it! Nominate Your Project TODAY!

EXPRESSION OF INTEREST: NAMING RIGHTS SPONSORSHIP – AWCI AUSTRALIA AWARDS 2025 / 2026

AWCI Australia is actively working with the QLD State Advisory Committee (SAC) to advocate for stronger standards and better outcomes for our industry.

But we can’t do it alone — we need your help.

As part of our submission to the QBCC, we're gathering real-world case studies to show the impact of poor practices and regulatory gaps in our trade. We're asking you to confidentially share examples of:

1. Installation or design failures due to poor workmanship, lack of understanding, or no design documentation at all
2. Use of unqualified or unlicensed workers leading to defects or costly rectifications
3. Project delays or shutdowns — including government or major commercial builds — caused by seismic design gaps or compliance issues.

This is not whistleblowing. No names will be published. We will de-identify all submissions and use them to demonstrate the scale of challenges our industry faces.

Your input will help shape real change.

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