AWCI Australia Fortnightly E-News - December

Catch the latest industry updates!
The new edition of On the Surface Magazine is out now!

In our final issue for 2025, you’ll find:

• A spotlight on the AWCI Australia Awards Night
• A featured profile of Phil Cooymans (Co-Chair AWCI Australia)
• Read about one of our industry young guns - Ziggy Sigvart from Profast Plastering
• Check out our new AWCI Australia’s corporate office and training centre
• Meet Charlotte van Veenendaal, Project Manager at Hinton Linings
• Marketing Tips from Traci Tomkins, Marketing Manager from Wallboard Tools
• SOP - Security of Payment Act for the Wall and Ceiling Industry
• TKB: Designing out glancing light issues before you start!
• Perry Richardson's last word & Phil Cooyman's first press as the Co-Chair of AWCI Australia

Enjoy the read — and thank you for being part of our industry community!

CEO's Bulletin - The "L" Word - Lessons

Lessons From Recent Events — Why We Must Take Fire Safety Seriously

Recently, I sat in the office with some gentlemen who are serious about improving our Industry. The recent fires in Hong Kong came up, I walked away with a firm resolution of why we are doing what we are doing at AWCI Australia and to continue.

We acknowledge with deep remorse the tragic loss of life — families broken, lives cut short, communities scarred. Our reflections begin there, with the human cost. Buildings can be rebuilt; lives cannot. And so, when we examine the lessons from such events, we do so with respect, not sensationalism. This is not fear. This is responsibility. 

Tenders open for upgrades at Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital

Two construction tenders are now open for works at Western Australia’s Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital.

One project will upgrade suites and other areas of the Neurological Intervention and Imaging Service of Western Australia (NIISWA) to enhance access to treatment. Based at Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital (SCGH), NIISWA provides specialist expertise including lifesaving care for brain aneurysms, vascular malformations, carotid disease and interventional stroke therapy.

The second project will install the hospital’s third CT scanner and deliver associated works to support patient care. The use of CT scanning as a diagnostic tool has increased steadily over the past decade, with SCGH performing the highest volume of CT examinations among Perth’s tertiary hospitals.

Sydney Airport launches tender for $6 billion capital works program

Sydney Airport has launched a global tender process to establish a panel of architectural and engineering firms to help deliver its $6 billion capital works program over the next five years.    
Overseas “Independent Contractors” Found to Be Employees: Recent Developments and Risks for Australian Employers

Australian employers are increasingly engaging workers based overseas to perform a range of duties, including most commonly administrative, IT and professional services.

WHS Obligations for Christmas & End-of-Year Functions

Work Christmas parties and end-of-year functions are work-related events under Australian WHS laws. Despite often taking place outside the usual workplace or outside of business hours, employers still have a legal duty to take all reasonably practicable steps to protect the health and safety of their employees throughout the event.

Employers’ duty of care does not stop when employees leave the office, nor does it transfer to an external venue. Employers remain responsible for providing a safe environment and managing foreseeable risks from start to finish. Below is a checklist of what you need to do to protect your business and your people.

Manage staff annual leave and leave loading

Most full-time workers get 4 weeks of paid annual leave for every 12 months of work. Part-time employees are also entitled to 4 weeks annual leave but paid on a pro rata basis.

Employees can be entitled to an extra week of paid annual leave on top of this if they:

• regularly work shifts on Sundays and public holidays
• work for a business that operates 24 hours a day, 7 days a week

Casual workers aren't automatically entitled to annual leave. Instead, they're paid a loading in addition to their normal rate of pay.

8 ways to drink less during the silly season

December is a perfect storm for anyone trying to cut back on drinking. Between end-of-year deadlines, work parties, family gatherings and school events, alcohol is suddenly everywhere.

It can make drinking feel not just normal, but expected.

Social media restrictions for under 16s start 10 December 2025

The Australian Government passed the Online Safety Amendment (Social Media Minimum Age) Bill 2024 (the Bill) on 28 November 2024 which introduces a mandatory minimum age of 16 for accounts on certain social media platforms. A 12-month transition period was allowed for social media platforms to organise how they will restrict access and verify users on their sites meaning the ban will be in place from 10 December 2025 onwards.