If you or your crew use a work vehicle for personal purposes, your business might be liable for fringe benefits tax (FBT). The Australian Taxation Office lifts the bonnet on FBT to help you get your obligations right and avoid unwanted consequences. If your business provides its employees with non-cash perks in addition to their regular wage or salary, then you might be providing a ‘fringe benefit’, which could have tax implications for your business. FBT is a tax that businesses pay when...| Building Connection
Victoria’s Building and Plumbing Commission (BPC) will soon have the power to order builders to fix serious defects after homeowners occupy their properties, a move aimed at improving consumer outcomes and boosting confidence in the state’s housing industry. Currently, the BPC can only act before a new build is signed off. Chief executive and commissioner Anna Cronin called the reform a “game changer” for consumers and a strong incentive for builders to “get it right the first time....| Building Connection
Research from Allianz Australia has revealed that mental health support in the workplace remains a challenge, with managers and employees feeling distressed due to the workload. Almost two-thirds of surveyed managers and 80% of surveyed employees don’t believe their company enforces positive workplace habits and boundaries to reduce burnout. Most of the surveyed managers (78%) say barriers promoting burnout are the lack of time and resources (26%), the availability of suitable technology (2...| Building Connection
The Housing Industry Association (HIA) is calling for a national energy security and supply plan to support Australia’s building product manufacturers, recognising their vital role in the economy and in supplying materials for housing. The HIA has shared the concerns of several Australian manufacturers regarding the escalated cost of energy and the impact it’s having on Australia’s manufacturing base. The residential building industry relies on local manufacturers to supply materials li...| Building Connection
Spring is the perfect time for a reset, and not just for your home or car, but your health. Dr. Farhan Shahzad explores everything tradies can do to get their health back on track as the weather changes. For tradies, who often work long hours in physically demanding environments, looking after your body and mind is vital. I’m an occupational and Environmental Physician, and I’ve seen firsthand how small changes can make a big difference in preventing injury, improving energy levels, and k...| Building Connection
Running a building business today takes more than bricks, mortar and margins. The skills shortage is biting hard, young talent is looking elsewhere and stress levels across the industry are dangerously high. To thrive, builders need a new playbook, one that tackles skills, inclusion, leadership and wellbeing head-on. I learned this the hard way. In my first business, we scaled quickly but ignored culture, structure and wellbeing. By the time we hit AU$6 million turnover, staff were leaving, s...| Building Connection
Research from the University of Melbourne, commissioned by MATES in Construction, highlights that the gap in suicide rates between construction workers and other Australians is closing. The report confirms that male construction workers die by suicide at nearly double the rate of other employed men (25.7 per 100,000 vs 14.3 per 100,000). However, in Queensland, Victoria and South Australia, rates are steadily declining and intersecting with the national average. The Suicide in the Constructio...| Building Connection
Knauf is launching four new high-performance plasterboards in the SHEETROCK PLUS, ImpactStop, MultiStop ONE and MultiStop ONE HI, consolidating its range to reduce complexity and improve efficiency for architects, contractors and distributors across Australia. SHEETROCK PLUS: A premium residential solution offering sound, impact and water resistance for spaces such as bathrooms, home theatres, hallways, nurseries and bedrooms. ImpactStop: Provides impact, fire and acoustic resistance, deliver...| Building Connection
WorkSafe will host a series of free tradies breakfasts across the state for Health and Safety Month this October. Employers and workers are encouraged to attend the events at Wallington, Hallam, Kyneton and Horsham to grab a free feed and coffee, share stories and get the latest information on safety in the construction industry. Experts will be on hand to cover key safety topics such as fall prevention, including timber guardrails and scaffold industry standards, safe work method statements ...| Building Connection
The Housing Industry Association (HIA) has raised concerns in the current approach to training, stating that it won’t get Australia to its 1.2 million housing target, after the National Centre for Vocational Education and Training (NCVER) showed a decline in construction apprentices in training. The total amount of apprentices in training has declined by 3% over the past 12 months, with the most significant falls in bricklaying, which is down by 17% and roof tiling, down by 13%. This is clo...| Building Connection
Completing a job hazard analysis is a requirement before entering any worksite. Casey McGuire looks at a tool under development aiming to automate the process. Flash forward to 2030, a tradie is on the site and working on a job hazard analysis (JHA). A builder arrives on site, they start to gather materials ready for the day ahead, sips on a hot cup of coffee before walking outside in the cold or heat about to get their hands dirty. It used to be dangerous and frankly a bit dumb not to begin ...| Building Connection
A Mandurah couple has been left thousands of dollars out of pocket after a neighbour falsely claimed to be a registered builder and abandoned their home renovation. At Mandurah Magistrates Court on 26 August 2025, Paul Anthony Hart was fined $14,500 for four building offences following prosecution by Building and Energy. Paul told the Dudley Park home owners that he was a registered building contractor and agreed to undertake $24,000 worth of work, including wall removals and a full bathroom ...| Building Connection
New research from the University of South Australia (UniSA) warns that stronger La Niña weather cycles are creating new risks for homeowners, builders and infrastructure planners. Published in the Journal of Environmental Management, the study shows that prolonged rainfall during La Niña is intensifying shrink–swell movements in expansive clay soils. These soils expand when saturated and contract during dry spells, destabilising house foundations, cracking pipelines and damaging pavements...| Building Connection
In this episode of the Tradie Connection podcast, Alex Dwyer of Dwyer Quality Homes discusses the lessons he learned growing up in the family business and how he’s bringing a fresh approach to leadership. Alex shares how DQH is honouring its 40-year legacy while embracing new technology, the culture that helped achieve a $50 million sales milestone and his vision for the future of home building. Listen to the podcast on Spotify, iTunes or wherever you get your podcasts. Make sure...| Building Connection
The Australian Building Codes Board (ABCB) has published a climate map that uses geospatial data, dynamic layers and static reference maps. The ABCB collaborated with the Department of Industry, Science and Resources data strategy team and the Digital Atlas of Australia team at Geoscience Australia to create the interactive map. The data on the map covers existing NCC climate zones, local government area (LGA) boundaries, relative humidity and alpine area classifications. Key features of the ...| Building Connection
Following a pivotal meeting at Parliament House in Canberra, Standards Australia has taken decisive steps to address one of the most pressing challenges facing the construction industry: Accessibility to Australian Standards. Standards Australia acknowledged that fragmented, outdated and costly access to standards is a critical issue and removing access barriers will support the timely delivery of housing and infrastructure aligned with the National Construction Code (NCC). Standards play an ...| Building Connection
Instant Products Group has designed a portable bathroom solution for regional and remote areas, like worksites, to reduce costs and issues around access to power and water. Portable bathroom facilities are often used in regional and remote areas to support events, during bushfires and natural disasters and on remote work sites. There’s been difficulties with the cost of transporting to site and ensuring adequate onsite water and power supply. The Western Australia-based company designed a t...| Building Connection
Fluke has released the SB140 Sound Beacon, a tool that can generate a clean and consistent 40kHz signal that can be detected by the Fluke ii Series Acoustic Imagers while operating in ‘Beacon Mode’. Leak detection and tightness testing happens by placing the beacon inside the vessel while using Fluke Acoustic Imagers from the outside to visually locate through weld beads, gaskets, hatches or windows. The selected ultrasound frequencies travel long distances through air with minimal signal...| Building Connection
While plug-in hybrid technology is fast becoming the preferred new-energy powertrain for utilities, in the van world it’s pure electrification that seems to be edging ahead as the propulsion tech of choice. Now, Korean automaker Kia is the latest in a long string of automakers that are banking big on a battery-electric van The PV5 is the vehicle that Kia will be pitching into this space, with the futuristically-styled midsize delivery van built atop the same all-electric platform that under...| Building Connection
The construction sector is among the highest-risk industries for mental health crises in Australia. As regulatory changes focus more on comprehensive well-being and psychological resilience, micro-builders and trade professionals must adapt and offer mental health screenings as part of their safety protocols. The state of mental health in Australian construction The Australian construction industry is in the midst of a mental health crisis. Suicide rates are 53% higher for labourers in cons...| Building Connection
The day we swapped the old hammer for a battery nail-gun, the rhythm of the job changed. Quicker, cleaner, less noise and nobody wanted to go back. Artificial intelligence has the same effect, only it hits your estimating, programmes, paperwork and cash flow. You do not need a department of technicians or a six-figure budget. As a builder or head contractor, you are already used to coordinating moving parts. Add the right digital power tool and the whole job runs straighter. Build the process...| Building Connection
Peugeot Australia has given its Expert medium van a mid-life refresh for the 2025 model year, with the range being streamlined by the elimination of all manual-transmission variants as well as the entry-grade Expert City. Now available exclusively with an automatic transmission, the 2025 Peugeot Expert range opens at $48,990 for the Expert Pro short wheelbase (a $1,000 increase over the pre-facelift van) and tops out at $54,490 for the Expert Premium long wheelbase. All variants take power fr...| Building Connection
Besides announcing the expansion of the diesel-powered T9 range, JAC also confirmed the impending arrival of a souped-up version of its dual-cab ute, which combines electric and combustion power to produce power and torque numbers that easily eclipse pretty much every other body-on-frame ute currently available – and a sizable number of proper performance cars as well. To be dubbed the JAC Hunter, the plug-in hybrid pickup is essentially a T9 with the regular diesel powertrain swapped out i...| Building Connection
Milliken has partnered with saveBOARD to launch Renasci, a resilient floor made from waste materials that can be repeatedly recycled. Carpet recycling has been a tough challenge with an estimated 90,000 tonnes of carpet waste and one million tonnes of soft plastics in landfill every year. The process shreds whole carpet tiles and soft plastics like shopping bags, pressing them into flooring planks without glue or chemical adhesives. This collaboration combines saveBOARD’s material processin...| Building Connection
R U OK? is urging tradies to ask the question any day, with new research revealing a confidence gap when it comes to having meaningful conversations about mental health. Three in four Australians believe it’s important to regularly ask someone if they’re OK, but a third remain hesitant, even when they can sense that their workmate is struggling. This is because they often feel that they might say the wrong thing, invade someone’s privacy or not know how to help and support. R U OK? boar...| Building Connection
Standards Australia has met with Parliament House in Canberra to address access to Australian standards. They identified accessibility to standards being a critical issue impacting safety, productivity, workforce capability and the delivery of housing and infrastructure that underpins the National Construction Code (NCC). Standards Australia acknowledges: The role of Australian standards in delivering safer, high-quality and consistent construction outcomes The longstanding and significant co...| Building Connection
Waterproofing failure in buildings comes at a huge cost and the extent of damage is often extreme. Dimi Kyriakou speaks to members of the waterproofing industry to find out where builders are going wrong in this area and their recommendations for best practice. According to the insurance industry, waterproofing failure is one of the biggest dollar-item claims. It is also a major cause of residential building disputes due to failed or poorly installed water membranes to shower recesses, b...| Building Connection
