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| 6 Jun 2013 Owner Building
If you are considering building your own home, excluding some of the finishing work from your building contract, or renovating your existing home, you will need to apply to the Building Commission of Western Australia. All of the owners of the land must apply, and at least one applicant must provide evidence that he/she has […]
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| 6 Jun 2013 Preliminary Agreements
A Preliminary Agreement (PA), or Preparation of Plans Agreement, is a common document used by builders dealing with clients in the early stages of building a new home. These agreements do not involve building work and are preparatory to entering a building contract. Some common features are: the consumer is committed to paying a “deposit”, […]
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| 6 Jun 2013 Pool and Spa Safety Barriers
With hot weather across the state, pools are a hot topic. Most people would be aware that an approval is required to install a swimming pool. Concrete, fibre-glass, or liner pools all need approval, as well as above-ground and temporary pools. The reason for the need for a Building Permit for swimming pools is not […]
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| 6 Jun 2013 Dispute Resolution
Building and renovation work can be an involved process and a dispute may arise about the quality of work or materials or about the contract itself. To avoid later disputes, there are some things to bear in mind from the outset of the building process. Initially, all promises, undertakings and concessions made in pre-contract […]
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| 6 Jun 2013 Efflorescence on Bricks
The growth of white crystals on the surfaces of brickwork and blockwork is called efflorescence and is a common problem particularly in high rainfall areas. Efflorescence is caused by the presence of water-soluble salts which occur naturally in cement-water mixtures. The salts are brought to the surface of bricks or blocks as hydroxides when the […]
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| 6 Jun 2013 Electricity Planning
Good electrical design and fitout is often underrated in its importance to the ”liveability” of your new home. Like most things planning is important. An omission during the construction stage can be much more expensive to rectify after your house is completed particularly if you have restricted roof cavity space. Some questions to consider include: […]
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| 6 Jun 2013 Electricity Connections and Headworks Charges
WA Electrical requirements provide for a standard supply up to: 63 Amps single phase (Perth and major towns) 32 Amps single phase (rural areas and small towns) 32 Amps per phase for multiphase (all areas) Consumer mains size of 35mm² (all areas) A large house with air-conditioning, pool and many appliances is likely to require […]
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| 6 Jun 2013 Energy Efficiency
As of May 1 2007, new energy provisions of the Building Code of Australia came into effect in WA, setting minimum standards for energy consumption in new homes. This includes provision for glazing, insulation, ventilation and so on. The objective of the BCA is that the building fabric must meet minimum energy efficiency requirements. The […]
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| 6 Jun 2013 Employment and Agreement Making
Agreement Making The Fair Work Act 2009 (Cth) (FW Act) substabtially changes the process and nature of agreement making and emphasises collective agreement making. The scope of matters that an agreement can cover has been expanded by the FW Act. This fact sheet outlines the agreement making process, types of agreements and content of agreements. […]
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| 6 Jun 2013 Employment and Good Faith Bargaining
Bargaining representatives must comply with various ‘good faith bargaining’ requirements when negotiating an enterprise agreement (other than a greenfields agreement). These requirements do not apply to the process of varying or terminating an enterprise agreement. The good faith bargaining requirements imposed on all bargaining representatives include: Attending and participating in meetings at reasonable times; Disclosing […]