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Commercial Working Group Update

What a difference a couple of months make!

Since my last note, the Commercial Working Group has continued to provide support to the Master Builders’ team, though unsurprisingly the focus of our efforts was not as we anticipated it would be in late February.  We have reviewed and provided comment on several COVID related publications that Master Builders have issued, together with providing support in several COVID initiatives that the team has been involved with.

It was pleasing to see industry leaders work collaboratively during lockdown to help highlight the impact to government of the Level 4 restrictions on the industry and develop the Construction COVID protocols – I genuinely believe this collaborative approach allowed us to return to work earlier than many other sectors. Hopefully, under the Master Builders’ umbrella, collaboration to resolve broader industry issues becomes part of the ‘new normal’ we keep hearing about.

Over the next period I expect the focus of the CWG will return to those issues communicated to you earlier in the year. The longer-term impacts of COVID-19 will likely make the need to provide education opportunities, promote risk awareness and create value all the more important, if we can do all this in a collaborative manner the industry may come through these unprecedented times stronger than ever.

The efforts of the Construction Sector Accord Steering Group are beginning to be visible in central and local government procurement approaches. There is still a lot to do in this space and the CWG is looking forward to provide support to the Master Builders’ team with the Construction Sector Accord by supporting developments in the Construction Industry Council led NZS3910 discussions with Treasury and MBIE once these resume.

Constructive Forum planning is in full swing, though as you can imagine it will look quite different this year. The show must go on but this year it will be in a series of webinars to help make it accessible during this uncertain period. The webinars will still have many familiar, and new, faces from across the sector and will take a range of issues that are even more important in the aftermath of COVID. We will continue to keep you updated on the new Constructive, so watch this space.