Never give up could be the message from the decision,
finally, and reported in the July/August issue of Infolink-BPN, that there will
be free access for registered users to the National Construction Code on the
web from 2015.
Details about access via mobile devices will also be announced,
and will likely add to the already anticipated increase, almost 20-fold
according to state and federal governments, in the number of building and
plumbing practitioners using the construction code.
Places
Perseverance and having faith in what you are doing have
also helped one of Australia’s longest standing place-making consultancies
Place Partners, receive the Place Leaders’ inaugural award for Place Professionals.
The Place
Leaders Asia Pacific’ jury citation praised the consultancy for demonstrating
“commitment in the somewhat barren early years” and for continuing to show
attributes so welcome today. “They bristle with advocacy, they collaborate
seamlessly and selflessly and they publish and broadcast their experiences and
perspectives through books, presentations and seminars.”
Contracts
Meanwhile, results from a research project by Melbourne Law
School into support for, and current practice in, using standard forms of
contract showed broad support for use of standard forms.
Supported by many
organisations and individuals including the Society of Construction Law
Australia, and backed by a web-based survey, the research also showed that 54
per cent of respondents (295 responses representing 379 projects) believed
there was no standard form capable of being used in Australia without
substantial amendment.
The main reason for amendment was the “need to shift
risk”, including extensions of time, delay damages, site conditions, variations,
and workplace health and safety. The law
school hoped these results would feed into the continuing evolution of standard
forms, another example of persistence with an aim to build on – and improve -
what you already have.
