Building Industry News

Tiler introduces new seamless flooring technology

Local commercial tiling company, We Tile, has successfully diversified into commercial flooring, trading as Honestone. Honestone installs unique high performance seamless floors using the latest innovative advances in resin or cement overlays and coatings. Director, Rick Hendriks said that he saw an opportunity for new seamless flooring which has resulted in them winning numerous contracts around Australia.

On the Central Coast Honestone has just completed a $100,000 job for Coles Supermarket at the recently completed Northlakes Shopping Centre, and another major project at Fishermans Wharf, The Entrance. “Our dustless diamond grinding technology allows us to produce some spectacular results to concrete, stone, terrazzo and existing tiles,” said Mr Hendriks.

NSW Housing Code - implementation workshops

A series of free implementation workshops will be held in eleven locations across NSW in February to educate and train people about the NSW Housing Code. Specific workshops will be held for practitioners, council staff and the community.

The NSW Housing Code outlines how new single and two storey dwelling houses, and home alterations and additions, on lots 450 sqm and greater can receive approval in ten days. It also outlines how 41 types of minor improvements such as garden sheds or solar water heaters can proceed without planning approval.

The workshops will provide education and training for councils and housing industry practitioners focusing on the key components of the NSW Housing Code and the State Environmental Planning Policy (SEPP) (Exempt and Complying Development Codes) 2008 in preparation for its commencement on 27 February 2009.

Tighter credit availability affecting small business

Acting Chief Executive of the Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ACCI), Greg Evans, in late January commented that his organisation is concerned that ongoing turmoil in the global financial system and strains in credit markets have lead to a sharp reduction in the availability of lending to small business. The latest Reserve Bank data on private sector credit growth shows lending to business slowing markedly over the course of 2008 as banks and other lenders reduced their exposures.

Over the year to January 2008, the pace of business lending had been running at 23.7 per cent but eased substantially during the remainder of the year to 10.7 per cent in November, less than half the pace at the start of the year. “Responses across our membership have confirmed that it is becoming more difficult to access credit for working capital requirements and capital expansion plans such as purchasing new plant and equipment. Both long established businesses and proposals for greenfields investment are being affected,” said Mr Evans.

“Typically this has involved longer time frames for lenders to consider loan requests and far more stringent lending criteria being applied. ACCI is cognisant of the requirement for prudent lending practices by lenders and the impact of instability in financial markets, however, we are concerned that restrictions on lending are starting to have an impact on business, which may accentuate any broader economic slowdown leading to negative implications for jobs.

“The current economic outlook is very challenging for business and it would be an extremely negative outcome if difficulties in accessing credit undermined otherwise viable capital expenditure plans. We are aware the government is sensitive to this issue and ACCI will further discuss measures to support credit provision to underpin business investment, particularly in relation to small and medium sized enterprises,” said Mr Evans.

At the same time Peter Strong, of the Council of Small Business Organisations of Australia, said some small businesses are paying up to 3 per cent more than mortgage rates – about 9.5 per cent – for loans with the big four banks.

“The Government’s come to the rescue and helped [the banks] out and made life a bit easier for them, but they won’t pass that on to the great employer of the nation, which is small business,” he says. The small business sector employs about 3.6 million people, or 46 per cent of the private-sector workforce.

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