The Board has started that search, and in the meantime I’ll do the best I can to keep things progressing, and keep everyone updated on that progress.
So far this year there has been lots of consolidating. At national office we’ve been working hard on the planning and infrastructure to ensure the RMBA is best placed to be an iconic organisation for at least another 100 years.
The merger of 22 separate incorporated societies into one national Association is a remarkable feat — one I have only seen a handful of organisations complete in recent history. It will certainly hold us in very good stead into the future.
National roadshow
As part of our commitment to beef up our communications, a group of us recently conducted a national roadshow where we met with 17 of the 21 branch executives. We’ll be doing the rest over the next couple of months.
The roadshow was a great chance for us to provide a strategic update for the next three years, go through the branch operations manual, talk about upcoming training opportunities, agree membership growth targets and, more importantly, hear from branch executives about the issues, concerns and opportunities they see for the organisation and the industry as a whole.
From a national office perspective, there are a number of IT projects underway to help us grow and support the membership.
These include a new membership database with integrated functionality (communications, finance, web site, and training and event management), and upgrades of our phone and data network.
A national training calendar will be available very soon outlining the various training courses available. Many branches have already started putting courses into the diary.
There has also been good uptake of the recently launched Trades Business Academy (TBA). If you want more information on this, check out the members section of our web site.
Membership growth is critically important for the ongoing sustainability of the RMBA and for the servicing of our members.
We have done a comprehensive tidy up of our membership database and set growth targets for each branch, including working on a specific strategy for the Auckland region.
We’re after your help! If you know of a builder who you think could or should be a Registered Master Builder, please encourage them to apply, or let us know about them so we can follow up.
That’s a whole bunch of internal focused stuff, and there is loads going on externally too. Coming up we have changes to the Building Act, Fair Trading Act and Consumer Guarantee Act.
The impact on Registered Master Builders should be limited — we’re already doing most of the things that we need to.
However, there will be some increased emphasis on disclosing what’s in our contracts and guarantees, and on getting work done right the first time — or having to go back to fix things within the first 12 months. Fines will apply if builders don’t do these things well.
There is also work going on around the skills maintenance part of the LBP scheme and on national consenting — and we’re working with the MBIE on both of those things.
Health and safety is a constant challenge for the construction industry. There are significant changes coming up in this area too, and we’re in the process of working out what those changes will mean for you and how best to comply.
There is certainly lots going on. Having been at the RMBA for about three and half months, I’m really getting my head around things, and am truly feel privileged to be working here.
Hope to see you some time soon.
The RMBA Board has approved a new award called the Construction Shield to complement the Construction Cup (won by Taranaki last year).
The Shield will be awarded to the Branch with the highest net membership growth. The Construction Cup will be for Branches with fewer than 100 members, and the Shield will be for Branches with more than 100 members.
