In a tribute to the outstanding workmanship displayed within the region’s construction industry the Master Builders Association held its gala Excellence in Building Awards at West’s Leagues Club on 4 September with over 520 guests in attendance. This year also marked 20 years since the first awards were held in 1995.

 

More than 140 entries were judged with a combined value of work exceeding $300 million. This presented the experienced judges with the enviable task of selecting the best of the best.

The objective of the annual Awards is to encourage, promote and recognise “Best Practice” in building and to establish benchmark projects for others in the industry to emulate. The entrants and winners not only set leadership standards for others to aspire to but promote public confidence in dealing with regional builders, architects and subcontractors.

 

Newcastle Master Builders President, Peter DiPrinzio, recognised a special 50 year membership by local builder, T & J McGlynn Builders, now currently owned and operated by Matt Lynch.

There are numerous long time members of the Master Builders who have contributed to the local economy over past 20 years and pleased to have witnessed a solid pick up in residential construction activity in the past 12 months. The Hunter’s building industry continues to make a significant contribution to our region’s employment and wealth with 20,000 workers deriving an income from the local industry. The projects displayed were a credit to the building skills of local firms and demonstrated the extensive business experience possessed by so many of the region’s contractors and builders.

 

The commercial projects, both winners and entrants, were of outstanding calibre. The commercial builder of the year, A & K MacKay Building, was rewarded for its efforts in completing 104 Brighton Avenue, Toronto which also claimed commercial awards for Interior and Shop Fitouts and best use of Ceramics. It was certainly a difficult choice for the judges when competing against projects of such a high standard as the University of Newcastle Student Accommodation Building (John Holland), Newcastle Private Hospital (North Construction), The Lucky Hotel (Graph Builders), Cordina Chicken Factory (GWH Build), Foghorn Brewhouse (Deane Projects) and Muswellbrook Hospital Emergency Department (Hansen Yuncken) which were all worthy commercial winners.

 

Godbee Electrical was also recognised as commercial subcontractor of the year for its outstanding work on a number of projects including the Ourimbah Ausgrid Depot and the Foghorn Brewhouse.

 

The residential awards continue to produce entries which demonstrate exceptional build quality, exciting new products and better attention to sustainability and energy/water efficiency. The residential builder of the year, Developing Business, dealt with a range of site and design challenges to produce an award winning home of outstanding construction quality at Avoca Beach. To be recognised the best project against other worthy category winners including Peter Doody Constructions, McDonald Jones Homes, Octobrick and Crest Building Services was a memorable achievement.

 

Josh Ferris (Ferris Building) was judged to be the Master Builder’s Young Builder of the Year and collected an award for an exceptional renovation project at Hamilton South. John Hersee Master Painter was recognised as the Housing Subcontractor of the year for excellent work at The Junction, Speers Point and Carrington.

 

Twenty two local award winners will now progress to the National Master Builders Awards to be held on the Gold Coast in November, where the regions previous winners have claimed significant success. In 2014 Hansen Yuncken’s excellent project at Birubi Point Surf Club was a worthy National Master Builder Award winner for Public Buildings.