PRIMARY SCHOOL - Realview

Forewords | executive director’s reportMichael KerschbaumVoice of the Industry for 120 YearsThe Master Builders Tasmania will celebrate its 120th birthday on the 16th March 2011. The importance ofsuch an achievement cannot be underestimated and it is only when you put it into the context that theAssociation pre-dates Australian Federation by a decade that you realise what an achievement it really is.On the eve of such an important anniversary date, it seems appropriate to reflect on how the Associationhas evolved and where it has come from.The Association’s website states that:Since being established in 1891 Master Builders Tasmania, has been active in seeking to improve theconditions under which the building industry operates. It's a non-political and not-for-profit makingorganisation set up to safeguard and promote the interests of its members in their business of buildingand construction contracting, to assist them in the execution of their work and to encourage andpromote a high standard of workmanship and integrity in the building industry. The Association is aregistered Union of Employers under State and Federal laws and is able to provide for its members theadvantages of unity of action.I think that the above paragraph is a fair reflection of the values and beliefs that the Association holds andis a good summary of its role as the voice of industry. Master Builders Tasmania has a history of promotingexcellence in the industry as well as encouraging training and I believe it is these two items upon whichthe Association differentiates itself from other industry associations.When you look at the calibre of office bearers that the Association has been privileged to have you realisewhy it is held in high esteem by the public, other associations and Government. A cursory look at the pastPresidents list reads like a who’s who of the industry. It highlights a group of people who are committedto the industry and see the building industry as a career and a profession and not just a living. If theAssociation can keep attracting quality members, as it has in the past, I feel that it has a vibrant future forthe next 120 or so years.Every member is an ambassador of the Association and they have an obligation to respect the history ofthe Association and everything that it stands for. It is vitally important that the Association only recruitand retain quality members that embody the same values as those that have come before them. Toaccept everyone who operates within the industry as a member of the Association just to increase theAssociation’s membership would be disrespectful to past and present members who value the MasterBuilders brand and everything that it entails. In the end, the fortunes of Master Builders Tasmania will reston the quality of the brand and all those members that it represents.Michael KerschbaumExecutive Director4 | master builders tasmania