What's Building 106 - April 2023

what’s
ISSUE 106 - April 2023
BUILDING
Not Your Normal Build
Middleton demonstrates the unique challenges
of construction in a live prison environment.

From the
CEO’S DESK
Hello and welcome to the first edition of our What’s
Building newsletter for 2023.
Fair to say that the beginning of the year has continued
to roll on from where it left off last year! At current
count, we have 39 active projects across Victoria and
Tasmania. On top of this we can add the activity of our
Facility Management and Joinery divisions. It’s certainly
encouraging that we remain in a good position with solid
levels of work ahead of us in all regions. It’s also fantastic
to see the positive progress all our divisional teams are
making on our projects right across the business.
The beginning of the year has been busy on the
recruitment front too, with 38 new employees joining
the Fairbrother team. This includes 15 new apprentices
commencing our Apprentice Program, and three new
Graduate Project Administrators who have entered our
Graduate Program. A very warm welcome to everyone!
Over the past few weeks, I’ve had the privilege of talking
with each of our 2022 Divisional Employee of the Year
and Apprentice of the Year award winners who were
announced in the December 2022 newsletter. From our
divisional winners I have the difficult task of selecting our
overall winners for 2022, and I can’t express enough just
how difficult it was to separate the great talent within this
group!
But, as the saying goes, there can only be one winner – so
I’m pleased to announce that our 2022 Apprentice of the
Year winner is Nathan Smith, and our 2022 Employee of
the Year winner is Tom Woodman.
Nathan Smith is based in our North West Tasmanian
Construction Division. He commenced his apprenticeship
in January 2019 and successfully completed in November
2022.
Nathan takes a quiet and calculated approach to going
about his day-to-day tasks, and he’s known among his
peers for his strong work ethic and quality of work. He’s
committed to personal development and is concurrently
undertaking a Certificate III in WHS and a Certificate IV in
Building and Construction.
Tom Woodman is a Project Coordinator in our Geelong
Region office. Tom commenced his career with
Fairbrother in 2019,
working on the
Werribee Police
Station project
where he hit the
ground running
and displayed a
strong work ethic,
initiative, and
a great positive
attitude from day
one. From there
he’s taken these
CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER
KURT ARNOLD
attributes, along with his strong technical knowledge and
methodical nature, to playing a key role in the successful
delivery of the Armstrong Creek West Community Hub
project.
Congratulations to both Nathan and Tom, you can read
more about them on Page 11.
Our fifth annual Fairbrother Ride was held on the 10th
and 11th of February. This year we had a team of 32
cyclists consisting of employees, clients, consultants,
subcontractors, and suppliers of Fairbrother who tackled
the two-day route from Devonport to Miena, and back
to Devonport. We’re extremely grateful to be reporting
that the donations tally has landed at $95,796! This is
an amazing effort and we’re absolutely humbled by the
generosity on display. You can see more on the ride and
the Foundation on Page 14.
As always, if we have employees out there who would like
to get involved in 2024, then I’d love to hear from you.
We have a new wave of employees achieving Years of
Service milestones since December – the full list is on
page 15. Hitting the honour board with 20 years of service
is Dion Clarke, our Joinery Divisional Manager and Gilbert
Steenhuis from our Southern Tasmanian Construction
Division. We also have a new inductee to the 25 Years
Club, Steve Gergely, also from our Joinery Division has
accumulated 25 Years of Service. Congratulations, and
thank you for all that you’ve contributed, looking forward
to many more good years ahead!
What’s on the
COVER
Building in a Live Prison Environment
Middleton Prison in Central Victoria is one of five
prisons being upgraded as part of the Victorian
State Government’s Prison Infill Expansion program.
Construction at Middleton is being delivered by
Fairbrother and overseen by the Community Safety
Building Authority, part of the Department of Justice and
Community Safety.
Upgrades to the restricted-minimum security facility
consisted of constructing a new accommodation facility
that expands capacity by 39 beds. In addition to the
added accommodation spaces, the project also included
the conversion of an existing indoor basketball court to
facilitate new office space, educational, and program
facilities. A new commercial kitchen, new sally port, and
security upgrades were also in the scope of the project.
“The whole project was about lifting the security rating for
Middleton Prison and expanding the prison to be able to
take more patrons” James Atkinson, Project Manager with
Fairbrother said.
“There was a combination of physical and electronic
hardening works undertaken, as well as the new
CLIENT: Department of Justice and
Community Safety, Victoria
ARCHITECT: Guymer Bailey Architecture
PROJECT MANAGER: James Atkinson
SITE MANAGER: Mitch Kennedy
PHOTOS: James Atkinson
accommodation building and providing additional
infrastructure to support it – a new kitchen and converting
the old basketball court into a program space and office
space.”
Construction of the accommodation facility utilised
prefabricated steel modular cells. Manufactured off site,
modular cells provide a standard form and function,
with offsite construction promoting worker safety and
improving cost and quality while limiting potential
disruptions through the complications of working in live
prison environments.
“Because you’ve got the basic fundamental bones of
the building … it comes down to how you configure
the internal spaces and how it needs to be used by the
location,” Patrick Smardon, Senior Architect with Guymer
Bailey Architects said. “We can’t do anything with the cell,
so it was really just trying to soften it as much as possible,
creating the day room around it, and looking at how that
day room interacts with the outside space to get that
indoor-outdoor connection.”
What’s Building APRIL 2023 | Page 2
What’s Building APRIL 2023 | Page 3

Using prefabricated, modular cells required an element of
back-to-front thinking when it came to construction of the
accommodation facility, constructing the interior and then
building the outside around it.
“This is the first project that’s been completed with
buildings handed over with this type of steel-framed
modular cell” Mr Atkinson said. “All we had to do was
connect power and water and you basically had things
functional and ready to go. So, it was just a matter of
building around the outside and tying everything else into
it.”
Making use of this style of construction also improves
efficiency within the construction project, saving time,
cost, and reducing on-site waste.
The second major aspect of this project was the
conversion of an existing indoor basketball court into
program and educational spaces for inmates, and office
administration space for staff. The gymnasium was
converted to a two-storey space with minor strengthening
being performed on the slab as well as the excavation and
construction of a lift shaft for accessibility.
“We really tried to develop a professional and healthy
workspace, somewhere they can feel their best and do
their best.” Mr Smardon said.
“There’s been positive feedback from our staff,” Simon
Early, Senior Project Manager from the Community Safety
Building Authority in Victoria said. “Many have said that
it’s a great environment for the staff who work in there.”
Working in a live prison environment, the Fairbrother
team at Middleton faced a far more complex work
environment than most people would be used to. On a
daily basis workers passed through metal detectors and
x-rays, underwent vehicle inspections, and were stopped
What’s on the Cover
MIDDLETON PRISON
Employee Referral Program
It takes great people to deliver great projects, and we’re always looking
for the best people to join the Fairbrother team. That’s why we’ve
implemented an employee referral program. Current Fairbrother
employees who refer a new staff member to join the team may be eligible
for a gift card of up to $500. Full details are available through the Employee
Referral Program procedure on TIMS or via your Divisional Manager.
What’s Building APRIL 2023 | Page 4
for multiple head counts throughout the day.
Added onto that was the ongoing challenge of managing
COVID-19 restrictions in Victoria over the past two years.
This required the additional construction of a dedicated
shed for testing workers prior to entering the site and
managing isolation requirements that changed regularly.
At peak, there were almost 100 workers on site, which
brought about its own set of logistical challenges. All
employees were required to work under escort, with as
many as 15 escorts being required daily at the peak of
construction. With limited access to mobile phones, many
aspects of communication that are taken for granted
became fresh challenges for the project.
“It’s almost like going back 20 or 30 years in regard
to being more disciplined with programming and
coordination,” Mr Atkinson said. “Everyone’s so used to
using mobile phones to relay messages, order material,
check the status of things, and respond to emails. You
have to really think about your day and your timing.”
A challenging environment can often bring out the best
in people, and this project was no exception. Fairbrother
demonstrated a consistent team in an environment
that often sees significant site team turnover and faced
the additional challenges relating to COVID-19 with
resourcefulness.
“It’s a testament to the guys and girls on the project as to
how they’ve been able to work through the stresses and
strains, keep their chins up, and keep pulling through,”
Mr Atkinson said. “It certainly has been taxing but we’ll
come out of it having learned a lot, and we seem to have
gathered a good reputation from it.”
With a few minor items to finalise, the Middleton Prison
project is set to be completed later this year.
GENERAL MANAGER
VICTORIA
MICHAEL JOSEY
to winter weather approaching.
Summer has been and gone
and we welcome everyone
back for 2023. It is scary
to think we are a third of
the way through the year
already! Our teams have
been busy in delivery mode
on all projects with some of
our existing projects getting
closer to completion whilst
others are working through
structures and roofing prior
Stage 2 of the Edgarley Aged Care Project is getting closer
to completion. Internal fitout has commenced and the
team are working hard to wrap this project up over the
next couple of months.
Bendigo GovHub Galkangu is well into the technical
commissioning with feature finishes and external works
coming to completion. The timber structure looks fantastic
and the team is focused on the practical completion date
of mid-May. Our carpenters are doing a quality job on the
feature stair and finishes – this is a project they will be
able to reflect on with pride.
Middleton Prison Infill Expansion’s original contract works
are now complete. The facility’s operational requirements
have altered with our client requesting Fairbrother to
complete additional works. These “gap works” are due for
completion in June.
St Francis Primary School was recently completed, and the
end result is a quality outcome for our client.
Girton upgrades: our repeat client has requested that
we remodel multiple buildings. The kitchen works are
complete, and the Morey building has 2 stages remaining.
The project is looking toward completion in June 2023.
Armstrong Creek reached practical completion at the end
of March, well done to the team in delivering a fantastic
project for the community.
The main structure at Deakin Hycel is complete with
roofing works now underway. Service trade rough in and
internal framing are expected to commence over the next
month. The project is on track for late November 2023.
All systems go in
VICTORIA
What’s Building APRIL 2023 | Page 5
Deakin backlog projects are nearing completion with
stairwell upgrades completed and handed back to the
client. The team are busy working on the final bathroom
upgrade which is expected to be done by the end of April.
Werribee Open Range Zoo has commenced with the site
establishment and some demolition works complete. The
team are finalising the design and eagerly awaiting to
commence construction onsite.
The A2Milk contract was recently finalised after an
extensive early contractor involvement phase. The
$10.5M project is well underway with construction due to
commence in late April.
In addition to project delivery, the future is looking bright
with our estimators remaining busy. The volume of tender
opportunities in the market is not slowing and the team
are busy working on some significant tenders for the
Bendigo and Warrnambool regions. We hope to be in
a position where we can provide some positive news in
coming months.
Recently, a few members of our Bendigo team played in
the Master Builders Golf Day and managed to come home
victorious. Congratulations to the winning team members
in Mick Josey, Rick Carson, Mark Miller and Aaron
Finnigan. Our South West team also entered a corporate
cup bowls competition. While winning was a long shot
everyone had a great time taking part over the six weeks
with plenty of laughs had by all.
On the staff front, Brad Van Den Bosch is taking some
well-earned long service leave; we wish he and Jacqui
a safe road trip around Australia. To say we are envious
would be an understatement! We welcome our graduate
staff members Cooper Roberts and Mikaela Campbell
who have joined our Geelong team and Tom Bunge who
has joined the South West team over the past months.
Rebecca Cottam has also joined us in a project admin role
while in her final years of study. Morgan Rogers has come
onboard in a Site Manager role working on the Werribee
Zoo project. The South West also welcomes Joel Forrester
who has commenced in a Development Site Manager role
with the Deakin Hycel team.

A solid start in
SOUTHERN TASMANIA
Delivering results in
NORTHERN TASMANIA
2023 has commenced in a similar fashion to the
conclusion of 2022 with both our Southern Construction
and Facility Management Divisions having a solid amount
of work secured for delivery this year.
Our Facility Management team has had busy start to the
year with 548 jobs undertaken so far. Works have included
completion of a renovation at Yaraandoo Residential Aged
Care in Somerset, security improvements for clients in St
Marys and Huonville, and a major skylight replacement on
an industrial warehouse in Rocherlea.
We completed the Hobart City High School Student Social
Space redevelopment ahead of Term 1, as well as new
Staff Toilets at Oatlands District School. We have resecured
our TasNetworks Facilities contract for a further 3 years
and have extended our TasNetworks Assets contract for a
further 12-month period.
In January the Risdon Prison Maintenance Contract was
released for tender for the first time since we commenced
the contract back in 2006. We are waiting for the outcome
of this tender, as well as two other significant fit out /
renovation projects in Southern Tasmania.
We are currently working with the Department of Health
for upgrades to several properties on King Island and have
also been successful with tenders for the renovation of
change rooms at the Domain Athletics Centre and the fit
out of Bulk Nutrients’ production facility south of Hobart.
Our Construction South team has recently completed Sixty
Six Burnett Street serviced accommodation and residential
apartments and the Sorell Emergency Services Hub, which
is home to Police, Fire and Emergency Services personnel.
Congratulations to the teams delivering these outstanding
projects.
At Sorell School, we’ve handed over the first stage
(Administration, 3-6 Building, 9-12 Building and Food
Building) for Term 1, which enables us to commence Stage
2 refurbishment in the old school as the teachers and
students have been decanted into the new facility. Well
done to our team and our sub-contractors for achieving
the tight construction time frames on this project.
79-89 Allunga Road, Chigwell is a 22-unit, medium density
social housing project. We have commenced internal fitout
and are pushing hard for completion to provide some
housing relief for those
in need.
The Elliott Apartments
has progressed well
since Christmas and
we are targeting the
revised completion
date of 28th April. This
has been a challenging
project, but we finally
have the end in sight.
Find us on social media
GENERAL MANAGER
SOUTHERN TASMANIA
PAUL RANSLEY
Bethlehem House is
another social housing
project underway, which has difficult site constraints due
to being situated on the busy Harrington Street. We are
continuing with the structure, with the Level 3 slab pour
occurring just prior to Easter. We have started the Ground
Floor services and finishes trades.
St Aloysius School in Kingston is transforming rapidly, with
both external landscaping and the internal refurbishment
progressing well.
Castray Apartments has had the original building reduced
back to a skeleton frame, before we could begin the
structural works for this impressive building. The team
have established a great working environment, set the
benchmark for safety culture and the clients are extremely
satisfied with our performance to date.
After a few slight setbacks and delays, works are now
underway on the MBA Training Facility at Cambridge
and the Glenson Place accommodation facility project
in Claremont for mental illness. Both projects are in their
early phases with excavation works continuing along with
inground services and structural concrete works.
The major highlight since our last newsletter, was to
secure the new Brighton High School project. Well done
to our estimating team on the quality of this estimate and
submission. This is a 2 year project, which creates a solid
back bone of work for our employees and needs to be
completed for the 2025 school year.
Welcome to all those new employees that have joined our
teams over the past few months. There are a number of
new faces, so please make them feel welcome.
Click!
GENERAL MANAGER
NORTHERN TASMANIA
MARCUS PERKINS
In a consistent theme
with other areas,
2023 has commenced
in the same manner
that 2022 finished, at
full momentum. The
commitment shown
from our employees to
step up and do what
is required to ensure
our projects meet their
obligations has once
again been exceptional.
On a positive note, we have employed 11 new apprentices
in the North of the state, who commenced in January.
Additionally, we have been fortunate to welcome some
high-quality recruits in Kellie Lockwood, Kirsty Rice, Will
Hoksbergen, Paul McCann and Sam Costello.
Two of our long-standing employees, John Cornell and
Shane Billing departed the business in February after an
exceptional 23 and 30 years of service respectively. We
wish them both all the best in their next ventures.
Construction North’s focus has remained squarely on
project delivery. This will change over the next month as
we complete work on the UTAS Stone Building, and the
labour support to UTAS River’s Edge easing.
UTAS Willis Street continues rapidly with the level 3 glue
laminated timber structure now complete and Aramax
roofing progressing well. The façade glazing is continuing
well, giving the feeling that enclosure isn’t far away.
Internally partitions, service rough ins, and plastering are
all progressing well.
UTAS Stone Building is now complete, which is a great
milestone. This project was logistically very difficult
given the existing building condition, site access and
coordination with other building users. Well done to Luke
Young, Robbie Blair, Duncan Saul and the rest of our team
for making this possible.
Completion of UTAS Rivers Edge is imminent and it is
looking phenomenal. Given the difficult site, complex
building and market conditions, the effort from our team
has been enormous and they should all be very proud of
the achievement.
St Lukes Health has now seen the concrete structure
completed to level 2, which has allowed us to commence
the installation of the glue laminated columns and beams,
and the cross laminated floor plates. The two 7 storey stair
cores are both complete to full height. These structures
utilised an innovative precast solution that allowed fast
erection and addressed the seismic requirements without
secondary steel connections.
Construction North West has seen a transition from major
projects to a larger quantity of mid-sized projects.
Mersey Community Hospital Outpatients Clinic and
Operating Theatres is now gaining momentum with all of
the E block ground floor slabs poured and the demolition
of C block completed. The next period will see the E
block concrete structure continue up to level 2 and the
structural remediation works commence on C block,
closely followed by service rough ins.
Work has commenced at Alpha Electrics’ new facility in
Somerset, which consists of a warehouse extension and
a new 2 level office block. In ground structure is now
complete, with steelwork and precast now underway.
Elphinstone’s Wynyard Machine Centre is well underway
with the piling works now well advanced and the complex
machine base is now underway. This project features a
highly complex in ground structure that is challenged by
poor soil conditions and a high water table.
Our Joinery Division has entered a period that is slower
than normal, after a very busy two years prior.
UTAS Rivers Edge has been the major focus and is nearing
completion. This project has required our joinery team
to go over and above to complete their scope in a very
condensed program. The completed product delivered
on this project is outstanding and demonstrates the
exceptional capability of our joinery division.
The manufacture of the custom LVL trusses for UTAS Willis
Street are now complete and delivered to site. The feature
lining of these trusses will occur insitu once the roof
structure and glazing in complete.
In Hobart, Sorell High School continues, as do the 3
packages at the Royal Hobart Hospital. Work is starting to
increase at both 225 Harrington Street and St Aloysius.
We have also completed a number of complex joinery
units for our Victorian team at the Bendigo Gov Hub
project.
What’s Building APRIL 2023 | Page 6
What’s Building APRIL 2023 | Page 7

Nominate a Charity to
Support
The Fairbrother
Foundation is delighted
to again be able to call
upon Fairbrother and
Degree C employees
to nominate charities
to receive a $2,000
donation. In recent
years, the Fairbrother
Foundation has donated
$2,500 each to 19 different charities – all as a result of
employee nominations.
Click here to view previous recipients
These donations occur over and above the strategic
charitable partnerships the Fairbrother Foundation has
with SPEAK UP! Stay ChatTY, Hobart City Mission, Carers
Tasmania, Guide Dogs Tasmania, UTAS, Royal Flying
Doctors Service and Pathways.
Inspired by his participation in the Fairbrother Rides
in 2021 and 2022, Fairbrother employee Sam Gray has
nominated charities across the past two years. Last year
he sought input from the businesses who had provided
support from the ride, with Reece Plumbing suggesting
Muscular Dystrophy Tasmania as a deserving nominee.
In 2021, his aim was to donate to a charity supported
through the Archie Bears 100 event, and so nominated
the Westpac Rescue Helicopter.
Fairbrother Foundation
CHARITY NOMINATION
FAIRBROTHER
FOUNDATION DIRECTOR
GAYE RUTHERFORD
I nominated a charity, as I
had recently been diagnosed
with coeliac disease and I
had been using a lot of the
learning resources from Coeliac
Australia.
I was over the moon when my
nominated charity was selected
to receive a donation, because
it means more funding can go
into researching coeliac disease
as well as creating awareness
about the disease.
Laura Parker
What’s Building APRIL 2023 | Page 8
Another nominee from 2022 was 65 Roses, a small
not-for-profit who rely heavily on fundraising to deliver
services to Tasmanians with Cystic Fibrosis, a genetic
condition that affects many systems of the body and has
no cure. The money donated provides direct support
for gym memberships, exercise equipment, medical
equipment, and other assistance.
I was so grateful for the amazingly generous donation
from the Fairbrother Foundation of $2,000 to kickstart
our campaign for Cystic Fibrosis Tasmania. In a time of
financial difficulty for many it is donations of this size
that can make a real difference to the overall success of
the fundraising month in May to raise awareness and
funds for CFT.
Jenny Hauser - Campaign Coordinator for 65 for CF
Challenge 2022
We recognise the Fairbrother Foundation is able to make
charitable donations because of the efforts of you: our
employees and key stakeholders. It is your generosity that
enable the Foundation to support so many well-deserving
organisations. As such, we relish this opportunity to reach
out to our employees to hear about the charities that
strongly resonate with your lives and experiences.
To nominate a charity, please email Foundation Chair,
Gaye Rutherford (grutherford@fairbrother.com.au) with
your suggestions by 30 April 2023.
Donations can only be made to charities that are
registered as Deductible Gift Recipients (DGRs). In your
email, please include the reasons why you would like this
charity to receive a Fairbrother Foundation donation.
Sam Gray
By getting others involved to
help decide who to nominate
- it gives rise to conversation
about the charities, their cause,
and the reasons to nominate
(in that particular year) for
the Fairbrother Foundation
donation.
Football has always been an important part of Josh
Arnold’s life.
Currently a Site Manager with Fairbrother at the Brighton
High School project, Josh started his football journey with
Claremont before joining the Glenorchy Magpies in 2008.
Having spent the last four years in various assistant roles,
he has been announced as Senior Coach for the 2023
Tasmanian State League Season.
“Probably about four years ago I was given the chance
to look after the backline, and I really enjoyed that
experience,” He said. “After the first year I got asked to do
it again, and then last year as Senior Assistant. This year I
was approached by the club and asked if I was interested
in taking the role on, and obviously said yes to help them
out.”
Commencing as a trade assistant in 2009, Josh began
his apprenticeship with Fairbrother a handful of months
later and has spent the last thirteen years working for the
company and progressing his career.
“I’ve been fortunate enough to work with some great
people and given some great opportunities, it’s been a
great journey so far.”
A commitment to growth is something that he believes
has assisted him throughout his career with Fairbrother
and his sporting career. There is an understanding
that maintaining commitment and dedication to the
organisation will lead to opportunities to stand up and
take the next step. In an industry where there are always
new innovations and products becoming available, it’s a
valuable insight.
“You’re always learning, there’s always something new,
and there’s also older guys or other people who you can
always seek feedback off and ask questions,” Josh said.
“I think that’s really important – you can never just be
content with what you know, you’ve got to continue to
want to grow as a person, ask plenty of questions, and
continue to learn.”
As his career moves forward, Josh has found himself
as one of those experienced people who now has the
position of responsibility with new, younger generations
coming through. As both coach and Fairbrother Site
Manager, his commitment to continual learning and
personal growth is a trait to pass on.
“There’s always plenty of eyes on you,” He said. “You
know that they’ll copy what you do, so if you’re doing the
Practicing Leadership
ON AND OFF THE FIELD
What’s Building APRIL 2023 | Page 9
right things in training and being a good role model, you
hope that it sets a good message for them.”
With leadership comes a shift in perspective. As a
footballer, the move into coaching has led to a shift in
his perspective of the game, seeing the bigger picture
and looking beyond his own role into a more holistic
perspective and understanding how each player on the
field needs to play their own role for the team to succeed.
This translates back to his workplace perspective, with a
solid understanding that each person on site has their own
responsibility to see the project completed successfully.
“To succeed, it’s obviously going to be a part of the end
goal, and that’s no different with the project,” He said.
“You want guys to flourish in their roles and be able to
help you get to the end result. That’s the ultimate goal, to
start the job and to deliver a project on time, on budget,
with a quality finish.”
Prioritising and fostering a strong team environment is a
significant aspect of creating a positive and strong culture.
In today’s fast-paced working environment, an emphasis
on teamwork and a focus on team members can be
influential in achieving success.

In 2023, Fairbrother has continued our commitment to
the construction industry, by providing opportunities for
future generations with the employment of 15 new firstyear
apprentices, who all had the opportunity to meet as
a group in Campbell Town during February and get some
additional insights into the company, and what the next
four years of their apprenticeship will be like.
They were treated to insights from Fairbrother leadership,
including CEO Kurt Arnold, who began his career as a
Fairbrother apprentice and has progressed through the
ranks over the years. Company founder, Royce Fairbrother
also provided insights into the industry and the history of
the company.
Mitch MacPherson from SPEAK UP! Stay ChatTY was also
on the list of speakers, talking through mental health and
the importance of communication and being open.
“It’s really eye-opening,” Caiden, one of three first-year
Welcome new
APPRENTICES
What’s Building APRIL 2023 | Page 10
joinery apprentices said. “It gives you more meaning
behind the trade than just working.”
The apprentices have all made great starts to their
Fairbrother careers, and the first-year apprentice day is
designed to help settle them into the company culture,
and gain a deeper understanding of Fairbrother, but also
of life.
“They have settled in well and shown that they are
keen learners and eager to gain the necessary skills
and knowledge to be successful apprentices,” Matthew
Scrimgeour, Apprentice Program Manager said. “They
have been showing steady improvement since starting,
asking questions and showing an interest in what they are
doing.”
We’re excited to continue to watch the growth and
development of these incredible young people.
Congratulations, also, to Kynan West and Jordan Gale, who completed
their joinery and cabinetmaking apprenticeships in January, and have
stepped into roles as fully qualified tradespeople in our Joinery team.
Well done Kynan and Jordan!
Congratulations
2022 Employee of the Year
TOM WOODMAN
Commencing with Fairbrother in 2019, Tom is a Project
Coordinator in our South West Victorian division. His
willingness to learn and take on new challenges is
a characteristic that has been noted right from the
beginning of his Fairbrother career.
Tom was instrumental in the successful delivery of
the Werribee Police Complex, and has more recently
played a leadership role in the successful delivery of
the Armstrong Creek Community Hub. This is where
Tom’s dedication and commitment has risen to the fore.
Commencing on this challenging project, Tom worked
through procurement before moving to a site-based
coordination role in the early to mid-part of the project.
He then basically assumed the Project Manager role
while Rohan Eves was in the midst of helping secure the
Werribee Zoo project.
A commitment to his role and a fantastic positive attitude
to getting things done has made Tom a crucial member
of the South West Victorian team, and to Fairbrother as a
whole. He has a bright future ahead in his career, and we
look forward to seeing his continued development over
the coming years with Fairbrother.
2022 Apprentice of the Year
NATHAN SMITH
What’s Building APRIL 2023 | Page 11
Nathan commenced his Carpentry Apprenticeship with
Fairbrother in January 2019, and in the years since, he
has developed into a capable young tradesman.
Signs of his excellent attitude and work ethic were
recognised from the beginning of his apprenticeship, with
his subforeman noting in his first apprentice appraisal his
aptitude to pick things up quickly, follow instructions, and
use his own initiative when required.
He has shown a commitment to learning and
development throughout his apprenticship, taking on
extra training to complete his Certificate IV in Building
and Constrction in 2022, and currently undertaking
his Certificate III in Workplace Health and Safety –
a prerequisite for a Workplace Supervisor role at
Fairbrother.
As a young apprentice straight out of year 10, Nathan
quickly caught up to those apprentices who had a Cert
II advantage and was comfortably signed off on 15th
November, well before his nominal completion date,
having met all requirements well ahead of time.

Contemporary Education
LEARNING STREET
The new Brighton High School is a significant project for
the southern Tasmanian community. Opening in 2025,
the facility will take students from Bagdad, Brighton, and
Kempton primary schools, a testament to the area being
one of Tasmania’s fastest growing regions in recent years.
The state-of-the-art facility, designed by JAWS Architects,
is the largest public infrastructure project in the state for
ten years. The $45 million project will provide space for
600 students between grades 7-12.
“We’re thrilled to be able to educate our local children
in our local area now,” Leigh Gray, Brighton Mayor said.
“No longer will we have 7 or 8 buses traveling out of our
municipality every morning.”
A key feature of the school is the landscaped ‘Learning
Street’ that flows through the middle of the school.
Providing space for outdoor education, the Learning Street
will allow students to engage in learning beyond the
classroom space.
A connection with the land was a key aspect in the design
process from JAWS Architects. Recognising the importance
of the Jordan River / kutalyna as an important boundary
between Big River Nation and Oyster Bay Nation in the
history of Tasmanian Aboriginals.
“I think it’s going to be a great initiative for them to –
among other things – learn about the local aboriginal
culture here, and everything that goes with contemporary
learning.” Neal Mackintosh, Managing Director of JAWS
Architects said.
This facilitation of external learning is achieved through
the orientation of the structures on site to provide
protection against strong winds, and the development of
learning spacers both for group learning and individual
study.
The school will be made up of five primary buildings,
including a multipurpose hall that will provide gymnasium
and performing arts facilities. Alongside this will be spaces
for wood and metal work; science labs; systems and
robotics; arts, and general learning classrooms. External
features beyond the ‘Learning Street’ include a sporting
field and two basketball courts.
The project is a significant one for Fairbrother, with up to
150 workers expected to be on site at full capacity.
“We’ve got a lot of guys, both subcontractors and
those who work for us directly who are connected to
the Brighton Municipality,” Phil De Jong, Manager –
Construction, Southern Tasmania for Fairbrother said.
“It’s a really good opportunity for us as a construction
company to continue to employ local workers and
apprentices, and invest in the future.”
With the school taking its first students in 2025, the
project is due to be completed in December 2024, with
the majority of the buildings being handed over in
October 2024.
What’s Building APRIL 2023 | Page 12
What’s Building APRIL 2023 | Page 13

Riding for charity
FAIRBROTHER RIDE 2023
Getting together
25 YEAR CLUB
To all our Fairbrother Ride cyclists and support crew -
once again, THANK YOU!
On behalf of our team here at Fairbrother, we would like
to thank all of you for your role in making the Fairbrother
Ride another successful event in 2023.
Other than the 20 minutes or so where around half the
group were stuck in a torrential down pour, the weather
was rather kind to us this year. It’s always a relief to make
it through an event like this without incident, so to all our
riders and crew - thanks for all your care and attention
while on the road.
We’re extremely grateful to be reporting the donations
tally has landed at $95,796!
This year marked the 5th annual event and has now
attracted a combined total of more than $340,000
in donations supporting the Fairbrother Foundation
over this period. These funds allow the Foundation to
continue to build on its important community work, as
well as its key partnerships with Hobart City Mission,
SPEAK UP! Stay ChatTY, New Horizons, the Royal Flying
Doctor Service, Action Against Homelessness, The Smith
Family, and the Biggest Ever Blokes Lunch in Bendigo.
Since the Fairbrother Foundation’s establishment in 2007,
we have now contributed more than $726,000 to worthy
charitable causes that has helped enrich the lives of many
people among our community.
Once again, thank you for your support this year. You can
keep track of the Foundation’s community support and
activities on our webpage and through our social media
channels.
At the beginning of April, our 25 year club held their
annual gathering at Ghost Rock Wines and Cellar Door.
Whilst spending some valuable time together, five new
members were welcomed into the club, having ticked over
25 years of service for Fairbrother and Degree C.
Trent Madden from Degree C, and Steve Gergely, John
‘Froggy’ Ayres, Heath Lovell, and Glenn Marshall all from
Fairbrother were inducted into the club.
We’re proud to say that we now have over fifty 25 year
club members, with 37 from Fairbrother and a further 15
members from Degree C.
Congratulations and thank you to all of the new inductees
for your commitment; and it was great to see everyone
who was able to make it on the day!
Years of
SERVICE
10 years 15 years 20 years 25 Years
Robert Wardlaw
Luke Wardlaw
Daniel Young
Joel Mahoney
Murray Wise
Daniel Fox
Dion Clarke
Gilbert Steenhuis
Steve Gergely
What’s Building APRIL 2023 | Page 14
What’s Building APRIL 2023 | Page 15

CLIENT: Hobart Property & Securities Pty Ltd
VALUE: $29 million
ARCHITECT: Andrew McKeller Info and Design
PROJECT MANAGER: Murray Wise
SITE MANAGER: Mitch Direen
PHOTOS: Josh Mitchell
Urban development
INFILL HOUSING
Urban Development is a significant issue facing many cities
around the world, with Hobart being no exception. One
solution to aid with growing populations in cities is infill
housing, making use of underused land in urban areas for
the development of new homes and apartment buildings.
A great example of this concept is in Fairbrother’s recently
completed 66 Burnett Street in North Hobart.
Making use of a former automotive repair centre, the
3014m2 site takes up a significant footprint within the
interior of the metropolitan city block in the popular
North Hobart district. With convenient access to the
very popular North Hobart strip, residents have access
to a smorgasbord of famous culinary choices and a wide
variety of conveniences.
It was the proximity to this vibrant cultural space that
made the location ideal for an infill housing development,
providing 50 new residential apartments and an additional
29 serviced apartments in central Hobart.
What’s Building APRIL 2023 | Page 16
Originally slated as a five-storey development, the
“cream on top,” came during the build with approval
for a sixth floor to be constructed being received, which
had significant impacts on aspects of the build that were
already in place, including fire protection systems.
“Initially the building only required sprinkler systems in
the car park and reception area,” Murray Wise, Fairbrother
Project Manager said. “As soon as we went to the next
level though; the whole building had to be sprinkled.”
The use of precast concrete panels in the construction
provided the team with means to feed the additional
sprinkler systems into the construction, allowing for an
easily coordinated adjustment in the build requirements.
The additional level also required mid-project
management for design and structural requirements,
which led to “some late nights and headaches, but we got
there in the end.”
An additional challenge within the project was the
importation of many of the fittings and other supplies,
particularly with well-known supply chain issues in recent
times.
“We had 16 containers of material and supplies when
the Ukraine invasion happened,” Mr Wise said. “They left
urgently at the time in fear that they might be delayed
– which would almost certainly have happened had we
left it any longer. It was a juggle to manage it all when it
first arrived, but it ended up putting us in a good position
program-wise and probably helped us to finish the build
five weeks ahead of schedule.”
The build team managed logistics exceptionally well
given the confines of the site location. With up to 150
subcontractors on site at times, space was at a premium,
and being an infill site, consideration for the surrounding
areas was paramount.
“We had a great rapport with the neighbours, I think,” Mr
Wise said. “City Mission have been fantastic, and we had a
great relationship with the Republic Bar who allowed us to
hire some of their space to use as an office for a time.”
With construction now complete, 66 Burnett Street is a
great example for the city of how effective unused spaces
can be filled to provide new and innovative housing
solutions. With housing being a hot topic in urban
development discussions, infill housing projects like this
one are sure to become more prolific in the years to come.
What’s Building APRIL 2023 | Page 17

Fairbrother
SPONSORED ATHLETES
Sam Clifford has had a strong season, with a good couple
of runs at the St Helens Carnival placing second and third
in the 1000 metres and the mile. Sam also reached the
final in the 1500m event at the Australian Track and Field
Championships in early April, and won the Devonport Bluff
2 Boat Ramp.
Another Fairbrother athlete, Daniel Aurik is competing in
the AusCycling MTB National Series season, starting things
off with 12th and 13th in his races in Canberra in January.
The Tas Uni – Fairbrother Development Team of cyclists
have had some exciting results in recent months, with
current team member Lachie Oliver, alumni Alex Eaves and
Samuel McKee, and team mate Hayden Vander Ploeg taking
gold in the National U19 Team Pursuit at the Junior 19
National Championships held in Brisbane in March.
Team members Oliver Sims and Maya Martin also
performed well at the AusCycling MTB National
Championships in Thredbo, with Maya standing on the
podium in both her races. A crash in the first race saw Ollie
fall back through the field after being well placed for a top 5
finish, before bouncing back in his second race for a strong
showing in 5th.
The development team also welcomed new member,
Catelyn Turner. A Launceston-based rider who is currently
studying at the University of Adelaide, Catelyn comes from
a triathlon background, prior to putting her focus into
cycling.
Through our support of Triathlon Tasmania and the
Fairbrother Junior Development Squad, this year saw
an increase in juniors wanting to represent Tasmania
at the School Sport Australia Triathlon and Aquathlon
Championships, with 16 competitors representing 12
schools across the state. All were wonderful ambassadors
of the sport and the standout performances were Jack
Woodberry who claimed the Intermediate Boys Triathlon
Championship and Harry Jackson who claimed silver in the
Boys Aquathlon Championship.
The Fairbrother Junior Development Squad also had their
last camp for the season during the Devonport Triathlon
weekend. The camp provided a great opportunity to
see the best triathletes in the world compete and it was
wonderful to see Jake Birtwhistle take another win here in
Tasmania and back up his stellar performance at IRONMAN
70.3.
Congratulations to all of our sponsored athletes on your
great performances so far in 2023!
What’s Building APRIL 2023 | Page 18
Sam Clifford - LivEat Bluff 2 Boat Ramp
Photo: Neil Duff
Photo: Tas Uni - Fairbrother
Development Team
Follow on Facebook
A Steadfast
HERITAGE RESTORATION
Built in 1854, the property at 336 Elizabeth Street in North
Hobart has seen a variety of uses over its nearly 170 year
history. Most recently used as multi-tenancy consulting
rooms, Steadfast Insurance had a need to convert the
building into a single, contemporary office space.
“As COVID changed the way many businesses operate
on a day-to-day basis, our vision was to make the new
environment a combination of a welcoming office and a
home,” Hayley Phillips, Director of Steadfast Insurance
said. “We were able to achieve this by removing some
walls to open up the old heritage building and allow far
more light in.
Having had several identities and purposes throughout
its history, the building had seen several previous
renovations. As such, removal of internal modifications
that had been completed in the 1960s and 1990s allowed
the building to be returned to something more closely
resembling its original floor plan and layout. One aim of
the project was to provide a finish sympathetic to the
existing building fabric, providing a blend of modern
contemporary functionality while remaining respectful to
the historical features.
In managing the heritage value of the property, a number
of aspects were left exposed including chimneys and
fireplaces, and the historical red brick structure in several
places which contrasts with the new wall lining.
What’s Building APRIL 2023 | Page 19
CLIENT: Steadfast Insurance
VALUE: $950,000
ARCHITECT: CYKEL
SITE MANAGER: Rob Innes
PHOTO: Rob Burnett
“Our favourite part of the building is the featured old
brickwork that is highlighted at the top and bottom of the
beautiful old stair rail,” Ms Phillips said.
The internal layout features a modern open-plan office
structure, with timber screens offering a sense of privacy
between desks. Existing timber was reclaimed and used
where possible, particularly the hardwood floorboards
which were reclaimed after being removed to allow for
under floor cabling and ducting. Timber skirting boards
were also hand planned to best match with the existing
period fitout.
With the site being located at the southern end of the
popular North Hobart strip, accessibility was a challenge
and vehicular access was only available from a single
direction on Elizabeth Street. With an active radio station
on one side and a popular hospitality venue on the other,
it was important to ensure noisy works were scheduled
effectively to avoid disruption.
The project cemented a strong client relationship formed
through the completion of a previous similar project for
Steadfast on a smaller scale in Launceston.
“The Fairbrother Facility Management and Degree C
teams were so accommodating of our every wish, even
if we had a few changes along the way,” Ms Phillips said.
“We couldn’t be more thrilled with the overall result.”

Summer Fun Runs
HEALTH AND WELLBEING
Congratulations to all of the Fairbrother employees who
participated in the various fun runs across Tasmania and
Victoria in the first few months of 2023.
In Hobart, Matt Legro and Travis Smith completed the
famous Run the Bridge in March with their children,
and Mohammed Nihal and his partner Kajal Sharma
completing the Bendigo Ford Fun Run in Victoria.
Then at Devonport’s Bluff to Boat Ramp, the road was
shared by Dylan Graham, Rebecca De Groot, Ben Hawkes,
Georgia Buchwald and Meredith Irvine.
We must also congratulate Fairbrother’s sponsored
athlete, Sam Clifford, on crossing the line first in
Devonport with a fantastic time of 30:08.
As part of our Health and Wellbeing program,
Fairbrother will support you to participate in local fun
runs, including covering the registration cost, as well as
receiving a t-shirt and water bottle.
Want to challenge yourself?
Upcoming events include:
• Launceston Running Festival (11 June 2023)
• Torquay 10km (6 August 2023)
• Burnie 10 (29 October 2023)
• Hobart Point to Pinnacle (19 November 2023)
If you’d like to participate in one of these events, or know of something happening in your area that’s not listed, send an
email to Rachel Clemens for further details: rclemens@fairbrother.com.au
CLICK HERE TO VIEW MORE FAIRBROTHER PROJECTS
What’s Building, Issue 106 APRIL 2023
Fairbrother newsletter
Head Office
12 Stony Rise Road
Devonport Tasmania 7310
P: (03) 6420 7000
E: info@fairbrother.com.au
W: www.fairbrother.com.au
Editor:
Ph: (03) 6420 7000
E: communications@fairbrother.com.au
Contact the Editor if you have an article or
project to share in the newsletter
Next issue: AUGUST 2023
Connect with Us!