Blog Grid

WA Premier Mark McGowan was in Collie on Friday to open the Koolinup Emergency Services Centre constructed by Perkins Builders. The centre will act as a training school and manage major emergencies in the South West. The hub will function as the state’s first regionally-based level three incident control centre, during major emergencies in the South West, and the facility will also be a base for an emergency driving training school for DFES staff and other volunteers. Twelve DFES staff will now be based at the Collie complex and even more jobs are set to be created with a modern firefighting appliance manufacturing facility soon opening nearby.

To see the full press release please visit the Premier’s website here or our project page here.

Perkins Builders is committed to the philosophy of striving to maintain an injury free workplace in all of our operations. Perkins Builders recognises that effective management of safety, health and environmental protection requires the commitment and dedication of our employees to identify any potential workplace hazards, assess the associated risks and implement, and review control measures to ensure they are effective in eliminating the hazard or reducing the risk.

As such, further to receiving the 2021 MBA WA Excellence in Workplace Health and Safety Performance Award for the Perth Airport International Gate Upgrade project, Perkins Builders are extremely pleased to announce that we are a Finalist for the 2021 National Master Builders Australia Excellence in Workplace Health and Safety Performance Award. This award is the pinnacle of honours for the commercial construction industry nationally and serves as fantastic recognition of both Perkins’ and Perth Airport’s commitment to workplace health and safety, zero harm philosophy, the effective management of WHS and specifically the underpinning collaborative approach between the Perkins and Perth Airport HSE Teams, notably Matthew Stafford and Brian Dargie, for the duration of the project.

Perth Airport International Gate Upgrade project was an extremely complex project, completed within a highly operational and high-risk working environment; whilst working airside and abiding to all security and sterile requirements. COVID-19 increased the level of complexity and restrictions for the duration of the project. Perkins Builders are exceptionally proud of its project team and their extraordinary commitment and effort in completing and delivering such a complex and operationally high-risk project, with no serious or reportable injuries sustained for the duration of the project.

October is National Work Safe Month, and there is no better time for the official launch of Perkins’ Safety Campaign

‘who is waiting at home for you’

It doesn’t get simpler than just this one question! Who or what is the reason for you to work safely and leave work every day? This is the key and sole purpose of our safety campaign. Your answer is our single most important reason!

Nothing you do today or tomorrow on the job site, at the office or your place of work is more important than you leaving work in the same shape as when you arrived.

We all have somewhere better to be, someone waiting for us, depending on us. Something or someone that we love. It could be your wife, partner, child, parents, siblings, friends, a pet, your cherished car or motorbike, a favourite place / your happy place.

We go to work for many reasons, we don’t go to work with the intention of getting hurt or hurting someone else; slow down, look out for one another and please work safely.

Nothing you do today is more important than you going home tonight.

On each of our Perkins sites you will see the above sign, encouraging everyone on site and who passes by our sites to take a moment and think about their who or what, to remember why they are working safely.  You will also see a series of posters, designed to keep the conversation going, prompting more thought and to demonstrate our Managing Director’s commitment to health and safety at Perkins.

October is National Safe Work Month— a time to commit to building a safe and healthy workplace.

During October each year, we ask our workers to commit to safe and healthy workplaces for all.

Being healthy and safe means being free from physical and psychological harm. No job should be unsafe and no death or injury is acceptable. A safe and healthy workplace benefits everyone.

The theme for National Safe Work Month this year is

think safe. work safe. be safe.

Think Safe – the first step to thinking about workplace health and safety; plan, identify risks and maintain healthy and safe work places.

Work Safe – the implementation of work health and safety measures is the next vital step to manage the risks and includes the practical steps you can take to reduce risk and avoid workplace incidents.

Be Safe – Consider your actions at work, being safe is the ongoing process of managing and monitoring work health and safety risks. It’s not a one off, it’s every day.

To learn more about National Safe Work Month and Safe Work Australia, please visit their website. 

This week we welcomed our seventh employee to our 20 Years of Service Club – our Asset and Logistics Supervisor, Todd Wallrodt!

Working ‘behind the scenes’, Todd always has his eye on the big picture, making things happen. Todd works diligently to assist all departments and displays great initiative and problem solving, providing safe, efficient, and cost-effective solutions.

On behalf of the team, congratulations and thank you, Todd!

Perkins Builders are extremely proud to have taken home a number of awards at the Master Builders Association of Western Australia South West Building Excellence Awards held on Friday 3rd September at the Lighthouse Hotel in Bunbury. Each award is testament to the hard work and dedication of our teams, our valued subcontractors and suppliers.

Our Bunbury Senior High School Cafeteria project was awarded Best Education Building $1.5M-$5M. Built on elevated on raking columns to meet the existing quadrangle, the innovative design sees the new Cafeteria overlook the ocean and school oval, featuring a full commercial kitchen and providing a safe place for students to purchase and enjoy their lunch. Additional works included the demolition of the old canteen and redevelopment of the quadrangle.

The Western Power Pinjarra Depot was awarded with Best Office Building $10M-$20M. Designed and constructed by Perkins Builders, the purpose-built facility allows Western Power to provide t​he same high-quality service, delivery, and response times for Peel customers, while being able to meet future demands for the growing region. The facility improved employee safety through a more operationally efficient design and is powered with renewable energy. Officially opened in November 2020, the depot forms a part of Western Power’s depot modernisation program.

Perkins would like to once again thank our valued clients, subcontractors, suppliers, consultants, and of course the Perkins team; the outstanding result is testament to the collaborative effort of all involved.

And finally, we were awarded Employer Trainer of the Year – Commercial at the 2021 South West Building Excellence Awards by Master Builders Association of WA. This award recognises all aspects of our employee training and development programs, from apprenticeships and traineeships to internal training program, ongoing professional development and external training and education. Perkins Builders have always demonstrated our commitment to training the next generation of builders and developing both the industry specific and overall workplace skills of our entire team. This award is a testament to our dedication to be an employer of choice and a fantastic acknowledgement of our comprehensive training and development programs.

Did you know that every year, 190 Australians working in the construction industry take their own lives? Or that construction workers are six times more likely to die from suicide than an accident at work?

As one of Western Australia’s largest regional builders, we understand more than most what it is to be an important component of a network in which staff, subcontractors and suppliers are all part of the broader community. We believe our people are and always will be our greatest asset, which is why we choose to invest in their future, their health, their safety and their wellbeing through a number of different programs; it’s why we have chosen to partner with MATES in Construction.

Mates in Construction is a charity who aims to reduce the high level of suicide among Australian Construction Workers. The MATES program is based on the simple idea that suicide is everyone’s business. If the building and construction industry in Australia is to improve the mental health and well-being of workers and reduce suicide, then it cannot be left to mental health professionals: everyone in the industry must play their part.

This partnership with Mates is a natural progression of our long time support of the fantastic role that Mates in Construction undertakes on behalf of all in the industry and reflects the importance Perkins places on the health of all in the construction community.

On Thursday 26th August, we farewelled our Finance Officer Sharron Davies as she ventured off into Retirement. Sharron (or Shaz as she is affectionately known) has been a core member of our Finance Team for 15 years and whilst many things have changed in those years, Shaz has been a constant in the Finance Team providing support to many across the Perkins Group. She has always been a great supporter of our team building and social events and has been a fantastic mentor to our new employees.

Thank you, Shaz for your dedication and hard work – we wish you the very best on your next adventure into retirement!

On Friday 9th July, Perkins Builders celebrated the retirement of two of our longest serving Site Managers, Pete Leaman and Colin Westbrook.

Pete and Colin have collectively overseen so many interesting and varied projects over their 25 and 20 years of service respectively;  including projects such as the Bunbury Civic Centre, Bunbury Forum Redevelopment, the Donnybrook Town Centre Redevelopment and Armstrong Village Aged Care Facility.

Perkins would like to recognise and thank both Pete and Colin for their hard work, dedication and loyalty and wish them both the very best in their retirement.