Building and Construction Award [MA000020]

This page is a summary of who the Building and Construction Award covers and doesn’t cover. Find a copy of the award at Building and Construction Award.

Learn how to calculate pay rates and check entitlements from Find pay rates and entitlements.

On this page:

Who the Building and Construction Award covers

The Building and Construction Award covers employers in the building and construction industry and their employees who fit within the classifications of the award.

The building and construction industry means work done on-site, including:

  • general building and construction
  • civil construction
  • metal and engineering construction.

General building and construction

General building and construction includes:

  • any construction, alteration, extension, restoration, repair, maintenance, demolition or dismantling of buildings, structures or works that form part of land
  • site clearance work including earth-moving, excavation and site restoration work
  • any landscaping work or installation work associated with a general building and construction project.

Civil construction

Civil construction includes any construction, repair, maintenance or demolition of:

  • civil and mechanical engineering projects
  • car parks (except car park buildings and car parks that are within a building)
  • power transmission, light, television, radio, communication, radar, navigation and observation towers or structures
  • power houses, chemical plants or hydrocarbons and/or oil treatment plants or refineries
  • silos
  • sports and entertainment complexes.

It includes the following work if it is in connection with civil construction work as defined above:

  • traffic management
  • dredging and sluicing work
  • construction work for landscape gardens
  • batch plants and precast yards.

Civil construction also includes the construction of:

  • roads, railways and tramways
  • water and sewerage works
  • dams, channels, water works and pipe tracks
  • bridges and tunnels
  • drains or conduits.

Metal and engineering construction

Metal and engineering construction includes metal trades work where it is for construction, fabrication, erection and/or installation work related to:

Examples of employers and employees covered by the Building and Construction Award include:

  • power stations, oil refineries, terminals and depots, and chemical, petro-chemical and hydrocarbon plants
  • major industrial and commercial undertakings and associated plant, plant facilities and equipment
  • plant, plant facilities and equipment for chemicals and minerals
  • transmission towers, lines and associated plant, plant facilities and equipment
  • lifts and escalators.

It also includes maintenance, repair and servicing work (not including minor work) in connection with contracts for on-site metal and engineering construction work.

Examples of employers and employees covered by the Building and Construction Award include:

  • domestic and commercial building companies
  • labourers and assistants
  • forklift, excavator and other machinery drivers/operators
  • concrete workers
  • scaffolders
  • traffic controllers
  • pool installers, repairers and restorers
  • tradespersons such as bricklayers, carpenters, locksmiths, plasterers, painters, roof tilers and tile layers and apprentices in these trades.

The Building and Construction Award also covers labour hire businesses and their employees who are placed with an organisation in the building and construction industry.

Check the award for full information on who is covered and the classification descriptions.

Source reference: Building and Construction General On-site Award [MA000020] clauses 2, 4 and schedule A

Who the Building and Construction Award doesn't cover

The Building and Construction Award doesn’t cover employees when they are covered by one of the following awards:

  • Black Coal Award
  • Electrical Award
  • Joinery Award
  • Manufacturing Award
  • Mining Award
  • Plumbing Award
  • Pre-mixed Concrete Award
  • the quarrying industry as defined in clause 4.3 of the Cement, Lime and Quarrying Award.

Check the award for full information on coverage and classifications.

Source reference: Building and Construction General On-site Award [MA000020] clauses 2, 4 and schedule A

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