Master Builders Western Australia — May-June 2017

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Wawn appointed Master Builders Australia CEO


In announcing her appointment, which came
into effect in March, Master Builders’ national
president Dan Perkins said Mrs Wawn’s
qualities, skills and experience as a highly-
accomplished industry leader and advocate
saw her emerge as the successful candidate
from a comprehensive recruitment process.

Deceptive use of safety laws condemned


Master Builders Australia has joined those
calling out new ACTU Secretary Sally
McManus for claims that it is unjust for union
offi cials to have to provide 24 hours’ notice
to enter building sites when lives are at risk.

“State and Territory WHS laws provide union
offi cials with the right to enter worksites to
inquire into safety contraventions,” Master
Builders Australia’s national industrial
relations director Shaun Schmitke said.

“The claim from ACTU Secretary Sally
McManus that union offi cials have to provide
24 hours’ notice is misleading and seeks
to deceive the public into believing building
unions are prevented from protecting their
members,” he said.

Union offi cials are required to show
their entry permits and produce simple
documentation to gain entry to worksites to
look into safety issues. If union offi cials are
concerned about lives being at risk State
and Territory WHS regulators can be called.

“The CFMEU are not safety regulators,”
Mr Schmitke said. “Government agencies
exist in every State and Territory with

trained specialists whose job it is to respond
and investigate safety concerns. These
agencies are run by Government and paid for
by taxpayers.

“They have 24-hour contact lines for
emergency safety concerns. Rather than
breaking the law, the fi rst step is to tell a
specialist agency with trained professionals,
emergency response capacity and authority
to prevent and shut down dangerous work
practices. Rules about safety on building sites
should not be used in a deceptive way,”
Mr Schmitke said.

Master Builders Australia’s new CEO Denita Wawn with retiring CEO Wilhelm Harnisch (left) and national president Dan Perkins


Master Builders Australia CEO Denita Wawn

“The board is confi dent that Mrs Wawn’s
leadership will see the implementation of its
vision for Master Builders as a modern, credible
and infl uential national voice for its more
than 32,000 members,” he said. “Denita has
impeccable credentials for success including
her wealth of experience spearheading game
changing advocacy and industrial relations
campaigns at the National Farmers Federation
and the Australian Hotels Association.”

Mr Perkins said that as CEO of the Brewers
Association of Australia and New Zealand,
Mrs Wawn implemented a highly successful
reputational change strategy at a national and
international level.

“Denita has spent the past 12 months as
general manager operations at Master Builders,
giving her a strong foundation to understand
the issues impacting on Master Builders and
our members,” Mr Perkins said. “The board
is excited by her leadership, strong grasp of
the factors which drive success in industry
associations and her passionate commitment
for standing up for the interests of members.”

Master Builders Australia’s board has
announced the appointment of Denita Wawn
as the organisation’s new chief executive
offi cer representing the $200 billion building
and construction industry.


Mrs Wawn is Master Builders’ fi rst female CEO
in its 127-year history and only the third CEO
in 30 years.


“Unions are not above the law and her
deceptive use of safety laws in an effort to
excuse unlawful union conduct treats the
community with contempt particularly given
that State and Territory WHS laws provide
union offi cials the right to enter worksites
to inquire into safety contraventions,” Mrs
Wawn said. “Safety on building sites is
simply too important to be used in pursuit of
the union’s industrial and political agenda.”

Ms Wawn said that given the evidence
of the CFMEU’s ingrained culture of
unlawfulness exposed by the Heydon
Royal Commission, it was curious that Ms
McManus disagreed with the Federal Court
when it said recently that the conduct of
the CMFEU brings the whole trade union
movement into disrepute and cannot
be tolerated.

“The community has a right to expect better
from unions and their leaders,” she said.

Recently appointed Master Builders Australia
CEO Denita Wawn used an appearance at
the National Press Club to also condemn
Ms McManus’s comments.

12 REPORTS general news
MAY–JUNE 2017
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