The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission is proposing to re-authorise the brick and block manufacturing industry to continue to apply a levy on the sale of clay brick and concrete masonry products.
The Australian Brick & Blocklaying Training Foundation (ABBTF), Think Brick Australia and the Concrete Masonry Association of Australia are seeking to apply the levy to fund programs to address a shortage of trained bricklayers.
Think Brick Australia and the Concrete Masonry Association of Australia will match the funds raised.
The levy adds around $15 to the cost of building the average house. It will be used to continue to fund programs run by the ABBTF to promote bricklaying apprenticeships to school leavers and bricklayers and to assist apprentices in completing their training.
“The programs funded by the levy help address the problem of a shortage of bricklayers, by making it easier to take on an apprentice, which will encourage more bricklayers to do so,” ACCC Commissioner Dr Jill Walker said.
“Having enough apprentices means construction is less likely to be held up due to labour shortages, which reduces the cost of building.”
Authorisation provides statutory protection from court action for conduct that might otherwise raise concerns under the competition provisions of the Competition and Consumer Act 2010. Broadly, the ACCC may grant an authorisation when it is satisfied that the public benefit from the conduct outweighs any public detriment.