Master Builders Names Fairbrother Chair as Leader

A former Master Builders Apprentice of the Year is the peak body’s new national president.

Board member Craig Edmunds will assume the role after a unanimous board vote.

Edmunds has been a board member since 2015 and is the former Tasmanian president of Master Builders.

He follows outgoing president Simon Butt, who led the organisation for three years.

Skills and labour pathways will be a particular passion and focus for Edmunds, a spokesperson told The Urban Developer. The incoming president began his career as a Master Builders Apprentice of the Year before ascending the corporate ranks.

Edmunds, former chief executive and current chair of Tasmanian construction company Fairbrother, has also flagged his intention to continue Butt’s advocacy during a difficult period for the sector, including in the sphere of industrial relations.

▲ The MBA’s new president, Craig Edmunds.

Master Builders Australia said it remained engaged with the federal government, seeking to reform the proposed Fair Work Legislation Amendment (Secure Jobs, Better Pay) Bill 2022. 

In its current form, the Bill proposes to introduce multi-employer bargaining and abolish the ABCC.

“Simon has successfully led Master Builders into a new era of advocacy and positioned the organisation as the pre-eminent national advocate for the building and construction industry,” Edmunds said in a statement.

“The industry is facing many challenges as we emerge from the pandemic and head into more precarious economic headwinds.

“Master Builders will continue to work constructively with Government to tackle some of the challenges around regulatory backlogs, supply chain disruptions, and the skills pipeline to ensure the industry remains profitable and sustainable while meeting housing and infrastructure demands.”