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“Quantity Surveyor” in the news…
Headline News
Somalia - Islamists vow to free British hostages from pirates
Maslah Yare, one of the pirates, claimed that the eyesight of Paul Chandler, a 60-year-old retired quantity surveyor, was deteriorating rapidly. [Times On Line]
United Kingdom - RICS set for showdown with ‘big eight’ QSs
A group of the largest QS firms in the country will hold crunch talks with the RICS next month to discuss the profession’s grievances against the institution. [www.building.co.uk]
Belfast Ireland - Home owner hits out at ‘absolute disgrace’ after landslide
“It's an absolute disgrace,” said Maria, a quantity surveyor. “If 32 houses were built in a development with a wall that clearly wasn't safe, someone must be responsible.” [Belfast Telegraph]
Australia - Queensland is second state to admit extra Building the Education Revolution fees
The Bligh government was forced into the admission after the quantity surveyor overseeing the scheme, Richard Kerr of Currie and Brown, told The Australian that managing contractors were entitled to the 6 per cent claimed by the state government "plus other fees". [The Australian]
Jamaica - Education ministry wants to buy JFF property in St Bess
One certified quantity surveyor who declined to be identified, said that the JFF would be "lucky" if it got $30 million for the property. In today's tough Jamaica and with real estate not showing the kind of growth that some of us expected, that would be a good price.” [Jamaica Observer]
Turks & Caicos – Exodus: Foreigners exit TCI in their droves
Scottish quantity surveyor Lisa Scott left Providenciales in January due to work drying up. “I was offered a transfer to Barbados as work was getting very quiet on the island. [TC Weekly News]
UK Elections
Cheshire UK – Cameron is at home in the spotlight. Voters are still in the dark
David Ince, 35, an enterprising quantity surveyor with the contractors Whittall Dixon, has put up his firm's sign on the grass outside the school so he can take a publicity photograph of the arriving Cameron against it. [The Independent]
Liverpool UK - Election 2010: Fury as Liverpool Wavertree runs out of vote slips
But Paul Warburton, 43, a quantity surveyor from Childwall, said he was unable to cast his vote in either election. [Liverpool Echo]
Learning the craft
South Africa - 'Poverty did not stop me'
Mzuvukile "Singesi" Mlandelwa graduated with a diploma in building from the CPUT on Friday and is working as a quantity surveyor at a company in Umhlanga Rocks, KwaZulu-Natal. "Education can open doors. If you are born poor, it is not your fault, but dying poor will be your fault," he said. [IOL.co.za]
South Africa - Quantity surveying runs in Hackney veins
KEEPING it in the family has definitely measured up for quantity surveying graduate Stuart Hackney, who has followed in the footsteps of his father and siblings in his chosen career path. [Weekend Post]
Finding that work life balance
Malaysia - Encouraging feedback on work-from-home pilot programme
Rohimah Ahmad, 46, an assistant quantity surveyor at the Works Ministry, used to travel 35km daily to her office in KUALA LUMPUR. She was accepted for the Ministry's work-from-home pilot programme for three months and has saved much time and some money and is happier too. [The Malay Mail]
New Zealand - My job: Construction with a female touch
Financially managing jobs throughout the construction process. This involves visiting sites monthly and assessing the costs claimed each month to ensure they are fair and reasonable. Lucy Melville says the construction industry is becoming more open to women. [NZ Herald]
Manchester UK - Recipe for success
Norman’s mum was not happy with his career change. "She knew the hard work involved in running a restaurant and wanted me to have an easier life as a quantity surveyor." Norman says. [The Sun Daily]
[Ed – Norm, you should have listened to your mother!]
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Quantity Surveyor – Transport Infrastructure - $70k - $90k pro-rated
- Gain valuable project experience
- Build your professional networks
- Establish lasting business relationships
Working within the procurement team of this organisations Transport delivery group this role will give you direct exposure to a diverse range of infrastructure network projects in Auckland city on assets including roads, footpaths, bridges, retaining walls and more.
The role will see you providing contractual and financial input across a wide range of contracts from initial procurement to final completion, enabling decisions to be made on a sound commercial basis. The successful candidate will have substantial experience in a quantity surveying capacity on multi million dollar transport infrastructure projects.
Fixed term contract until the end of October, 2010. A position description is available to suitably experienced candidates. To find out more contact Ben Young on (09) 523 4 360.
To apply email a detailed resume to ben.young@360search.co.nz.
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Your guys should have called our guys!
Whoever said quantity surveyors lack a sense of humour has obviously not seen Davis Langdon’s – your guys should have called our guys Video on YouTube
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OwmLvp7Kbv0&feature=related
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Vusimuzi Quantity Surveying
OUR VISION IS:
To be Africa’s number one choice in training and development of young Quantity Surveyors without compromising our core business
For those of you who are wondering what Vusimuzi core business is check out Vusimuzi.com and for the creative marketing of this QS practice see their Facebook photo’s page where there are a range of T shirt designs for quantity surveyors with some including the firms branding.
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Marketing Quantity Surveying - What’s in a name?
The New Breed - The Progressive Building Interview. James White MNZIQS founding director of Kwanto TM talks to Progressive Building in their April / May 2010 issue about his business and quantity surveying. See pages 30 to 32. James talks about personal and business growth, leaky building issues where he is a specialist and generic issues facing the profession like lack of recognition and understanding about what a quantity surveyor is and what a quantity surveyor does. James is a member of the NZIQS Auckland Branch Board and the NZIQS Council’s National Marketing Committee. A snapshot of this article follows;
“What issues is the profession facing? Do you think it would be a good idea to change the name of quantity surveying to something that describes it better?”
“Yes I think that might happen with the changing of the guard and younger guys coming through. The New Zealand Institute of Quantity Surveyors is quite a slow organisation when it comes to adopting change, you have to tap away at it. I think today people don’t associate anything with quantity surveying, it doesn’t mean anything. If I was to say I was a construction cost consultant for example that would start to explain the role better. Quantity surveyor is an old term and as for quantity, well we don’t just count nails. The role is a lot more proactive than that…
James chooses an example of an alternative name wisely as the most commonly used term alongside quantity surveyor as used by NZ practices to describe what a quantity surveyor does is the term “construction cost consultant”.
Q. Is it time to Modernise our name?
For example by becoming the New Zealand Institute of Quantity Surveyors & Construction Cost Consultants? Or something else?
My view on name modernisation for NZIQS is…
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Quasi-legal
Quasi-legal a type of regulatory instrument, rule or regulation with strong legal aspects but without any binding force; mostly recommendations.
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Construction Contracts Act 2002 and varying the method of service of claims
IN THE HIGH COURT OF NEW ZEALAND - WELLINGTON REGISTRY CIV 2008-485-2327
BETWEEN HAWKINS CONSTRUCTION LIMITED Plaintiff
AND ECOSSE AFRIQUE ENTERPRISES LIMITED Defendant
Hearing: 16 February 2009
[Edited extracts]
Before the Court is an application by the plaintiff for summary judgment in respect of sums said to be outstanding under a payment claim issued to the defendant by the plaintiff under a commercial construction contract. The unpaid part of the payment claim is said to be for $511,484.01 plus $63,935.50 GST. No payment schedule was served by the defendant in response to the payment claim. The plaintiff seeks to recover the unpaid amount claimed as a debt, together with interest and its reasonable costs in accordance with section 23(2) of the Construction Contracts Act 2002 (“the Act”).
The plaintiff was the head contractor under a contract for construction work at a commercial site at 19 Blair Street and 8 Cambridge Terrace, Wellington. The defendant was the principal. The contract was represented by a written agreement dated 15 May 2007 which incorporated the general conditions of NZS 3910: 2003 (“the contract”).
The payment claim in question (claim number 11) was sent to the defendant as principal on 30 June 2008. It was for a total of $598,500.95 including GST. This figure included items which had previously not been agreed by the defendant as principal, as noted in a payment schedule served in response to the previous payment claim.
The progress payment claim number 11 was sent to the defendant both by email and by fax on 30 June 2008. It was also sent to the defendant by courier on 1 July 2008 the plaintiff says together with supporting documentation in respect of items which had been previously declined.
The period for sending a payment schedule to the plaintiff elapsed on 16 July 2008, being 12 working days after the date of receipt of the payment claim as provided by section 12.2.4 of the general conditions in the contract. The parties accept that no progress payment schedule was sent to the plaintiff by 16 July 2008 (or at all). The amount claimed under progress payment number 11 therefore became due on 23 July 2008, being 17 working days after the date of service of the payment claim as provided by section 12.1.2(c) of the general conditions in the contract. The bulk of that payment claim has not been paid.
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[Editorial]
EDITOR - When seeking summary judgement the plaintiff must show the defendant had no reasonable defence to argue. The “arguable defence” upon which the decision turned in this case related to an agreed alternative method of service that varied that stipulated in the act. The point of “the no contracting out provision of the CCA” was considered (amongst other matters). The Plaintiffs case seemed straight forward but summary judgement was declined.
To find out why and to learn more about the importance of “who to serve” relative to the provisions of the contract and the provisions of the act download this judgement (19 pages PDF) and study the detail HERE.
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QSnippets [and sometimes HUGE chunks]
- A little more about – Colin Smith – Honorary Member and past President of QSINZ (as mention last month) passed away the morning of 8 April 2010. Born in Dunedin 1915 – following injury worked in family building office before working elsewhere then in a group organising tendering and carrying out of contracts until 1942 – did UK International Correspondence School QS qualification 1939. “Manpowered’ during war to Wellington. Joined Housing construction Dept 1944 as Assistant QS under Chief QS L Tennant at the Ministry Works and Development. Nov 1944 Involved in resettlement of returned servicemen post war. 1950 transferred to Dunedin – to establish QS office. Various projects incl Roxborough hydro, Milford Sound Hotel. Then to Auckland 1954 as Dep QS for 20 years. Projects incl University of Auckland, main Police stn, Paremoremo, Whenuapai terminal, Mangere Terminal, Rarotonga airfield and Nadi Terminal. 1974 – to Wgton as Assist CQS Ministry of Works replacing HH Bunckenburg. 1977 – Appointed Chief QS replacing AH (Arch) Jones. 24 Nov 1980 Retired. Colin’s Institute milestones. 1945 Joined NZIQS. 1947 Associate. 1955 Professional Associate (PAQSI). 1968 Registered QS. 1975 – 1980? QSRB Board member. 1978 FNZIQS. 1990 Hon Life Member. Served Branch Boards at Wellington, Dunedin and Auckland. Believed to be an ex Chairman of both Wellington and Auckland Boards. One of our longest serving members.
- Graduate Member (GNZIQS) Proposal. Subject to the approval of the membership, it is proposed that a new membership category, provisionally called “Graduate” member which sits between “Student Member” and “Member” will be introduced. It is proposed that Graduate members will be eligible for election to Branch Board and will have voting rights at General meetings of the Institute but will not be eligible to sit on Council. This new membership category would be entitled to use the post nominal “GNZIQS”. Likely to be on the Agenda at the AGM.
- Conference sponsorship is a KEY issue for NZIQS at this time of year. If you have considered the need to reach quantity surveyors, NOW is the right to contact NZIQS. If you know of an industry supplier who is a new start, changing image or undertaking a major product marketing campaign then please pass on your marketing lead to head office john@nziqs.co.nz
- UPDATE on Looking for NZS 623P:1984 and NZS 623:1964. A copy of NZS:623:1964 has kindly been passed along from one member to another thanks to Mark Ryan (Wellington) who kindly responded to our request. We are looking for an original print copy of NZS 623P:1984 and the very original NZSS 623 first published 1949. This is the foundation document of NZS 3910:2003 which public works, at least, have been using continuously in one version or another since 1949. If a member has one or both of these in original print format and wishes to sell them, pass them on etc, please email us and we will pass on the contact details of the member. I have an original print copy of NZSS623…
- AMINZ - IAMA Alternative Dispute Resolution Conference. Challenges and Change. Christchurch, New Zealand 5 - 7 August, 2010. Over 50 presenters from New Zealand, Australia, United States, Indonesia, Sri Lanka and Malaysia.
- Constructing NZ newsletter Issue 15 (May 2010) of Constructing NZ is now available and can be downloaded from: http://www.caenz.com/info/publications/newsletters/CNZ.html
- Constructing NZ newsletter Next Issue (No 16) due July 2010. KEY PERFORMANCE INDICATORS FOR THE CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY To find out more see: http://www.caenz.com/KPI_Survey/KPI_Letter.html.
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LPMS - Professional Indemnity for QS’s
Land Professionals Mutual Society Incorporated (LPMS) is a voluntary risk management organisation that represents the interests of surveyors and valuers and kindred professions with its principal objectives being;
- Guidance to members on the ways and means of avoiding or minimizing liability claims;
- Providing members with supportive claims assistance and administration including quality technical, legal and insurance assistance;
- Offering members access to especially tailored group professional indemnity and other liability insurance facilities on a voluntary basis.
LPMS has arranged group professional liability insurances for Member Firms since August 1976. Originally membership was restricted to consulting and land surveying practices but was expanded in 1983 to include valuers in public practice. In 1985 membership was extended to kindred professions involving professional practices who provide consulting services in quantity surveying, clerk of works, farm management, forestry, planning and property.
Insurance Consultant & Broker : Insurance and Claims Administration
Aon New Zealand Limited, Professional Risks, Doug Morton P 04 819 4086
Otago Branch 
