Members of The Master Plumbers and Gasfitters Association of WA who attended our recent workshop on security of payment and contracts acquired valuable real-world knowledge that will give them an advantage.

The workshop on Thursday 10 October was delivered by our partners Chrysalis Quantity Surveyors and Cost Consultants, who provide contract administration and commercial support services.

The central topic of this educational session, which we first told you about in this news item was the Building and Construction Industry (Security of Payment) Act 2021 and what it means for contractors.

The presenters spoke with the benefit of their extensive practical experience in navigating the intricacies of the Act and the processes all parties to a contract are obliged to follow.

One of their most important 'takeaways' was that detailed record-keeping is essential if you want to protect yourself against unfavourable outcomes in payment disputes. In fact, all aspects of your contract administration must be totally thorough and leave no room for any type of misunderstanding.

They also delivered the clear message that while the aim of the Act is to protect your entitlements, you need to understand how the law works in practice and be realistic about your expectations. They made the point that the dispute resolution process puts the emphasis on 'what is right' rather than 'who is right'.

One way to minimise the risk of contractual problems is to ask Chrysalis to examine new contracts before you sign them. They are often able to suggest beneficial changes.

For more information

If you want to know more about how Chrysalis can help you, log in to the members area of our website then find 'Member Services' and select 'Commercial Contracts Support'.

You might also like to see our guide to Security of Payment law. For this, go to the 'Resources' section of the members area, then select 'Guides' and 'Security of Payment Law'.