About National Bricklayers Association

The National Bricklayers Association was set up to make the building industry better for both employees and employers, by dealing with issues that affect the industry. 

Since we began as the National Federation of Bricklayers and Masonry Employers Association, we have been gradually making an impact on the industry by helping with bricklaying apprenticeships, bricklaying safety standards and providing commercial bricklaying rates and domestic bricklaying rates. Other ways we have provided support and change within the bricklaying industry include:

• Being on the steering committee for Work Cover to ensure bricklayers are no longer one of the highest charged trades in Australia.
• We have just begun work on a steering committee for Apprentices Australia wide.
• We continue to support the TAFE colleges with Awards to TAFE bricklaying apprentices.
• We have had discussions with the Tax Department regarding Bricklaying Benchmarks and have had enquiries from them asking for assistance with ABN contractors to contractor payments.
• We continue to assist companies with estimating.
• We have had several meetings with Think Brick Australia who are promoting the use of brickwork in our industry. We assist them with advice and are beginning to see more projects using brickwork as well as an increase in the skill levels required by tradesmen in the form of Arches, corbelling and colour/wall type changes.
• We continue to work closely with the Australian Brick and Blocklaying Training Foundation (ABBTF) and are assisting them with information about costs associated with employing bricklaying apprentices. We are endeavouring to see that the compensation amounts for apprentices are adequate, this also gives us the opportunity to see how the brick/block levy that is paid for purchasing products is being used and put back into our industry.
• We are participating on the Curriculum committee for TAFE Apprentices to ensure the bricklaying apprenticeship training they receive is suitable for our modern industry.
• We continue to work closely with the ACCC to ensure that the NFBME is upholding Commonwealth and State laws and regulations.
• We continue to help bricklayers with Safe Work Method Statements (SWMS).
• We are beginning to see results from our housing rate sheet. Many contractors are reporting they are getting a minimum of $1/brick with many more reporting they are receiving even better rates than @ $1.20 plus.  If you use the back of the domestic rate sheet and pages 6 and 7 to work out your running costs, you can easily justify to builders why you need to receive the rates indicated in the rate sheet.