Company News

This year, we have a very special milestone to celebrate with one of our South West team; our Site Manager, Pete Leaman is celebrating an amazing 25 Years of Service with Perkins Builders!

Pete began working with us a contractor, before officially joining the team in 1996. During his time with Perkins, Pete has managed a vast array of award-winning projects, including  the Busselton Homemaker Centre, the Bunbury Forum Redevelopment, Retravision Bunbury, Woolworths Meatworks, Australind Shopping Centre Redevelopment, Hocart Lodge Aged Care Facility, Donnybrook IGA and the Perkins Head Office Building in Bunbury, just to name a few!

Congratulations Pete and thank you for all your hard work and dedication to the business over the years!

The Bushfire Centre of Excellence has reached PC! Marking a new era in bushfire management, the Karla Katitjin (meaning ‘fire knowledge’ in Noongar language) facility was officially opened by Premier Mark McGowan and Emergency Services Minister Francis Logan on Monday.

Proudly constructed by Perkins Builders, this new, purpose-built facility will bring together volunteer and career firefighters, bushfire practitioners, traditional land owners, researchers and scientists to share their bushfire management knowledge, skills and practices.

With an outstanding safety performance testament to the collaborative effort of all involved, Perkins would like to extend our sincere thanks to Department of Fire and Emergency Services, Department of Finance, SITE Architecture Studio, Shire of Murray and of course our valued subcontractors and suppliers.

Congratulations and thank you once again to everyone involved on this fantastic project.

Photos courtesy of Department of Fire and Emergency Services.

2020 has been a year of adversity; from bushfires to pandemics, lockdowns and restrictions on industry. If the year has taught us anything, it is that with a team mindset, hard work and determination we can overcome the challenges. It is for this reason we should look back at 2020 and celebrate our achievements.

At Perkins, our team has fundraised for bushfire stricken communities, adapted to new COVID safe work practices and continued to deliver an exceptional standard on all our of projects across WA.

We would like to thank our valued Clients, subcontractors, suppliers and of course, our dedicated team for their support over the year.

Our offices will be closed from COB today until January 4th for a well-deserved break.

From the Perkins Builders family to yours, we wish you a safe and Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.

Last week we celebrated the official start of the Donnybrook Town Centre Revitalisation project with a turning of the sod ceremony, attended by Mick Murray, representatives from the Shire of Donnybrook Balingup and MCG Architects.

This great project in the heart of the South West will breathe new life into the heritage listed Donnybrook Goods Shed and create a showcase of the region’s heritage and connect both sides of the iconic railway precinct.

We look forward to sharing the progress of this exciting project.

The Western Power Depot at Pinjarra has reached PC! Officially opened by Minister for Energy Bill Johnson, the new, purpose built depot enhances the capabilities of Western Power in the Peel Region and will provide enhanced customer response times and improve employee safety.

This exceptional build is the result of a collaborative effort between Western Power, Perkins Builders, SPH architecture + interiors, Stantec, Forth Consulting, Resolve Group Limited, the Shire of Murray and of course, all our valued subcontractors and suppliers. The outstanding safety performance on this project is a further testament to all.

Congratulations and thank you once again to everyone involved on this fantastic project.

October is Safe Work Month, a time to make your commitment to improving safety and health in your workplace. For 2020 the theme for this year is Supporting Work Health and Safety through COVID-19.

In these unprecedented times, every business has had to adapt to new practices and procedures to reduce the risks and operate safely. At Perkins Builders, we have developed and implemented a range of initiatives to work consistently with the safety, social distancing, and hygiene measures that have been rolled out around the country.

We encourage our employees, subcontractors and all visitors to our sites and offices to have good hygiene; we have increased cleaning on every site and office (including deep cleans), we have increased the number of hand sanitising stations on site and have posters to educate on how to thoroughly wash and dry hands.

Perkins introduced physical distancing signs on all of our construction sites. These signs, custom made by our fabrication team in Bunbury, are made to size and clearly demonstrate the requirements.

In Western Australia, our restrictions have eased and life feels almost normal, but we must not become complacent. It is still important as ever to Support Work Health and Safety through COVID-19 and monitor our health.

At Perkins, we ask every employee and visitor to our sites and offices if they are experiencing symptoms of COVID-19, if they have been, or have potentially been, exposed to a person who has been diagnosed with COVID-19 or is suspected to have COVID-19 (even if the person who is suspected to have COVID-19 has not yet been tested), or if they have undertaken any travel within the last 14 days. It is important to ask these questions to keep our workplace safe; Remember, if you feel unwell, stay at home and get tested.

Reach out to your friends, family and colleagues; stay connected even though you may be physically apart. A simple phone call or text message can all the difference.

No matter the industry, we all have a responsibility to create a safe workplace for everyone. We’re in this together.

Perkins Builders are pleased to announce we have been awarded the contract for the construction of the new DFES Emergency Services Centre in Collie. The multi-purpose facility will be officially named the Koolinup Emergency Services Centre and is the State’s first regionally based Level 3 Incident Control Centre, which will be activated during major emergency incidents in the South-West region, including bushfires.

The Koolinup Emergency Services Centre will support career and volunteer emergency services personnel, including firefighters and SES in Collie and the South-West region. The centre will also include an emergency driver training school for DFES and other State Government volunteers and staff, as well as providing a regional fleet management capability that will support management of the high fire season fleet as it cycles through the Collie Facility between north and south high threat periods.

Perkins are excited to be involved in this great local project, which will create a large number of local jobs during construction.

A turning of the sod was held on 1st September and attended by Emergency Services Minister Francis Logan and Collie-Preston MLA Mick Murray, Aboriginal Elders and senior representatives from DFES and Perkins Builders.

To see the full media statement from the Government of Western Australia, please click here.

On August 12th, Perkins Builders were privileged to host The Honourable Kim Beazley AC, Governor of Western Australia and Department of Fire and Emergency Services representatives at the construction site of the new Bushfire Centre of Excellence in Pinjarra. The visit was a great opportunity to see progress and the behind the scenes work that goes into the final product.

The new centre will be the first of its kind in WA and Australia. It’s been designed as a learning hub that’s accessible to all bushfire management stakeholders and will provide high-level training for WA’s bush firefighters and other emergency service personnel.

Images courtesy of DFES.

The BP Truck Stop artwork at Muchea was the result of a strong collaboration between Harvis (Developer), BP and Rampage (Client) and Perkins Builders wanting to recognise the traditional owners of the land and to commemorate the cultural significance of the site.

UDLA in partnership with Beverley Port-Louis and Diane Joyce-Yappo were engaged by Perkins Builders to facilitate an Aboriginal led design process for an interpretive artwork reflecting the cultural significance of the Muchea area to Yuat Nyoongar people and all people of the Nyoongar nation. Nyoongar artist Kylie Graham facilitated a workshop session with Aboriginal girls from the Tree of Life program to produce a series of drawings developed through conversations with and guidance from Nyoongar elders and leaders May McGuire, Peter Phillips, Barry McGuire, June Headland and Suzanne Yappo.

The artwork is made of three curved steel panels which embodies an interpretive theme that reflects the birthing site, Wargyl and Water, Flora and Fauna, the cultural significance of the surrounding area with a locally sourced rammed-earth base providing a natural feel as well as representing the understanding of an ochre pit that was known to the area through the wavy red gravel and limestone finish.

Perkins Builders are extremely proud to have been awarded another project in the beautiful South West; the Donnybrook Central Heritage Project.

This project will connect the public spaces on both sides of Donnybrook’s iconic railway station precinct and the Apple Fun Park, creating an asset that will provide a range of benefits to the local economy and tourism industry. The focal point of the project is the restoration and adaption of the heritage listed Goods Shed, which will provide an interactive showcase of the regions rich history.

“Perkins is extremely pleased to be involved in this important community project which not only recognises and preserves the cultural heritage of Donnybrook, but also provides business and employment opportunities for the region”

For more information please see the full media release below or the Shire of Donnybrook-Balingup website.

[Photo courtesy of the Shire of Donnybrook-Balingup]