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Office Building Hall

Publications

Two construction professionals reviewing architectural plans on an upper floor of a high-rise building under construction in Brisbane, with a tower crane, concrete formwork, steel reinforcement and the Brisbane River visible in the background at dusk.

Two construction professionals reviewing architectural plans on an upper floor of a high-rise building under construction in Brisbane, with a tower crane, concrete formwork, steel reinforcement and the Brisbane River visible in the background at dusk.

Navigating D&C Novation in Queensland: Protecting the Architect’s Compliance Position Against Builder-Led Value Engineering

John Merlo

Mar 2521 min read

A metaphorical visualization of business and construction risk. A large, rusty open bear trap is positioned directly on top of a 'JOINT VENTURE DEVELOPMENT AGREEMENT' notebook and rolled blueprints on a rustic desk. Next to the trap are several gold coins and an old calculator displaying '25%'. The background shows a busy high-rise building under construction (labeled 'DEV. PTY. LTD. RIVERWALK TOWERS') with construction workers, set against a distant city skyline under a dramatic, contrasting sky: heavy, dark storm clouds approach from the left while bright, warm sunlight breaks through on the right.

A metaphorical visualization of business and construction risk. A large, rusty open bear trap is positioned directly on top of a 'JOINT VENTURE DEVELOPMENT AGREEMENT' notebook and rolled blueprints on a rustic desk. Next to the trap are several gold coins and an old calculator displaying '25%'. The background shows a busy high-rise building under construction (labeled 'DEV. PTY. LTD. RIVERWALK TOWERS') with construction workers, set against a distant city skyline under a dramatic, contrasting sky: heavy, dark storm clouds approach from the left while bright, warm sunlight breaks through on the right.

A Developer's Playbook for Defeating Unfair Default Interest Clauses in QLD

John Merlo

Mar 1314 min read

Aerial view of residential apartment buildings under construction alongside cleared development land with new road infrastructure in South-East Queensland at golden hour, illustrating the scale of Queensland's housing supply challenge.

Aerial view of residential apartment buildings under construction alongside cleared development land with new road infrastructure in South-East Queensland at golden hour, illustrating the scale of Queensland's housing supply challenge.

Unlocking Stalled Developments: A Developer's Legal Toolkit for QLD's New Planning Reforms

John Merlo

Mar 918 min read

A cinematic, photorealistic hero image taken at an early morning construction site in Brisbane, Australia. In the foreground, a builder wearing a plain hi-vis vest and hard hat with a serious expression holds a clipboard with a formal document stamped "DIRECTION TO RECTIFY". He looks towards a partially completed modern home with scaffolding and caution tape in the background. Golden sunlight filters through the site, creating dramatic rays. A silhouette of an inspector is visible in the mid-ground, taking notes. The composition leaves space on the right for the headline text "The QBCC Direction to Rectify: A Builder’s Complete 2026 Guide".

A cinematic, photorealistic hero image taken at an early morning construction site in Brisbane, Australia. In the foreground, a builder wearing a plain hi-vis vest and hard hat with a serious expression holds a clipboard with a formal document stamped "DIRECTION TO RECTIFY". He looks towards a partially completed modern home with scaffolding and caution tape in the background. Golden sunlight filters through the site, creating dramatic rays. A silhouette of an inspector is visible in the mid-ground, taking notes. The composition leaves space on the right for the headline text "The QBCC Direction to Rectify: A Builder’s Complete 2026 Guide".

The QBCC Direction to Rectify: A Builder's Complete 2026 Guide

John Merlo

Feb 1915 min read

Cinematic photo of a construction company director in suit and hi-vis holding a ‘QBCC’ folder outside an office, with a Queensland building site blurred in the background, conveying director accountability after a company collapse.

Cinematic photo of a construction company director in suit and hi-vis holding a ‘QBCC’ folder outside an office, with a Queensland building site blurred in the background, conveying director accountability after a company collapse.

QBCC Excluded Individuals: The 2026 Guide to Director Bans After a Company Collapse

John Merlo

Feb 1714 min read

A cinematic photograph of a Queensland construction site at sunrise, with a white hard hat and a worker's hands holding a clipboard with documents in the foreground. A subtle "APPROVED" stamp overlay is visible.

A cinematic photograph of a Queensland construction site at sunrise, with a white hard hat and a worker's hands holding a clipboard with documents in the foreground. A subtle "APPROVED" stamp overlay is visible.

The QBCC Fit and Proper Person Test: Your Complete 2026 Guide

John Merlo

Feb 1710 min read

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