[1] New Zealand Paralympian (and quantity surveyor) Anna Grimaldi has leapt to the gold medal in the T47 long jump at the Tokyo Paralympics. After claiming gold Grimaldi said: "I'm in a whirlwind. There has been so much that has gone into this for the past five years and I owe a lot to a lot of people. I hope I did them proud out there. "The confidence had dwindled but I was super lucky to have people around me to support that; my partner, my family and friends, HP support staff my mental skills trainer, the team psychologist. It has been not only a rollercoaster last five years but also a rollercoaster last four weeks. "In Rio I won by accident but here I did it on purpose. I've changed as a person, and I hoped it is obvious to people watching how different I am. I'm really proud." [NZBE Link]
[2] There was an increase in suicides among construction occupations in 2020. UK. New Foundation Employee Counselling chief executive Marc Preston (The former quantity surveyor-turned psychotherapist) said that the message of mental health awareness reached the tier one firms, but did not penetrate the majority of the construction world and the masses of supply chains that supported it. [NZBE Link]
[3] Sexism, scepticism and allegations of nepotism are just a few of the challenges quantity surveyor, Mosha Senyolo had to overcome in her career. But these obstacles only served as fuel to her fire. Hailing from Alexandra Township, she is the second of 10 children. And it seems quantity surveying runs in the Senyolo family. “I was inspired by my father - the first Black African quantity surveying graduate from the University of the Witwatersrand in 1981.” But despite this, it wasn’t all smooth sailing for Senyolo. “My parents were of the opinion that construction in general wasn’t a good career choice for me. I would be a female in a traditionally ‘rough’, male dominated sector.” “I love the fact that quantity surveying is a multi-faceted profession that allows me to learn something new every day. It requires a lot of teamwork and having to deal with a diverse group of people – key in the development of leadership skills.” [NZBE Link]
[4] Rachael happily works in construction to pay fees. The future quantity surveyor shovels sand, hauls cement sacks and lays bricks. She sells shoes, undergarments online. Kenya.
[5] In Nigeria you see a lot of abandoned projects all over the country, because the project sponsors avoid getting a schedule of quantities prepared by a professional QS. The QS will not only cost the building, they will manage the cost to make sure that there is no cost overrun and the project is completed within the time frame agreed; to actually realize the objectives of the project. The ultimate advantage of this to the client is to ensure value for money. Redrafted from [NZBE Link]
[6] A man has received jailed sentences totalling 10 months for separate criminal damage incidents in a West Cork town, including smashing the windows of a well-known restaurant. His solicitor, Peter O'Flynn, said Curley had been working in construction as a quantity surveyor but that finished up in the economic downturn and he had not worked in the area since. Mr O'Flynn said Curley had a long-term history of depression and alcohol misuse and had been engaging with West Cork mental health services since 2013. [NZBE Link]
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“Celebrating 50 years of New Zealand Building Economist 1972 to 2021”
By Matthew Ensoll
Life Member NZIQS. Reg.QS.
Editor New Zealand Building Economist.