Haymes Paint is running its TIACS Buy a Bucket campaign in every one of its paint shops until the end of December. The money raised is modest. What matters more is where the message lands, and the safety duty sitting behind it.
A purple four litre bucket is about to sit on the counter of every Haymes Paint Shop in the country.
It is a touch up bucket, the kind painters pick up without much thought. This one carries a phone number for free counselling.
Haymes Paint officially launched its 2026 TIACS Buy a Bucket campaign in Ballarat on Thursday 22 October. The campaign runs across all 63 Haymes Paint Shops from 19 October to 31 December, with a target of $10,000 for TIACS, the free counselling service built for tradies, truckies, farmers and other blue collar workers.
The dollar figure is modest. Where the message ends up is the more interesting part.
What is the TIACS Buy a Bucket campaign?
Haymes has supported TIACS since 2022, according to the paint maker’s community page. The bucket campaign is the current form of that support.
Last year’s campaign sold almost 5,000 buckets and raised $10,000, the company says. This year’s target matches that result.
The launch is being held at the Haymes Paint Shop on Creswick Road, Ballarat, which is serving as the campaign hub.
Haymes Paint director Matt Haymes said painters and other tradies had been telling the business that demand for mental health services is rising. He said the campaign is meant to show trade customers that the company has their back.
The family business was founded in Ballarat in 1935 and employs more than 400 people across its national network, according to Haymes Paint.
How does TIACS work for tradies?
TIACS stands for This Is A Conversation Starter. It is a not for profit service offering free, confidential counselling by phone or text.
It was started by Dan Allen and Edward Ross, the pair who founded workwear brand TradeMutt, and is funded by individuals and businesses in the industries it serves.
There is no GP referral and no fee. Clients can have up to eight sessions with the same counsellor, according to TIACS. Where someone needs a different kind of professional help, the service connects them to it.
The line is open Monday to Friday, 8am to 10pm AEST, on 0488 846 988.
TIACS says it provided more than 4,000 free counselling sessions and supported 1,200 people last financial year. The most common issues clients raised were relationships, stress and anxiety. The service also reports more apprentices using it.
What is TIACS?
TIACS (This Is A Conversation Starter) is a not for profit counselling service for tradies, truckies, farmers, blue collar workers and the people close to them. It offers free, professional and confidential counselling by phone or text, with up to eight sessions with the same counsellor and no referral required.
Why does a paint shop suit a mental health message?
Most support services depend on people going looking for them. In construction, that is a real barrier.
TIACS was built on the view that cost, referrals, waiting lists and clinic settings stop many blue collar workers from getting help. That is why it runs on a text or a phone call.
A paint shop sits inside the working week. Painters call in early, often several times a week, to collect stock on the way to site.
A counselling number printed on a bucket goes where the painter goes. Into the ute. Onto the job. Into the shed at the end of the day.
A counselling number printed on a bucket goes where the painter goes.
The fundraising maths makes the same point. Almost 5,000 buckets raising $10,000 works out at roughly $2 a bucket. The money helps fund sessions. The 5,000 buckets in circulation may do as much work as the cash.
Ballarat painter Kai McPhee, of KMAC Painting, described the trade as full of danger, pressure and isolation. He said his first call to TIACS helped him reframe the challenges he was facing.
What does this mean for builders who engage trades?
Mental health at work is no longer only a matter of goodwill. It is written into safety law.
Under the model Work Health and Safety Regulations, a business must eliminate or minimise psychosocial risks so far as is reasonably practicable, according to Safe Work Australia. The regulator lists nine hazards common in construction work, including job demands, low job control, poor support, remote or isolated work, and conflict on site.
None of these will surprise anyone who runs a residential job. Weather delays outside anyone’s control, tight programs and long days in the heat are the regulator’s own examples.
In Victoria, where this campaign launches, the Occupational Health and Safety (Psychological Health) Regulations 2025 commenced on 1 December 2025. The Victorian Government said the change aligned the state with rules already introduced in other states and territories.
We set out what that duty asks of a building business when we looked at why site pressure is a named safety hazard.
For most residential builders, the trades on site are subcontractors rather than employees. Safe Work Australia notes that duty holders sharing a workplace must consult, cooperate and coordinate with each other.
The regulator’s guidance focuses on how work is designed. Regular breaks, clear expectations, steady contact with people working alone and genuine consultation all appear in its list of controls.
A free external counselling line does not replace that work. It sits alongside it, as one of the few supports a small builder can share with every trade on site at no cost.
Why do apprentices stand out in the TIACS numbers?
The rise in apprentices using TIACS matters because of where the industry is trying to grow.
TIACS has not published how large that increase is in this release, so the scale is not yet clear. The direction is.
We have reported that the youngest workers entering the trades face some of the sharpest mental health risk, at the same time the industry is working hardest to recruit them.
An apprentice who walks away early takes years of training, supervision and future capacity with them. That cost has already been carried by the business that took them on.
Labour supply sits at the centre of most outlooks for the sector, as our guide to Australian construction industry trends sets out. Keeping the people already in the trade is part of that picture.
What can a $2 bucket actually change?
It will not fix mental health in construction. It is not trying to.
What it does is put a phone number in front of people at a moment they are not looking for one. That is often when a number gets remembered.
For builders, the campaign is a reminder that support works best when it turns up where the work already happens. On site, at the trade counter, and in the ordinary conversations between the people who build homes.
The purple buckets are on counters until 31 December.
If your business is doing something practical to support its team, we want to hear about it. Get in touch, or listen to The Good Builder Podcast for more conversations with builders and trades.
The Good Builder Take
Supplier campaigns are easy to dismiss as marketing, and some are. What makes this one worth noting is placement. The message reaches tradies in a place they already visit, from a business they already deal with. That kind of reach is hard to buy.
For transparency: we have raised funds for TIACS through our own community events, including TGB Fridays.
Frequently asked questions
Yes. TIACS offers free, professional and confidential counselling by phone or text for tradies, truckies, farmers, blue collar workers and their loved ones. No GP referral is needed. The line is open Monday to Friday, 8am to 10pm AEST, on 0488 846 988.
TIACS offers up to eight counselling sessions with the same counsellor. Where someone needs a different type of support, the service provides information and connects them with the right service.
The 2026 campaign runs from 19 October to 31 December 2026 in all 63 Haymes Paint Shops nationally, with a target of $10,000 for TIACS. The official launch is at Haymes Paint Shop on Creswick Road, Ballarat, on 22 October.
Under the model Work Health and Safety Regulations, a business must eliminate or minimise psychosocial risks so far as is reasonably practicable. In Victoria, the Occupational Health and Safety (Psychological Health) Regulations 2025 commenced on 1 December 2025. Safe Work Australia names nine psychosocial hazards common in construction work.
Related articles
- Why Talking Matters: How TIACS is Changing the Game for Builders and Tradies
- Site Pressure Is a Named Safety Hazard Under the Law
Last updated: 22 October 2026. Campaign details and TIACS figures as reported at launch.
General Information Only: This article provides general information only and does not constitute legal, financial, workplace health and safety or professional advice. It does not take into account your particular circumstances. You should seek independent professional advice before acting on any information in this article. If you or someone you know needs support, TIACS can be contacted by call or text on 0488 846 988, Monday to Friday, 8am to 10pm AEST. In an emergency, call 000. Lifeline is available 24 hours on 13 11 14.
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