**New South Wales**: As housing concerns escalate, the state government launches the Principles for Partnership with the Construction Industry to enhance collaboration, address challenges, and implement a $119.4 billion infrastructure investment, while promoting local manufacturing, safety, workforce skills, and sustainability measures.
As New South Wales faces rising housing concerns, the state’s government is focusing on improving collaboration with the construction industry through a new set of guidelines known as the Principles for Partnership with the Construction Industry. This initiative was outlined by Tom Gellibrand, Chief Executive of Infrastructure NSW, who highlighted the array of challenges the construction sector is currently encountering, including supply chain disruptions, worker shortages, and financial pressures exacerbated by escalating costs.
Gellibrand noted that despite these issues, the potential for growth is significant, as the New South Wales Government is poised to implement its largest infrastructure investment programme to date, amounting to $119.4 billion. In a bid to create a cohesive strategy for overcoming existing obstacles and harnessing new opportunities, the revised Principles replace the previous 10-Point Commitment to the Construction Industry, introduced in 2018.
The newly revised Principles were developed following consultations with a variety of stakeholders, including industry bodies, contractors, unions, and consultants. These roundtable discussions aimed to collect feedback and ensure that diverse perspectives were represented, reflecting the government’s commitment to a collaborative approach to addressing challenges faced by the industry.
The Principles encompass key commitments aimed at enhancing collaboration across the construction sector to deliver quality infrastructure while also advancing important social objectives related to housing supply and renewable energy. Among the specific commitments outlined by Gellibrand are several core actions, which include promoting local manufacturing, bolstering workforce skills, enhancing safety standards, and fostering financial viability within the sector.
One aspect of the guidelines focuses on building domestic manufacturing capabilities, which the New South Wales Government is prioritising through initiatives such as the Jobs First Commission and expansion of local workforce opportunities. The aim is to augment participation from local businesses, with the government signalling forthcoming local manufacturing opportunities to encourage industry partners to engage local suppliers.
Safety and wellness in the construction industry have also been emphasised, as Gellibrand pointed out the inherent risks associated with the sector. The government is advocating for improved safety protocols and a supportive environment conducive to mental wellbeing.
Additionally, productivity enhancements are a major goal, with emphasis on upskilling workers in digital processes and standardising procurement and design practices in a bid to increase efficiency.
The investment in skills and local employment remains paramount as the industry seeks to align workforce capabilities with the demands of ongoing infrastructure and housing projects. The New South Wales Skills Plan aims to foster diversity in recruitment and improve training quality.
In terms of cultural and gender diversity within the workforce, Gellibrand presented positive statistics from the NSW Women in Construction programme, which showed a 12.5 per cent increase in female participation, accounting for 20 per cent of the workforce. The programme encourages contractors to advance flexibility and mentorship initiatives to ensure long-term retention of female employees.
Financial sustainability has been identified as another critical focus area, urging partners to actively engage in risk mitigation and timely payment systems to alleviate financial pressures on contractors.
Lastly, the introduction of the NSW Decarbonising Infrastructure Delivery Policy signifies a crucial move towards achieving net-zero targets, placing an emphasis on carbon measurement throughout project stages. The government is encouraging industry partners to contribute to carbon reduction initiatives.
The suite of initiatives comprising the Principles for Partnership, alongside supporting frameworks such as the Women in Construction programme and the Decarbonising Infrastructure Delivery Policy, is intended to create a more sustainable, inclusive, and efficient construction landscape in New South Wales. The government’s goal is to foster a resilient sector capable of meeting current demands and future challenges while driving the region’s infrastructure boom forward.
Source: Noah Wire Services
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