The Construction Industry Culture Taskforce (CICT) is a joint initiative of the Australian Constructors Association, representing the nation’s largest construction firms, the Governments of New South Wales and Victoria and Australia’s leading workplace researchers.

Australia urgently needs to recruit 105,000 additional construction workers by 2023 to deliver critical infrastructure projects for the country. However, construction is under pressure and is not viewed as an employer of choice due to significant cultural issues – excessive work hours and fatigue, poor mental health, and failure to attract a diverse workforce.

The new Culture Standard will provide a framework for clients and contractors to work together to create a sector that more people want to work in, that creates thousands of jobs and delivers better outcomes for the economy. It will drive change through ensuring:

• our workforce is provided adequate time to rest and pursue life activities outside of work;
• the occupational health and mental wellbeing of our workforce is prioritised; and
• the industry can attract and retain a diverse range of people to work in our industry.

Adopting the Culture Standard will improve project delivery outcomes for Government, benefit our workers, and the nation. Along with other industry reforms, it will provide an economic and social dividend for us all.

• Benefits for workers: Improved quality of life, a workplace that supports health and wellbeing, and a workplace where everyone has a place and feels valued.
• Benefits for industry: Increased productivity, attract new workers to rewarding and essential jobs, and improved workforce diversity and retention rates.
• Benefits for customers: Increased capacity to deliver the infrastructure pipeline, industry positioned to support economic recovery from COVID-19, and purchase services that provide diverse, safe and healthy workplaces.

We are adopting a consultative and evidence-based approach to develop the Culture Standard to ensure the cultural shift is widely supported.

Members of the CICT include leading workplace academics from the Australian National University (ANU), Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology (RMIT), University of New South Wales (UNSW) and University of Tasmania (UTAS).

In developing the draft Culture Standard, we are conducting original research, and reviewing existing research, workplace statistics and data coordinated by our academic partners.

We are also undertaking a program of workplace trials and pilots to test the impacts of the Culture Standard across a range of projects of different sizes, types and contract models.

The Culture Standard is expected to be finalised by the end of 2021 after a broad public consultation process.

We will then pilot the new Standard across a range of projects of different sizes, types and contract models in NSW and Victoria in 2022, with other states and territories expected to follow soon after.

A consultation period for the Culture Standard is now starting with industry participants and stakeholders. To have your say, enter our virtual consultation room.