Earlier this year, more than 550 representatives from across the construction industry gathered at Brisbane’s Nissan Arena for the second Foundations and Frontiers (FF25) forum. Hosted by the Australian Constructors Association (ACA), the event carried a powerful theme – From Me to We – calling on industry to treat construction as a team sport.
By Jon Davies, CEO of the Australian Constructors Association.
The sense of urgency was unmistakable. With construction productivity declining over the past three decades, despite record levels of activity, reform is no longer optional. The Queensland Productivity Commission’s recent inquiry painted a stark picture: without change, Australians face weaker economic growth and lower living standards. Yet Queensland, with its ambitious pipeline leading to the 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games, has a unique opportunity to show what can be achieved when government and industry work in genuine partnership.
Progress and persistence
Since the inaugural forum in 2024, important steps have been taken. The National Construction Industry Forum has developed a Blueprint for the Future. The Construction Industry Culture Taskforce has launched a Culture Standard. And together with the ACA, governments at the federal, New South Wales, Victorian and Queensland levels are developing a National Construction Strategy.
But as FF25 made clear, the job is far from done. Challenges familiar to every stakeholder remain: inappropriate risk allocation, lengthy procurement processes focused narrowly on lowest cost, inconsistent contract forms and persistent skills shortages. None of these can be solved in silos.
Priorities for change
Throughout the forum, participants called for greater harmonisation and standardisation across jurisdictions, stronger financial stability to support innovation and investment, earlier engagement between clients and industry, and a sharper focus on collaboration.
There was also consensus on the need to embrace innovation and technology, hold onto lessons learned during crises like COVID-19, and treat education and training as an investment rather than an afterthought. Above all, delegates recognised the need for bravery – the willingness to try new approaches and trust each other to share the risks of reform.
Setting the tone
The forum opened with a Leaders’ Exchange, drawing more than 120 senior decision-makers from government, contractors, consultants, the supply chain and clients. Their discussions honed in on three opportunities: introducing greater flexibility in rostered days off, reducing the indirect costs of project delivery and cutting the cost of bidding.
From these conversations, clear actions emerged – streamlining approvals, standardising procurement and contract models, harmonising reporting requirements, and adopting genuine collaborative contracting. Similarly, in tendering, participants backed reforms such as national prequalification, simplified documentation and programmatic approaches to procurement.
Turning talk into action
ACA’s role now is to ensure these solutions don’t just remain on the whiteboard. Coming out of FF25, we will track industry productivity through new benchmarks, drive national alignment through the National Construction Strategy, embed reform frameworks like the Culture Standard and work with the Construction Industry Leadership Forum to convert ideas into tangible reforms.
The final whistle
The FF25 forum reinforced that the appetite for change is strong and the solutions are known. What is needed now is courage and execution. As one participant put it: “We know the plays. Now it’s time to run them – together.”
ACA will ensure that when we meet again at FF26, progress can be measured in outcomes, not just conversations. Construction has everything to gain by playing as one team.