The Australian Constructors Association (ACA) welcomes the Australian Government’s progress on the proposed Construction Industry Charter and the discussion paper on the Construction Industry Standards, saying the reforms reflect a key theme debated by industry leaders at Foundations and Frontiers 2026.
The proposed charter and standards were a focus of the Frontiers and Foundation’s industry forum this week. The need to reset behaviours and trust within the construction industry is critical to its success.
ACA CEO Peter Colacino said Australia needs a construction industry that is safe, lawful and productive, with the same expectations of behaviour applying to everyone.
“One of the strongest messages from this week’s discussion at Foundations and Frontiers was that for the standards and charter to have impact, they need to apply across the entire industry. Employers, unions, contractors, clients and regulators must all be held to the same standard.”
Mr Colacino said the consultation presents an opportunity to address long-standing issues that continue to undermine industry performance.
“Freedom of association must be non-negotiable. Every worker should be free to choose whether or not to join a union without pressure, intimidation or coercion.
“Safety must always come first, but safety should never be weaponised for industrial purposes. At the same time, psychosocial safety deserves the same attention as physical safety.
“We need to remove the incentive to use false flag safety claims to drive an industrial relations agenda. It hurts productivity, it hurts project costs and it hurts genuine efforts to improve safety.
“We also need to tackle demarcation disputes that hold projects back and modernise workplace arrangements so they keep pace with new construction methods and technologies.”
Mr Colacino said any new measures must work with existing state and federal regulatory systems and must add to rather than detract from productivity in the sector.
“Industrial relations, workplace health and safety, and procurement each have a distinct role to play. The objective should be a system that works together, not one that overlaps, duplicates or creates confusion.”
Mr Colacino said the industry’s productivity challenge should remain at the centre of the consultation.
“Construction productivity has been going backwards for the last 40 years and project costs continue to rise.”
“Australia needs a workplace relations system that is lawful, fair and productivity-focused. If we get that right, we’ll create a safer industry, attract more people into construction and reduce the costs of projects for the community.
“This is an opportunity to build a construction industry that is accountable, high-performing and fit for building the future,” said Mr Colacino.
About us:
The Australian Constructors Association is the only representative body for contractors delivering vertical and horizontal construction projects, as well as undertaking infrastructure asset management. Our members construct and service the majority of major infrastructure projects built in Australia every year. Our goal is to create a more sustainable construction industry.
