As my time as CEO of the Australian Constructors Association comes to an end, I have been reflecting on my six years in the role; a period defined not only by responses to challenges such as COVID, the war in Ukraine, and the crisis in the Middle East, but also by the unseen, unglamorous, relentless work of industry reform.

When I stepped into this role, the industry was stuck in a cycle that everyone recognised, but few believed could be broken. Adversarial contracting, unsustainable risk transfer, low productivity, and a culture that too often pushed people to exhaustion were treated as unfortunate inevitabilities. The industry knew it needed change but lacked a shared roadmap.

Over the past six years, that roadmap has been painstakingly assembled.

You may recognise some of the many significant and visible milestones we have passed along that road: the publication of the Construction Industry Culture Standard and Industry Blueprint; the Building Bad media expose; the subsequent appointment of an administrator to clean up the CFMEU and the soon-to-be published National Construction Strategy. These milestones have rightly attracted attention and are markers of progress that can be pointed to and celebrated. The work from my team at the ACA and across the industry to bring these to life has been mammoth, and I couldn’t be prouder of my involvement in it.

But like an iceberg, what is visible above the waterline is only a fraction of the story.

A deeper transformation has been happening unseen beneath the surface. It has been slower and more complex, involving repetitive conversations and challenging negotiations. It has required patience, persistence, and faith that meaningful change is not an event but a process.

A decade ago, something like the National Construction Industry Forum would have been unthinkable. The NCIF brought together government, industry and unions where they collectively developed a blueprint for a more sustainable, collaborative, and productive sector. Similarly, the Culture Standard has challenged long‑held assumptions about what working in construction should look like and has been endorsed and supported by agencies and jurisdictions across the country—no mean feat.

The shift in mindset, the strengthening of relationships, and the growing consensus that the industry cannot continue as it has, have led to a tipping point. For years, reform in construction has felt incremental, but the groundwork has accumulated to move us to a moment of real change.

Governments are increasingly embracing more balanced commercial frameworks. Industry leaders are openly acknowledging the need for better work‑life balance, improved mental health outcomes, and more inclusive workplaces. Once a buzzword, digital engineering is becoming embedded in delivery models and the recently announced consultation on National Construction Standards promises to shift the basis of industrial relations from combative to collaborative. This shift will redefine an industry that has long been stagnant.

For me, the most exciting part of this transformation is what it means for the next generation. For too long, construction has struggled to attract young people, not because the work lacks purpose, but because the environment has not always allowed people to thrive and has often been resistant to new ideas and ways of working.

That is changing.

The reforms underway will create an industry where people can build meaningful careers without sacrificing their wellbeing. An industry where diversity is not aspirational but normal, and where digital skills are as valued as physical ones. Where collaboration replaces conflict, and where innovation is encouraged rather than constrained.

If we get this right, and I believe we will, construction will become one of the most attractive sectors for young Australians seeking purpose, stability, and impact.

To this next generation, I offer this: do not underestimate the power of the foundations now in place. Your task is not to start again, but to build on this momentum. Be bold enough to challenge old norms, be patient enough to see reforms through and be ambitious enough to imagine an industry that is not just better, but fundamentally different.

The wave of change is coming. Ride it with confidence, humility, and a commitment to leaving the industry stronger than you found it.

As I step aside, I do so with immense pride, not because the work is finished, but because it is finally beginning to show. The iceberg is rising, the ripple of reform is becoming a wave, and the future of construction has never looked more promising.

Jon Davies is the outgoing CEO of Australian Constructors Association.

After six years leading the ACA, John is stepping down this week.