A landmark blueprint for the future of Australia’s construction industry has moved closer to reality with an agreement on a processes for formal endorsement of the blueprint’s draft.

And the first tranche of actions under the blueprint has been decided upon.

Last week, the National Construction Industry Forum held its fourth meeting since its formation in 2023.

The Forum consists of 19 members. This includes representatives from government, industry and unions.

It serves as an ongoing statutory body under the Fair Work Act to provide advice key matters relating to work and the building and construction industry. These include safety, productivity, financial viability, skills and training, industry culture, diversity and gender equity.

In March, the Forum released a draft  Blueprint for the Future.

This set out 45 recommendations across the areas of collaboration and alignment; governance, lawfulness and compliance; regulation and procurement; skills, workforce and participation; financial viability and sustainability; industry fragmentation; allocation of project risk and accountability through reporting and transparency.

At its latest meeting on Friday, the Forum agreed on a process through which the blueprint will be formally endorsed at a meeting which is set to be held in September.

Members of the forum also agreed that 9 of the 45 recommendations will be prioritised for immediate action once the blueprint has been formally endorsed.

The members also confirmed that the work of the NCIF aligned with the Commonwealth Government’s broader productivity agenda. Where possible to avoid duplication, the Forum agreed that the blueprint should be incorporated into Government’s other relevant processes including the upcoming productivity roundtable.

These recommendations will be acted upon as the first tranche of the Blueprint’s implementation.

They include:

• strengthening the role of the NCIF through increased resourcing to drive long-term structural reform
• developing a new Joint Construction Industry Charter setting out clear shared goals and behavioural expectations
• advising on best practice for procurement frameworks and settings, including the use of labour hire and reducing planning and approval red tape
• developing advice on delivering safe, secure, well-paid jobs in the construction industry
• advising on strengthening pathways into the construction industry, by identifying strategies to address structural barriers to entry
• identifying best practice to address structural barriers to women’s participation in the industry
• improving worker mobility through nationally consistent skills accreditation, licensing and regulation
• developing advice on effective security of payment arrangements for contractors throughout the supply chain; and
• developing guidelines on appropriate risk management/risk allocation.

Construction industry leaders welcomed the meeting outcomes.

“We’re all on the same page—productivity must improve, project outcomes must get better, and we must make construction a more attractive career for more Australians,” Australian Constructors Association CEO Jon Davies said.

“This is a once-in-a-generation opportunity to fundamentally change how construction operates in Australia,