Disrupt or die
The poor productivity performance of Australia’s fourth largest industry is costing the economy $47 billion annually and is indicative of a business that is stuck in the past.
Over the last 30 years, almost every other industry has advanced yet Australia’s construction industry has gone backwards. Construction productivity today is lower than it was in 1990 and the industry is out of touch with the next generation of workers who no longer view it as an industry of choice.
Our final report for 2022, Disrupt or die, reveals the construction industry’s woeful productivity performance and points to an emerging new threat—a lack of willing workers.
Workers do not want a job in an industry where the hours are long and disputes are commonplace, excel spreadsheets are considered the height of tech and little focus is placed on the impact we are having on the environment.
Government, industry and unions all agree on the opportunity and, more importantly, the need for change. Incremental change and 10-year horizons are out. To keep the industry alive it must transform, and it must transform now.
