Buildcorp co-founder Josephine Sukkar says ‘quick and brave’ decisions needed for Games build

The co-founder of one of Australia’s biggest construction companies has said the government may have to scrap the usual tendering process to get multi-billion dollar infrastructure needed for the 2032 Brisbane Olympics over the line.

Buildcorp co-owner, founder and principal, Josephine Sukkar.

The co-founder of one of Australia’s biggest construction companies said the Queensland government may have to scrap its regular tendering process to get the multi-billion dollar infrastructure needed for the 2032 Brisbane Olympics over the line.

Buildcorp co-owner and principal Josephine Sukkar said the Government would have to “walk and chew gum” during Games planning, due to a shrunken timeline.

She called on the public and media to give the Government space to make “captain’s calls” on major taxpayer-funded decisions, including the main stadium at Victoria Park which will need to be built by 2031.

Ms Sukkar said her group was “not doing a single job in Queensland where we’ve tendered on it” as construction demand is so great.

The business head said she was not alarmed at the situation but the usual planning and tender process would have to be fast tracked – although not in a reckless or unsafe way – with early contractor and builder involvement in the planning process.

An artist impression of Brisbane Stadium in Victoria Park for Brisbane 2032 Olympics. Source: Queensland Government.

“There’s no question that the delay making decisions on some of these infrastructure projects has created a headache for the current government,” she told QUT Business Leaders’ Forum at the Star Brisbane on Thursday.

“That means governments have got to behave like the private sector. Perhaps what is needed is early contractor involvement, where they have been at the table with the client to try to make the project stack up commercially and make it economically feasible.

“The way these things are usually done is they come up with the design and then you talk to the public about the design and you talk to overseas architects and so forth about the design, and then you talk to building companies.

“But the reality is that quick and brave decisions are needed to be made and they will not always get it right.”

Buildcorp co-founder Josephine Sukkar at the QUT Business Leaders Forum.

Ms Sukkar said Buildcorp was currently not involved in any jobs in Queensland where they have had to win work through a tender.

Sydney-based Buildcorp was founded in 1990 by Ms Sukkar and her husband Tom – who is the managing director of the company.

The company has completed more than 3000 projects totalling $9bn since its inception and has a workforce totalling more than 570.

Ms Sukkar said the Palaszczuk government’s apparent inaction on some of the Games projects had put great pressure on the current government.

“They’re going to have to fast track or to have a look at the planning and what they need to do about the bottlenecks that might delay the delivering on these projects,” she said.

“And then, of course, businesses like ours need have further delays and, supplies costs, construction costs, access to labour and things like that.

“So I would, encourage the media and all of us to be a little bit more patient with the government who are going to have to make a lot of really hard decisions with taxpayers’ money.”

Originally published as Buildcorp co-founder Josephine Sukkar says ‘quick and brave’ decisions needed for Games build