Construction industry ready to lead Victoria’s COVID recovery
The construction sector has managed to stay safe and open though the pandemic and is now ready to lead the recovery of Victoria’s economy out of COVID-19, writes Rebecca Casson.
Opinion
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The building and construction industry is ready to lead the recovery of Victoria’s economy out of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Over the last seven months, both employers and more than 300,000 workers across our state have adapted to the new COVID safe environment and our sector has been working
with government to fuel the 13 per cent of the economy it accounts for.
Like many other industries, our sector has faced severe COVID-19 challenges.
However, through industry collaboration, our sector has managed to stay safe and open in some form. It’s been a huge effort by all involved and our industry is now poised to start the road back to full scale operation.
This week’s changes include an increase to 85 per cent of the available workforce on large scale construction sites, which will see many return to work.
Display homes in Melbourne will also reopen for appointments only, and specialist contractor movement will increase to five sites per week, easing bottlenecks in small scale construction.
However, uncertainty remains in our sector; renovation work is still not allowed on occupied
premises, even if it’s all outdoor work or separated entirely from inhabitants.
It’s vital that everyone in this sector get back to work as soon as possible. And, for them to survive through to the recovery, it’s essential that renovations and alterations businesses are included in the third round of the Business Support Fund.
It’s unprecedented to see employer associations and unions work in such solidarity, but 2020 has been a very different sort of year – and this unique collaboration has been critical to the safety of our industry.
Together, employers and unions have proactively implemented bespoke COVID-19 industry guidelines and safety measures, always ahead of government-required regulations.
Therefore, the infection and transmission rates in our sector have remained at a fraction of the
community average.
Our sector’s agility will ensure our industry can hit the ground running when restrictions are further eased. Many of the measures in the Government road map are based on proactive actions that our industry took many months back, but now is not the time for complacency. We know there is still a long road ahead.
That’s why Master Builders Victoria has again partnered with unions and employer groups to roll out a new campaign to coincide with the road map changes this week, reinforcing the importance of COVID safe measures and the need for solidarity to enable our entire industry to get back to full capacity.
This campaign is being rolled out in various languages and channels to ensure
that culturally and linguistically diverse groups within the building, construction and development industry are informed of what they need to do to keep their families and their colleagues safe.
And to really get our industry and the Victorian economy moving again, it’s vital that our sector continues to work with both state and federal governments on other measures.
The HomeBuilder program provided a boost, particularly in regional areas, so extension of that and similar programs which stimulate building will be crucial.
There are other ways to get this part of our economy moving too; Victorians pay more stamp duty than any other state. Therefore, a reduction in stamp duty, combined with a reduction in red tape and levies related to building and construction would incentivise the activity that our economy needs.
Our industry also offers an opportunity to not only help our state recover from the COVID-19 crisis, but to leave a legacy. The government could consider renovation stimulus measures that are tied to improving the energy efficiency of existing homes. This will reduce energy bills for all Victorians into the future, as well as creating jobs now.
Liquidated damages remain a concern and Master Builders Victoria continues to advocate for solutions on this issue. It’s important to resolve this so builders are not exposed contractually by not meeting deadlines at a time when productivity is slashed, through no fault of their own.
Master Builders Victoria continues to work constructively with all levels of government to ensure our members’ feedback and concerns are heard, and our industry kept safe and open.
While the primary focus must remain on public health, it’s imperative that everyone continues to work together and support each other so that our industry can fully fuel the Victorian economy once again.
Rebecca Casson is Master Builders Victoria CEO
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