QBCC boss Anissa Levy urges women to consider career in the building sector

Queensland Building and Construction Commission boss Anissa Levy, a civil engineer by profession, is urging women to consider a career in the male-dominated building industry.

Queensland Building and Construction Commission (QBCC) boss Anissa Levy is urging women to consider a career in the male-dominated building industry.

Levy, a civil engineer by profession, says that women account for only approximately 15 per cent of all people employed by construction firms even though a career in the industry can provide “fantastic, interesting and challenging careers for women.”

As we celebrate International Women’s Day on Wednesday, the QBCC is burnishing its own gender equality credentials noting that women occupy the most senior positions at the regulator. Levy, who is chief executive and commissioner, is joined by board chair Michelle James and chief building regulator Angela Masson at the top level of the QBCC.

James is a principal and director with law firm Maurice Blackburn, while Masson is a former prosecutor and corporate governance professional.

QBCC leadership from left Angela Masson, Anissa Levy and Michelle James

Levy, the QBCC’s first female chief executive and commissioner who is celebrating one year in the top job, says the building industry offered a diverse range of roles for women.

“You can choose from being physical and on the tool and trade jobs to planning, architecture, design, project management, regulation and engineering,” Levy says.

“This is such a rewarding industry to work in. It is an industry that does something tangible that has real impacts on peoples’ lives, whether it is building homes that people live in, the places we work in or major infrastructure.”

James has more than 20 years’ experience in personal injuries litigation and expertise in governance as director of Maurice Blackburn and the Australian Lawyers Alliance.

Masson was appointed inaugural QBCC chief building regulator in August 2022 after working on Cross River Rail. “It is an exciting time for women in leadership and women in construction,’’ Masson says. “There are still some barriers for women and it’s not easy, but people are starting to look at what a female leader brings as her skill set, rather than the female leader being there as a token gesture.”

Logan’s run

City of Logan is the place to be these days it seems. The Property Council of Australia invited Mayor Darren Power and Logan City Council’s director of growth, economy and sustainability David Hansen, to take centre stage at their recent ‘Spotlight on SEQ’ breakfast at South Bank to discuss the growing business opportunities in the city. Deputy Mayor Natalie Willcocks and fellow councillors Jon Raven, Karen Murphy and Miriam Stemp were also in the packed audience with Power and Hansen both talking up new health, innovation and commercial opportunities, as well as highlighting that Logan was well above Queensland Government mandated urban housing targets.

Logan Mayor Darren Power

Power also called on more assistance from the Queensland Government in the next version of the SEQ Regional Plan, as significant growth puts pressure on councils across the region. He added that social infrastructure such as healthcare facilities and libraries, were essential for making those areas attractive for young people.“We need some assistance from the state,” Power told the breakfast.

“There has to be some compensation to councils like Ipswich, Moreton and Logan. If we are carrying the load and doing the heavy lifting, you must put that social infrastructure into cities like ours to make sure its attractive for people to relocate.” The population in Logan is set to double by 2036.