Australian Constructors Association
Government, Industry Team Up for Hospital Rescue Plan
The Australian Constructors Association (ACA) welcomes the completion of the independent review into Queensland’s hospital Capacity Expansion Program (CEP) and the Queensland Government’s response. The construction industry is ready to deliver the program and urges the Government to move forward with certainty and pace.
ACA CEO Jon Davies said the industry has already mobilised for the CEP. “Work is already underway. Contractors have structured their businesses around these projects—many have turned down other opportunities to focus on this program,” said Mr Davies.
“We now need the Government to commit to the next steps and provide certainty across the pipeline.”
ACA is calling for close collaboration between government and industry to implement the review’s recommendations in a way that minimises further delay and disruption and makes the best use of existing committed resources.
“It’s important that CEP delivery is not considered in isolation,” said Mr Davies. “It should be coordinated with other major infrastructure projects in the state—such as Olympic-related works—to manage demand on construction resources and avoid unnecessary competition for labour and materials.”
While rising costs are a challenge, ACA believes the program can still be delivered within budget by taking a smarter approach.
“Contractors have already identified practical design and construction efficiencies through value engineering,” Mr Davies said. “We are ready to work with Health Infrastructure Queensland to put these savings into action without delay.”
The ACA also looks forward to contributing to the Government’s planned review of infrastructure productivity.
“There are real opportunities to reduce the cost of infrastructure projects like the CEP by lifting productivity,” said Mr Davies. “We want to work with government to identify where changes can be made to improve how we deliver these public assets.”
About us:
The Australian Constructors Association is the only representative body for contractors delivering vertical and horizontal construction projects, as well as undertaking infrastructure asset management. Our members construct and service the majority of major infrastructure projects built in Australia every year. Our goal is to create a more sustainable construction industry.