Australia’s peak voice for the civil construction industry, the Civil Contractors Federation (CCF), has been left with questions as to the failure to include civil occupations in the Core Skills Occupations List (CSOL) at a time where skill shortages are stifling the delivery of last kilometre housing enabling infrastructure.
Nicholas Proud, Chief Executive Officer, Civil Contractors Federation Australia (National) said it is hard to imagine at a time when we have seen housing collapse at the last kilometre of delivery for the Core List to include Wine Makers, Shoe Makers, Diving Instructors, Flower Growers, Goat Farmers, Yoga Instructors and countless occupations who have not been in shortage for the past four years, yet housing enabling civil trades are left languishing.
As per latest Jobs and Skills Australia market analysis, Excavator Operators are listed in shortage now for the past four years and are not considered for the Core List, yet Shoe Makers who have never been in shortage anywhere in Australia over the same period added to the list.
Excavators and Earthmoving Plant Operators that are in shortage but excluded are essential to operate plant to excavate earth, ore and rock, break up pavement, road, rock and obstructions, move and load earth in construction and other projects. Registration or licensing is required and changing technology makes this work complex but is not prioritised.
CCF know from our 2024 Market Indicators Survey that civil contractors have the ability to increase capacity, particularly for housing and community enabling infrastructure, but without the ability to prioritise these skills in shortage we will see this housing crisis persist.
Investment in $10-150m last kilometre infrastructure and their skills are essential to halt the housing delivery collapse. Australia has seen housing commencements collapse since the 2022 election from 228,842 dwellings commenced in the 2021 year to just under 158,752 commenced in the 12 months to June 2024, which is over a 70,000 dwelling delivery annual collapse. One of the key contributors to this decline are skills deficits to deliver the last kilometre housing enabling infrastructure such as roads, water, sewerage, telecommunications infrastructure.
In simplest terms not one dollar in housing can be spent until a dollar has been spent in civil.
Homes in greenfield or brownfield developments where subdivision, water, sewerage, roads, energy transformation and essential infrastructure will continue to be stifled whilst Federal Government recognized skills shortages across civil trades compound the lack of housing underway.
