“Improving internal capacity can save government money, with a lack of technical capacity driving massive waste every year.” Solutions, Engineering A Better Future

The aim of the Victorian Capacity Building Workshop is to avoid cost blowouts,delays and problematic commercial projects that are inevitable unless engineering capacity can be built within government and the construction sector today.

CEO Chris Walton (center) making a presentation during the workshop

What’s the problem and how do we solve it?

Taken from Engineering A Better Future:

PROBLEM:

“Approximately 30 years ago, the trend began to privatise and contract out. The private sector headhunted from the public sector and competed on wages.

Today, Government in many areas lacks the internal professional capacity to be an informed purchaser leading to problems for government and business. Government gets poor value outcomes because it doesn’t adequately plan and scope the project. Business is affected by delays and disputes as they deal with an uninformed client which attempts to shift too much risk.

There is an urgent need to increase the in-house engineering capability of governments and their agencies, with engineers required to do the necessary scoping and design work and oversee projects properly.”

SOLUTION:

• Audit all three tiers of government to ensure they are informed purchasers, able to roll out infrastructure and maintain community assets by having an adequate number of skilled professional engineers
• Bring the engineering profession and industry together to get advice on what is needed to build better infrastructure
• Restore and/or create positions at critical decision-making stages requiring engineering qualifications
• Create an engineering workforce plan

This workshop was run to identify practical initiatives that can be implemented and accelerated through a collaboration between industry, government and training providers.

The outcomes of this workshop will be considered in the upcoming Victorian Budget and incorporated into the Construction Industry Leadership Forum processes.

Workshop attendees:

Professionals Australia

• Chris Walton, CEO Professionals Australia
• Adam Kerslake, National Engineering Executive Officer
• Wes Hayes, Director VIC Branch

Government

• Collette Burke, Chief Engineer, Victoria
• Kevin Doherty, CEO, Office of Projects Victoria
• Don Matthews, Commissioner Local Jobs First
• Tim Mumford, Senior Project Manager, Office of Projects Victoria
• Charles Holdenby, Deputy Director Workforce, Office of the Director-General, Major Transport Infrastructure Authority
• Madeleine McManus, Director of Industry Engagement, Monash University
• Priya Brown, Senior Adviser, Office of Treasurer Tim Pallas
• Neil Coulson, Victorian Skills Commissioner
• Cameron Baker, Director, Office of Victorian Skills Commissioner

Roads Australia

• Michael Kilgariff, CEO, Roads Australia
• Natalie Collard, Executive Director of Policy & Government
• Anna Jabour, Director of Policy Partnerships
• Alex Stott, Policy Manager

Associations & Providers

• Lindsay Le Compte, Executive Director, Australian Constructors Association
• Nicola Grayson, Director of Policy & Government, Consult Australia
• John Kilgour, CEO Victoria, Civil Contractors Federation
• Bill Haggerty, Principal, Lawson Delaney