The federal government announced a number of weeks ago that construction is an essential industry, but as we all know this issue is moving at a rapid rate, and things are changing daily. Yesterday, a second known coronavirus (Covid-19) case was confirmed at Multiplex’s $2.8 billion Melbourne Square, one of the largest development projects in Victoria. Master Builders Australia have launched a national advertising campaign to promote social distancing and strict hygiene on the nation’s building sites.
Denita Wawn, CEO of Master Builders Australia said the campaign would run for the next four weeks and was targeted to everyone working in the building and construction sector because everyone has a responsibility to ensure that social distancing and good hygiene are being practiced.
“Business owners, employers, construction workers, subcontractors, site managers – everyone must be accountable for social distancing and strict hygiene not only on building sites but also off site when on breaks and before and after shifts,” she said.
“As an essential industry it’s vital to the community and the economy that in this extraordinarily difficult time we can continue building and construction work to provide the livelihoods of 1 in 10 Australians and to support the viability of nearly 400,000 small businesses,” Denita Wawn said.
“It’s important that the health and wellbeing of everyone in our industry and community remains our top priority which is why the industry is continuing to embed social distancing and strict hygiene practices on site. It’s also why we have joined forces with the CFMEU and the AWU to promote an even stronger safety culture as our industry and our community faces the Covid-19 crisis,” she said.
The construction industry accounts for around 10% of our GDP and employs 1.2 million people
“However, we do recognise the substantial cultural change that we are asking everyone in our industry to make. Everyone including workers, subcontractors and management are used to completing building projects as efficiently as possible. Social distancing is slowing work down, but slower work is better than no work and that is why we are asking everyone in our industry to step up and be accountable for doing the right thing to keep each other and the community safe,” Denita Wawn said.
“There are 1.2 million people and nearly 400,000 small businesses in communities around Australia that go to work every day in our industry which provides the most full time jobs and is made up of the most SMEs than any other sector in the economy. That is why we have launched this campaign,” Denita Wawn said.
The Shopping Centre development pipeline continues with Riverdale Village Town Centre becoming one of the only Shopping Centres in Australia to open amid the COVID-19 outbreak, bringing much-needed facilities to one of Melbourne’s newest and high-growth communities last week. Other centres, such as Fraser’s Eastern Creek Quarter development have delayed their opening.
The construction industry is a lynchpin of the Australian economy. It accounts for around 10% of our GDP and employs 1.2 million people which is 9.1% of the entire Australian workforce.
If coronavirus forces the shutdown of the industry it will have a devastating impact on the economy generally and upon the lives of construction workers and business operators and all their families.
