As voters prepare to head to the polls on Saturday, few will trace the lack of promised investment in their local community to the industrial disruption currently plaguing some major infrastructure construction sites.
But the reality is that billions of dollars of taxpayer funds are being wasted at a time when resources are decidedly scarce.
The ongoing and shocking revelations of violence, intimidation and coercion on Australia’s public infrastructure work sites demands a much more proactive approach.
Under the current regulatory settings, safety has been weaponised, causing unnecessary delays and costs to the taxpayer.
Today, Roads Australia has shone a light on the impact this has on our people, our sector and our communities.
There must be no compromises on physical and psychological safety at our worksites, particularly as we seek to attract the best talent and build a diverse and inclusive workforce.
Whichever party forms Government this weekend must re-set expectations about acceptable behaviour on construction sites nationally and establish a zero-tolerance culture for violence and intimidation.
The federal election campaign has increasingly been hijacked by challenges that are outside our control. Trade wars, geopolitical instability and extremely constrained government budgets present a unique moment of uncertainty for government, businesses and families like.
But we shouldn’t lose hope of addressing the issues that we can control.
Ultimately, we need workplaces where there is mutual respect between employers and employees and where differences can be resolved quickly and efficiently without the need for project disruption.
Ehssan Veiszadeh
CEO – Roads Australia