Three experts on how to fix Queensland’s productivity problem
Researchers and industry leaders warn that Queensland is facing a $127 billion infrastructure pipeline, with an industry unable to deliver it.
The Queensland Productivity Commission, which offers independent policy advice to the state government, in January found construction productivity has declined 9 per cent since 2018 – equivalent to 77,000 fewer homes.
Meanwhile, labour productivity in the construction industry increased by 5 per cent over the last 30 years compared to 65 per cent in the market economy over the same period.
The report projected Queenslanders would be slugged with $20.6 billion over five years to 2030 in costs if Best Practice Industry Conditions (BPIC) were adopted, leading to fewer homes built and entrenched higher rents. As such, the state government has vowed to permanently remove BPIC from procurement policy.
InDaily speaks to three experts on how to best prepare the sector and build a workforce capable of meeting the growing demand for housing and infrastructure investment.
Building a pipeline of talent
Dr Fiona Cheung, a senior lecturer in construction management at QUT, says the biggest challenge is not demand, but whether the state has the workforce and capability to deliver scheduled infrastructure.
“The pipeline is breaking down at several points – we are not attracting enough young people into construction-related careers, diversity into the sector, or moving quickly enough towards new ways of delivering projects,” Cheung said.
She said that programs like QBuild’s MMC Program could help stimulate industry change by encouraging more integrated approaches to infrastructure development.
Cheung said too many young people still saw construction as only hard physical work on-site, when the industry is much broader than that.
“Construction today is technical, digital, innovative and highly coordinated. It involves managing people, materials, plants, contracts, data, design teams, clients, suppliers and trades – all working toward a common outcome.”
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“That’s why I’m passionate about educating the next-gen workforce on the full suite of career outcomes,” Cheung said.
“This is a huge part of my role at QUT – helping students understand the career possibilities and connect their learning directly to industry practice.”
Cheung leads the QUT Women in Engineering and Construction program, which breaks down barriers and encourages students to pursue a career in this field.
Cheung said that changing women’s perception of the construction industry as a “man’s job” begins in high school.
“If young women don’t see themselves in the industry during school, they’re far less likely to pursue it later,” she said.
She explained that increased visibility, relatable role models and engaging experiences in secondary education were necessary if the industry wanted to show women how viable, exciting and rewarding a career path in construction can be.
“If we do nothing different, the workforce gap will only grow,” Cheung said.
“That means projects become harder to deliver, costs increase, timelines stretch, and the industry becomes less attractive to investors, clients and future workers.”
“This is not just a construction issue. It is an education, workforce and economic resilience issue.”
Emerging technologies are eliminating traditional barriers
“Technology creates opportunities for all genders to work equally on worksites,” Associate Professor Muge Fiahlo, an award-winning researcher in interior design discipline, said.
She adds that innovative technology such as Armstrong Bricklaying’s the MULE, a collaborative robotic arm that renders blocks weightless, have opened up opportunities for anyone to work in bricklaying.
“As more technologies become available, such as exoskeletons, robot dogs, humanoids, we will start to see a big change in the construction sites.”
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While Fiahlo doesn’t believe technology alone can solve construction’s productivity problem, she does believe it can play a critical role.
“Our research programs involve designing systems, products, spaces, for better human robot interactions, providing bespoke technical solutions with ease of use.”
She adds that to address the stigma of women working in construction, the industry needs to educate the population by showcasing best practice cases, citing the work of organisations like NAWIC and Women in Construction and QUT’s Built Women in Construction Scholarship as prime examples.
“We are at a point of time where in order to respond to the pressures of climate change, supply issues, labor shortages, and the housing crisis, we need to change the way we design and construct,” she said.
“Technology can enable gender balance, help with labor shortages, engage younger generations with the workforce.
“It can create a happier and healthier workplace. It can aid with the boring, tedious, dangerous tasks that no one wants to do.
“Especially in construction environments, we need the agility of humans with their problem solving skills. But we can utilize technology to enhance our decision making, or physical capabilities.”
What structural change actually looks like
Nicole Destimas, director and founder of Belnic Constructions said the construction industry was built around systems designed for a male workforce and traditional gender roles.
“Girls are still discouraged from pursuing trades, and those who do often face barriers to gaining the site experience needed to progress – particularly in exclusion from roles that are traditionally seen as only suitable for men,” Destimas said.
She cited inflexible work hours, lack of basic amenities for women on-site and industry access as the main factors keeping women out of the industry.
“While I’ve sometimes felt isolated or misunderstood throughout my career, I’ve never felt unwelcome in the construction industry, and I believe that the industry has shifted from passive to active acceptance of women in recent years.”
Destimas said updating how the industry defines and assesses builder competency would make an immediate difference for businesses trying to operate in the sector.
“Right now, the licensing framework is heavily weighted toward traditional trade and supervision pathways, which don’t reflect how modern construction businesses actually operate—and unintentionally exclude many capable professionals, particularly women,” she said.
She adds that today’s builders require a blend of technical, commercial and risk management skills, not just trade experience.
“If competency models were updated to align with those realities, it would open the door to a broader, highly capable talent pool—including professionals who are already performing these roles,” she said.
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