Keep pushing on productivity

While productivity figures show that the construction sector is not doing as poorly as other parts of the industry, we cannot rest on our laurels.

- Damian Long Chief Executive Officer Civil Contractors Federation Queensland

Productivity in the building and construction industry has recently been in focus on the back of rapidly increasing construction costs, labour reforms, and budget blowouts resulting in declining volume of infrastructure being delivered for the same dollar figure.

Many reviews into the industry's productivity show a decline against other industries.

However, the building and construction industry is viewed under the same umbrella without recognising that some segments of the industry are more productive than others.

The Productivity Commission's 2025 report, Housing Productivity: Can We Fix It? has split the heavy and civil engineering sector from the building and construction industry conglomerate.

Since 1994-95, labour productivity in the heavy and civil engineering sector has increased by 44 per cent — nearly matching the economy-wide average of 49 per cent.

In contrast, building construction productivity sits at -13 per cent over the same period, dragging the average productivity of the “construction industry” as a whole down to 13 per cent.