2006-07 - Construction Innovation

Research Programs
The success of industry-wide collaboration in the Safer Construction
project has resulted in the Australian Institute of Building reviewing
and endorsing outcomes from the project.
A similar approach was adopted for the Your Building project, which
involved development of an industry-wide web portal for sustainable
commercial buildings. This was undertaken in collaboration with
the AGO and ASBEC representatives. The Your Building Industry
Taskforce comprised representatives from Construction Innovation,
AGO, ASBEC, RAIA, ACEA, PCA, Szencorp and Building Products
Innovation Council.
Our new Dispute Avoidance and Resolution project also operates with
a senior-level strategic Industry Taskforce consisting of the former
Royal Commissioner into the Building and Construction Industry and
representatives from the Civil Contractors Federation, Queensland
Department of Main Roads, Built Environment Design Professionals,
Australian Constructors Association, and the Australian Procurement
and Construction Council.
Sponsorship received
Your Building is a collaborative project of Construction Innovation, the
Department of the Environment and Water Resources and ASBEC.
The Your Building web portal is Australia’s key online resource about
sustainable commercial buildings. It provides information for all those
involved across the building life cycle – from investors, owners and
occupiers, to developers, builders, designers and facility managers.
Industry sponsorship for the Your Building website was received
from Connell Wagner, Bluescope Steel, Fletcher Insulation, Leighton
Contractors, Building Commission (Victoria), Arup, Stockland,
Architectus, Szencorp and Boral. These sponsors have strengthened
Construction Innovation’s industry partnerships and facilitated a
pathway to adoption of key project outcomes.
Submissions to government inquiries
Performance Benchmarking of Australian Business Regulation
•
(Productivity Commission)
Construction Innovation’s Construction Industry Business
Environment (CIBE) project prepared a submission to the
Productivity Commission, in their study on the performance
benchmarking of Australian Business Regulation. On the basis
of this submission, Construction Innovation was invited to
attend a closed round table discussion on benchmarking the
regulatory environment. Construction Innovation was the only
research organisation invited to attend. The work of the CIBE
project and Construction Innovation has been noted in the final
published report (Performance Benchmarking of Australian
Business Regulation Productivity Commission Research Report,
19 February 2007).
• Submission to the Draft Brisbane Economic Development
Plan (Brisbane City Council)
Elements of Construction Innovation’s submission have been
incorporated into the final Brisbane Economic Development Plan
— particularly in relation to infrastructure development. Most
of these inclusions are verbatim. These inclusions focused on
construction industry skills development, and the likely impact
of continued population growth on transport infrastructure in
Brisbane and surrounding loal government areas.
• Inquiry into a Sustainability Charter (House of Representatives
Standing Committee on Environment and Heritage)
Based on this submission, Construction Innovation was
subsequently invited to address the Standing Committee as
part of a select round table discussion in October 2006 on
the Sustainability Charter. Construction Innovation nominated
leaders from ASBEC – an organisation which Construction
Innovation worked to establish. ASBEC has subsequently
met with the Minister for the Environment and Water Resources
in relation to the submission.
The development of the Your Building portal content and web platform was
informed by intensive industry consultation, and guided by an Industry Taskforce.
The content was reviewed by specialist researchers and industry practitioners.
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