Constructive Forum brings Government and industry together

The Constructive Forum, led by Registered Master Builders, has been hosting virtual events for the past two weeks as part of its Constructive Virtual Event Series.

Last week featured a joint session from Master Builders and BusinessNZ, with a panel including Minister of Finance Grant Roberston and members of the construction industry including Darrell Trigg, Managing Director, Trigg Construction; Helen O'Sullivan, Chief Executive, Crockers Property; Johnny Calley, Director, Calley Homes; Kirk Hope, Chief Executive, BusinessNZ.

The session included some robust and productive conversations, with the Construction Sector Accord being acknowledged as the driving force behind fixing the sector's long-standing issues and being held up as an exemplar for other industries in their own transformations.

Accord Transformation Director, Dean Kimpton, tuned into Virtual Event Series 3. “It was great to see so many important points raised in the panel sessions. I'm looking forward to seeing how the Construction Sector Accord can incorporate some of this thinking in our transformation journey.

"The panel discussions highlighted the Accord's integral role in creating a meaningful partnership. With sector leaders and ministers at the helm, industry can be confident that the issues are being taken seriously. We are really pleased that Accord Ministers, along with the Minister of Finance, are recognising the fundamental role we are playing in transformation."

Breaking down silos between private and public sector

"The panel conversations around working together and breaking down silos resonated with me," says Dean.

"It was noted that one of the biggest issues has been the lack of information sharing between central Government and local government about projects, and the important role of the Infrastructure Commission in establishing that information flow. The government's public housing target of 8,000 new homes was noted as an anchor for the sector and SME's will be a part of that work with partnerships across the economy – including community housing providers, private sector developers and iwi," says Dean.

Residential pipeline to support SMEs

Johnny Calley, Director of Calley Homes was able to give some insight on New Zealand's residential pipeline. "I found the comments around targeted residential support thought-provoking, with the panel noting that this support needs to be filtered down to SME's, and work needs to be done to advance prefabrication, ensuring SME's are included," says Dean.

"We know SME's are busy at the moment and could be sustained until the end of the year, but it was good to hear the panel acknowledge the importance of long-term support as well."

Procurement to focus on broader outcomes

"It was interesting to hear the discussions about procurement, which is a key focus area of the Accord. As the Minister of Finance correctly pointed out, risk management was a big driver when setting up the Accord, and ensuring fair risk allocation, pricing and margins," says Dean.

"We know a lowest cost model has not worked for anyone, and it was pleasing to hear the Minister of Finance talking about moving to a 'broader outcomes' model and a focus on the sustainability of the sector."

Regulatory system a barrier to productivity

"Johnny Calley and Helen O'Sullivan’s points about the current challenges of the regulatory system also resonated with me," says Dean.

"Inconsistencies in the system is one of the biggest challenges for productivity, with different interpretations of the Building Act and different views from councils. We all know there needs to be greater consistency across the sector including quality design, so I’m looking forward to seeing how the Building System Legislative Reform Programme and the reform of the RMA can help with these challenges."

To watch the full session, visit the Constructive website(external link).