Civil Contractors Federation SA (CCF SA) commends the $3.2bn of Federal funding towards local infrastructure projects announced last night, with the focus now turning to our State Government who are responsible for the delivery of these projects into South Australia.

Federation Chief Executive, Ms Rebecca Pickering said there were a number of wins in the Federal budget along with some stark omissions especially in regards to South Australia’s 5 to 10 year project trajectory.

“Disappointingly there appears to be no upcoming allocation for the Major Project Business Case Fund for SA. This funding supports Business Case development which in turn determines future South Australian projects. Without this commitment we have serious concerns for South Australia’s project forecast and pipeline in the near future.

“On the flipside it was terrific to see a Federal commitment to strengthen pathway services for 5,000 women to start non-traditional trades. Given that our industry aims to broaden its inclusivity and diversity commitments, this funding will assist us in reaching these goals,” Pickering said.

Other wins included the extension of the Boosting Apprenticeship Commencements Program.

“Along with Civil Apprenticeships and Careers Ltd we are pleased with this extension - we just hope civil apprentices are included, unlike other funding programs that historically only service traditional trades.

“This segues into new civil businesses being developed through self-employment. The Self Employment Federal funding commitment is exciting, as one of our new strategies seeks to encourage and support new civil businesses entering the South Australian market. We will seek to maximise this opportunity for our local community and those wanting to start a new civil construction business in this state,” Pickering said.

Pickering noted that of the announced $3.2bn for major infrastructure projects, including the next part of the North-South Corridor, only $130.8m is allocated in the 2021/22 budget and that in regards to the Road Investment Component, there were significant increases, which is good news, but there is nearly $1B in road repair work currently outstanding.

“Investing in civil infrastructure projects generates jobs, boosts business confidence and underpins economic growth and our primary focus is seeing that these projects start and are completed in suitable time frames.

“Greater transparency is needed across all of our local infrastructure projects, from start to finish, to ensure the best outcomes for everybody. This includes planning studies, design, business case development, maintenance, procurement and project starts.”

Media release - Response to National Federal Budget.pdf