4.4.3  Management of construction

Beyond measures related to the development of a skilled labour force and streamlining of procurement and environmental assessment processes, other opportunities to reduce the cost of construction will need to be explored.

Constant attention should be given to building practices and workplace arrangements that allow infrastructure to be developed in a more efficient manner. Comparison of building costs between different jurisdictions or sectors may offer assistance here.

Infrastructure Australia has also previously suggested that there is merit in encouraging public debate about the trade-offs of allowing projects to be constructed for longer periods during the day and in a manner where contractors could gain extended access to worksites. This is especially when projects involve retrofitting of infrastructure in existing corridors or locations. The productivity benefits, both in terms of cost reductions and early delivery of projects, could be substantial.

Additional local impacts during construction could be managed in a manner that minimises potential disruption from longer construction hours. These could be designed to enable the local communities that bear some of the additional disruption from extended construction hours to share in some of the benefits arising from the more efficient construction methods.119

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119.  Infrastructure Australia (2012d), pp. 23-24