The Australian Construction Industry Forum compiled a thorough wrap-up of industry group responses to the Federal Budget.
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"The Federal Budget support for major infrastructure projects and its focus on skills and training is a positive response to the challenges facing the Australian infrastructure sector," Jim Barrett, Executive Director of the Australian Constructors Association (ACA), said. "Australia's infrastructure construction activity has increased strongly over the past ten years driven by transport and energy infrastructure. The resources sector will do much to drive the industry over the next 10 years but businesses are reporting worsening skill shortage bottlenecks.
The peak building professional body, The Australia Institute of Building (AIB) has welcomed the focus on combating the skills shortage in the 2011 Federal budget. The Chief Executive Officer of the AIB, Mr Robert Hunt said the AIB was pleased that the Government's $3 billion, six-year plan to train thousands of new workers included initiatives to support apprentices, increase skilled immigration and provide support for the long-term unemployed.
Consult Australia welcomes the Government's continued economic discipline as the patchwork economy persists and the states recover from a Summer of natural disasters. Chief Executive Megan Motto said: 'The Budget's focus on infrastructure investment and skills to support growth is welcomed.'
'The resources boom presents a once in a generation opportunity for the Government to deliver policy supported by investment that positions us to deal with the challenges of climate change, economic growth, and the demographic challenges we face in the decades ahead.'
The Housing Industry Association says the Federal Budget represents another missed opportunity to tackle the nation's growing housing shortage and resultant housing affordability crisis. HIA's Senior Economist, Andrew Harvey, said that while the Budget provides some useful measures, including in skills and training, it contains nothing to address Australia's chronic housing shortage and deteriorating housing affordability.
The 2011 Federal Budget contains a number of positive measures for the building and construction industry, but doubts remain about the impetus it will provide for a private sector recovery, according to Master Builders Australia.
Mr Wilhelm Harnisch, CEO of Master Builders Australia said: "The Federal Budget strategy of a return to surplus by 2012-13 is welcome, but relies on dividends from the resources boom and provides limited guidance to businesses in the slow lane as they seek to be part of the post-GFC economic recovery.
However, MBA also says that the Government's Budget announcement of new industry specific tax reporting requirements is raising fears that it is a guise for attacking the legitimacy of contracting in the building and construction industry and that commercially confidential information could fall into the hands of building unions.
The Property Council has welcomed initiatives in the 2011 Federal Budget to join up Australia's population, regional and urban policy frameworks, along with increased infrastructure spending programs."The Gillard Government's first Budget lays out a powerful development plan for regional Australia, along with a targeted increase to migration and labour skills programs that will boost Australia's economic muscle," said Property Council Chief Executive, Peter Verwer.
