CEDA, in partnership with WSP, is undertaking research into Australia's construction productivity challenge across major infrastructure sectors. This exclusive session will bring together a select group of industry and government leaders to examine what drives and constrains productivity in some of Australia's most complex construction environments.

Across mining and resources, construction productivity is shaped by both sector-specific operating conditions and broader system-wide constraints affecting major infrastructure delivery. The sector operates under a distinct set of commercial pressures, ownership structures, and delivery timelines. This makes it a useful lens, and testbed, for examining what drives or constrains productivity in some of Australia's most complex construction environments.

Exposure to commodity cycles, remote and technically demanding conditions, and privately-driven capital decisions shapes how projects are planned, procured, and delivered. Supplier consolidation has compounded these pressures, with tier-1 competitors across engineering, construction, and key supplier markets declining significantly over the past decade. Workforce constraints remain acute – FIFO models face growing retention pressures, and competition for skilled labour is intensifying across mining and construction simultaneously. At the same time, automation is reshaping what productivity in the sector can look like. The Pilbara hosts around 75 per cent of autonomous haul trucks operating globally, demonstrating both the pace of innovation uptake and the lessons available to other sectors.

Held under Chatham House Rule, co-labs are facilitated by CEDA economists or subject matter experts and are limited to a small group of participants. Each participant is expected to actively contribute to the discussion, responding to the set focus issues and drawing on practical examples where possible, with briefing packs and set questions provided to delegates prior to the co-lab.

Attendance at this co-lab is by invitation only. Discussion from this session will be captured by the CEDA team to inform our Building Better research project. Any comments disclosed as commercially sensitive will be treated with confidence and will not be included in our summary. Please contact the CEDA team if you have further questions.