MEDIA RELEASE

20 October 2020

PETITION PROVES POPULAR SUPPORT FOR QUEENSLAND TO BE BUILT BY AUSTRALIAN CONTRACTORS

Thousands of Australians have demonstrated their support for a Queensland built by Queensland and Australian companies by signing the Australian Owned Contractors ‘Let Us Build Queensland’ petition.

Television and online ads and public commentary on the issue ahead of the Queensland Election on 31 October is educating voters on the policy and market failure and adds to the numbers signing the petition ahead of the State vote.

Australian Owned Contractors (AOC) CEO Brent Crockford said more public discussion of the issue and support for the petition sent a strong, clear message to Queensland politicians looking to be elected.

“The support for our campaign and the petition should grab the attention of all Queensland politicians – Queensland voters want a commitment from all sides of politics to pursue change,” Mr Crockford said.

“More of Australia’s infrastructure needs to be built by Australian companies – it matters to us and it matters to Queenslanders.

“Our member companies – Australia’s leading Mid-Tier civil construction firms – are reporting more people actively discussing support for home grown companies, and our campaign website is certainly attracting lots of attention.”

Mr Crockford said an internal survey of AOC members in October showed that all member firms had capacity to take on larger volumes of work as leaders on major contracts and not just as sub-contractors.

“Our members deserve more opportunity to successfully bid for run these major public infrastructure projects as head contractors in Queensland and around the nation,” he said.

“AOC companies bid individually for contracts that range from less than $100 million to between $200 and $500 million but are effectively cut out of leadership opportunities on the bigger mega-bundled projects over $500 million, playing right into the hands of the huge foreign multinationals.

“Our members have capacity, and capability is rarely a factor in these situations, it comes down to ability to take on sole financial risk and it’s a one-size-fits-all mentality to tendering that penalises Australian companies and restricts opportunities for growth.”

Mr Crockford said people signing the petition realised the risks if action was not taken by Queensland and Australian governments - millions of dollars in profits, intellectual property and expertise flowing offshore rather than staying in our home states.

The ‘Let Us Build Queensland’ petition is available via the campaign webpage: www.letusbuild.com.au

Australian Owned Contractors is made up of 18 local Mid-Tier construction companies:

Members of Australian Owned Contractors are:

·         Majority Australian owned and controlled – at least 51% owned by Australian shareholders

·         Have revenue in excess of $250 million

·         Companies that have participated in Federal and State Government funded infrastructure