A NATIONAL building and construction industry summit in Hobart has heard that the Australian economy looks set for several years of solid growth that would ultimately benefit the Tasmanian building and construction sector.

But keynote speaker and master of ceremonies Michael Pascoe, one of Australia’s most respected and experienced finance and economics commentators, also told the summit’s 120 delegates that they had to work smarter and more productively in the future.

TBCITB chairman Bob Panitzki, keynote speakers John Mitchell, Thomas Fussell and Michael Pascoe, and BCIC chairman John Pitt at the summit at Moorilla.

“Australia’s population is increasing, and this increasing population needs to live somewhere,” he said.

“At the same time, dwelling investment has been flat.

“There needs to be more investment in housing, not just because people need a place to live, but also because it is a wonderful multiplier in the economy.”

Mr Pascoe also warned that he thought there was a big risk that Tasmania’s skilled workers would be “stolen” for jobs interstate.

“Importantly, the building and construction industry in Tasmania is ahead of the game when it comes to developing people,” he said.

“We heard today about the level of training and the high numbers of apprentices in employment in Tasmania.”

The summit, jointly organised by the Tasmanian Building and Construction Industry Training Board (TBCITB) and the Building and Construction Industry Council (BCIC), brought together industry leaders from around Australia, including local industry figures, to talk about examples of innovation and industry best practice that have the potential for application in Tasmania.

Keynote addresses were delivered by John Mitchell, the chairman of BuildingSmart, and Thomas Fussell, the executive director and chief architect of Project Services in the Queensland Government.

Both Mr Mitchell and Mr Fussell spoke at length about digital technology, specifically Building Information Modelling (BIM), and the positive changes this would ultimately deliver the industry.

The merits of BIM technology were clearly explained to delegates.  Examples were provided to demonstrate how BIM had helped numerous large building and construction projects interstate.

In addition to the keynote addresses, there were five panel discussions covering civil, building, independent, professions and people.

TBCITB executive director Peter Coad said the industry needed to find about $2.2 billion in building work every year to keep the state’s building and construction workforce employed.

“The building and construction industry in the last few years has had a 150 per cent increase in apprentice commencements and training,” he said.

“But the question we asked the summit to consider is how do you sustain a 20,000-strong workforce?”

Peter said the industry was being urged to adopt new efficient technology.

“There was a lot of discussion about digital technology, particularly BIM and the benefits for industry,” he said.

“It’s a bit like going from a handsaw to a power saw. Those who get in on the ground floor and use this new technology in an innovative way will reap the benefits.

A series of recommendations will be presented to the industry as soon as practical.