While each organisation focuses on different aspects of the industry — the CCAA on industry representation, market and technical development and the IQA on training and personal skills development — CMIC14 represents an unparalleled opportunity to build and renew relationships and encourage dialogue and debate on matters that are important to the industry.
Each year the conference organising committee is challenged to identify a theme around which to structure a thought-provoking and stimulating program, drawing on contributions from experts within and outside our industry.
This year the conference organising committee has met the challenge and has identified a theme that resonates not just within our industry but across all sectors of the economy.
Australia’s productivity has been the subject of a great deal of debate in recent years and building our productive capacity is widely recognised as a key to our future prosperity. This is particularly true for the heavy construction materials industry.
State and Federal Governments are recognising that investment in infrastructure to provide a platform for growth and prosperity must be at the heart of their plans to restore and reinvigorate our economy. These developments are vital to us, as we are both major suppliers and users of the transport infrastructure that governments are committed to develop.
Governments are also recognising their responsibilities to create the right balance with regulation and to remove unnecessary and burdensome red and green tape.
Our industry is particularly affected by regulations that do little more than slow development and create unnecessary cost. The CCAA has worked consistently and co-operatively with state governments, with success in achieving better planning and regulatory frameworks and outcomes, but there is more to be done.
So CMIC14’s theme of Building Productivity is both relevant and timely.
I am looking forward to hearing from the wide range of speakers that will talk about their experiences and the opportunities they have identified to build productivity in their businesses through innovative thinking.
CMIC14 will host the presentation of the 2014 CCAA Environment Health and Safety Awards. These awards are the culmination of annual EH&S Awards held around the nation over the past two years. They put the spotlight on some of the great initiatives undertaken by our industry to improve workplace safety and environmental performance.
These awards recognise and encourage the innovative thinking that occurs right across our industry, and they demonstrate that often simple initiatives requiring only small investments can produce great outcomes.
I hope CMIC14 provides all of us with an opportunity to reflect on ways to build productivity across our industry. By sharing information and ideas, we can create a platform for sustained growth in the future across the industry.
I look forward to meeting as many of you as possible and discussing those ideas in Brisbane.
Kevin Gluskie
Chairman
Cement Concrete Aggregates Australia