A Master Builders Victoria-led (MBV) delegation, working in collaboration with RMIT University, recently visited Europe, the UK, Canada, and the United States as part of an international research project to support Victoria's post-COVID-19 building and construction industry.

Like our colleagues overseas, we all face skills and labour shortages and have felt the pain of recent supply shortages.

This was the first Australian-led industry delegation tasked with looking globally and post-pandemic at emerging trends in alternative supply chains and materials, circular economy, net zero buildings, regulatory reform, and innovation in sustainable building practices while examining best-practice skills, training, and migration. 

The result of this tour and the research being done will help us understand how the Victorian building and construction industry is positioned globally and how our international colleagues are recovering post-COVID-19.

The delegation visited more than 35 organisations and connected with over 80 people in just over two and a half weeks.

We visited associations, universities, regulatory bodies, small and large businesses, and government departments.

In preparation for regional Victoria hosting the 2026 Commonwealth Games, we also travelled to Birmingham to inspect the Sandwell Aquatics Centre.

We learnt from the visit what is needed for the Victorian Games, to consider best practices, like Sandwell, and fully understand both Commonwealth Games Federation and community infrastructure needs so that both can be catered to.

We would expect the new aquatic facility in Geelong, like Sandwell, to be exceptionally well-used post-Games, creating a great legacy for the future.

All these conversations provided valuable insights and information to bring to Victoria for us to build a better-built environment.

We look forward to sharing the findings with our members and the broader building and construction industry in the coming months.

Rebecca Casson

CEO Master Builders Victoria