The Australasian Railway Association (ARA) responded to Transport for NSW’s Shift Change: Workforce Requirements Consultation, which proposes changes to workforce engagement and aims to build a stronger, skilled, and diverse local workforce by adopting principles from the Culture in Construction Taskforce’s Culture Standard.

While supporting these goals, the ARA highlighted the need for continuity of work and a stable project pipeline to enable industry to attract, train, and retain a diverse workforce.

Noting, the current limited pool of specialised talent restricts diverse recruitment, the ARA advocated for nationally harmonised competency requirements and stronger government-industry partnerships to raise awareness, expand workforce pathways, and reduce retraining costs. Jurisdiction-specific competency requirements reduce labour portability and drive-up costs. Proposed shift patterns and hour caps, while reasonable, require additional skilled workers, many of whom are unavailable. The ARA’s submission noted targets and workforce expectations should align with project size and the existing talent pool’s capacity.

The submission also highlighted that skill shortages – particularly in critical qualifications – complicate compliance with fatigue management rules. These challenges are intensified for smaller contractors facing tight margins, potentially leading to higher risks of market exit and further dominance by large international firms. Ambitious project timelines and extensive reporting obligations must consider these capacity constraints.

 

The next opportunity for industry for engagement as part of the consultation will be at TfNSW InMotion event on Tuesday 12 August at the ICC Pyrmont Theatre. The event will provide an outline of TfNSW’s priorities, their reform agenda and key project updates. The event will also include workshops covering: 

  1. Transforming Transactions focused on driving continued improvements in the tendering process
  2. Ahead of the Curve to explore pathways to improve the resilience of regional road assets
  3. Silica Safety in tunnelling to understand the challenges and explore best practice controls
  4. Local Manufacturing to build closer relationships and maximise opportunities for local businesses while building future capacity

For more information and to register visit: InMotion 2025 | Transport Infrastructure Industry Portal | Transport for NSW

Featured image Copyright State of New South Wales (Transport for NSW).