February 4 marked a milestone event in Construction Innovation’s rebid for a Sustainable Built Environment CRC (SBEcrc) with the meeting of the Strategic Leaders Committee for this proposed new centre. The committee, made up of influential senior representatives representing proposed participants of SBEcrc across industry, government and research, met primarily to confirm the proposed SBEcrc research activities and governance structures.
The three integrated program areas agreed to by the committee are Greening the built environment, Developing innovation and safety culture and Driving productivity through procurement, each of which also has a clear focus on implementation and delivery to industry.
The centre's activities will deliver against the following seven program outputs:
Built environment sustainability assessment system
National climate change adaptation strategy for the built environment
Built environment SME innovation exchange
National green skills program
National preventative health strategy for building and infrastructure
The Australian urban infrastructure model
Integrated project delivery system.
Projects will focus on such critical issues as reducing carbon pollution, adapting new and existing buildings and infrastructure for climate change, improving sustainable best practice within the industry, identifying and reducing health and safety risks for workers on construction projects, and reducing costs associated with information management and procurement on infrastructure and building projects.
In addition to the strong industry, government and research support, we now have commitments from Australia’s key industry associations for infrastructure and building in the Green Building Council of Australia (GBCA), Australian Green Infrastructure Council (AGIC), Australian Construction Industry Forum (ACIF) and Australian Sustainable Built Environment Council (ASBEC). The support of these key associations will ensure broad industry coverage in driving the centre’s applied research outcomes into practice.
Following on from the outcomes achieved at the committee meeting, the rebid process continues full steam ahead. Participants will receive the final CRC application document on 6 March for signoff, with the final submission due in Canberra on 20 March, 2009. In mid to late July, the Department of Innovation, Industry, Science and Research is expected to announce which bids for new CRCs have been successful — a decision that will have resounding long-term impacts on the future of our critical industry.
