Statement on Secure Australian Jobs Code Consultation Paper

25 February 2026

Master Builders Australia has lodged a submission in response to the Secure Australian Jobs Code Consultation Paper urging caution, informed by state and territory level experience, and given the significant ramifications such a Code may have on productivity on worksites. The regulatory burden alone of further rules and requirements applying to Government procurement could severely hamstring businesses interested in tendering for Federal Government work.

Should the Government maintain its pursuit of a Secure Australian Jobs Code, Master Builders has expressed in their submission that there must be no express or implied requirement to have an enterprise agreement on Commonwealth-funded jobs. Poorly considered enterprise bargaining agreements have eroded value for taxpayers, productivity and affordability across the country.

Without an industry specific regulator, the industry has seen the re-emergence of a range of clauses in enterprise agreements that would not only have breached the prior requirements under the Building Code but have reduced productivity, restricted efficient management and embed coercive or discriminatory practices.

At the end of the day, any additional unnecessary red tape added by a potential code will be another handbrake, with Australia’s poor productivity performance resulting in stronger demand contributing to higher inflation. New figures show that construction productivity dropped by 2.8 per cent during 2024-25, its seventh consecutive year of decline putting the industry now 21.5 per cent lower than it was in 2013-14.

Master Builders Australia has stressed to the Government that any potential Secure Australian Jobs Code should simply require compliance with existing laws and include consequences for breaches, with the following considerations:

• Limits on enterprise agreement content and prohibition on unregistered written and project agreements

• Strong freedom of association and robust right of entry requirements
• Specific rules applying to the building and construction industry
• No provisions similar in content to ACT’s Secure Local Jobs Certification or Queensland’s now defunct Best Practice in Construction.

Master Builders Australia is calling for the promotion of a collaborative culture that supports productivity, sustainability and one that strengthens the industry as a whole.

Media contact: Dylan Hafey, Media Advisor

0497 330 064 | dylan.hafey@masterbuilders.com.au