Constructing Building Integrity: Raising Standards through Professionalism

Researching professionalism in residential building construction in Australia: June 2021 – June 2024.

The Councils are a lead partner organisation in a three-year Australian Research Council Linkage Project about the role of professions in rebuilding trust in residential building construction in Australia. 

Through the project, the Councils will collaborate with researchers and other regulators to: 

• generate new knowledge about the functioning of individual professionals, professionals employed in multi-profession organisations, and professionals’ interaction with their institutional environment 
• investigate ways to improve professional standards in building and construction occupations and the means for measuring change.  

Anticipated benefits include greater awareness by professions, trades and regulators of their role in delivering the public goods of a trustworthy construction industry. 

Research outputs 

It is anticipated that the outcomes of the project will be reported through a mixture of outputs which may include academic articles, a capstone monograph, industry reports, public engagement opportunities and social media outreach. 

ARC Linkage Project 

The project is chaired by former Building Commissioner of Western Australia Peter Gow and led by Griffith University’s Professor Charles Sampford. Researchers are drawn from: 

• Griffith University 
• UNSW
• Curtin 
• Western Sydney University.  

Project partners include:  

• WA Department of Mines, Industry Regulation and Safety 
• QLD Department of Housing and Public Works 
• Corrs Chambers Westgarth. 

As the lead partner organisation, the Councils will contribute funding over three years as well as in-kind support.