The Civil Contractors Federation (CCF) has warned that calls from the ACTU for nationally mandated temperature shutdown rules would directly delay major infrastructure projects across regional Australia, while duplicating and undermining existing state based safety frameworks that are already managing heat risks effectively.

CCF National Chief Executive Officer Nicholas Proud said the proposal ignored both the realities of Australia’s climate and the way work health and safety is regulated and enforced across the country.

“Projects like the $8 billion Bruce Highway Upgrade, Brisbane Olympics infrastructure, the Eyre Peninsula Desalination Plant and the Reid Highway Upgrade are all delivered in environments where heat is a known, predictable and actively managed risk,” Mr Proud said.

“A blunt national shutdown trigger would take weeks of productive work off the table each year, regardless of the controls already in place and regardless of whether work can be done safely.”

Mr Proud said Australia already has a robust work health and safety framework that deliberately avoids one size fits all temperature thresholds, because heat risk cannot be reduced to a single number.

“Heat risk depends on a combination of factors including humidity, workload, air movement, clothing, acclimatisation and the specific controls on site. That is why regulators have adopted risk based approaches rather than arbitrary shutdown rules.”

He said state and territory guidance, including practical frameworks such as WorkSafe Western Australia’s Working safely in hot conditions, already provide clear direction to employers and workers on how to manage heat safely.

“These frameworks allow work to continue safely by adjusting start times, rotating tasks, increasing rest breaks, providing shade and hydration, and closely monitoring workers for signs of heat stress,” Mr Proud said.

“They are flexible, evidence based and designed to respond to real conditions on the ground.”

Mr Proud warned that imposing national rules from Canberra would override these established systems and disproportionately impact regional Australia, where heat is a regular part of daily life and construction windows are already constrained.

“Bureau of Meteorology data shows the mean number of days over 35 degrees each year is 28.8 in Perth, 13.9 in Darwin and 14.2 in Adelaide,” he said.

“In regional Australia, heat is not an occasional event. It is a normal operating condition that is already being managed safely through existing laws.”

Mr Proud said automatic shutdown rules risk creating perverse outcomes by encouraging rigid compliance rather than active risk management.

“Blanket rules replace judgement and consultation with a trigger point,” he said.

“That does not improve safety outcomes, but it does delay projects, increase costs and slow the delivery of the housing, water, transport and energy infrastructure communities rely on.”

CCF reaffirmed that worker safety is non negotiable and said the industry remains committed to continuous improvement as summers become hotter. However, Mr Proud said reform should focus on strengthening and supporting existing state systems, not duplicating them.

“We support strong safety outcomes,” he said.

“What we do not support are unnecessary national rules that cut across effective state frameworks and make it harder to deliver critical infrastructure safely and efficiently.”

Perth

https://www.bom.gov.au/climate/averages/tables/cw_009021_All.shtml

Adelaide

https://www.bom.gov.au/climate/averages/tables/cw_023090.shtml

Darwin

https://www.bom.gov.au/climate/averages/tables/cw_014015_All.shtml