News | 03 February

Fewer projects, higher compliance and tax costs creating a climate of margin collapse and business exit risk dominate contractor concerns in CCF Victoria’s Civil Matters – 2026 State Election Survey.

An interim analysis of the survey results reveals worsening conditions, particularly for small to medium enterprises and regional operators, with respondents explicitly describing structural unsustainability under current settings.

Unsurprisingly, fairer procurement settings and pipeline certainty dominate the list of contractor concerns, reflecting similar sentiments that regional civil contracting businesses reported through our 2025 Regional Forums series.

Systemic red tape restrictions, compliance and regulatory burdens come a close second in the survey results, as Victoria looks towards the late November poll which could prove to be strongly swayed by civil infrastructure issues.

Ongoing taxation pressures round out the top three most urgent concerns for civil industry members, reinforcing CCF Victoria’s advocacy platform and priorities.

Key Stats Snapshot

  • 62.5 per cent of survey respondents feel negatively about their business’s ongoing viability, with themes of business continuity and closure concerns.
  • 56.25 per cent estimate regulatory costs between $50,000 and $1m.
  • Several respondents expect to close their business within five (5) years.
  • Responding to the future outlook, only 21 per cent of contractors say they expect positive outcomes for their business.

As if to underscore the concern and urgency for Government to ease restrictive trading conditions, one contractor commented: “There will probably be no small businesses left in Victoria, we will all be taxed out.”

Other contractors said the state government needed to invest more into regional infrastructure, particularly with Victoria’s state-wide population forecast to boom, requiring sustainable jobs as well as critical infrastructure such as rural roads and housing.

Stay in touch
Missed your opportunity to have your say in our state election survey?  You can still provide your input to help shape our election year advocacy agenda by emailing: advocacy@ccfvic.com.au

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Join or renew your association membership today and add your voice to the civil industry’s election year advocacy agenda.

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