Management of remote construction projects: the Australian experience

Abstract

Australia is currently experiencing considerable growth in remote construction activity largely due to its burgeoning resources sector. Remote construction projects appear to introduce problems not witnessed within urbanised locations. Hence, the aim of this paper is to investigate issues in respect to remote Australian construction projects. The research method used a questionnaire survey to collect data from industry practitioners with experience in remote area construction. The study confirms that many challenges are associated with construction projects based in remote areas. Key findings indicate that personnel recruitment, social issues, productivity, procurement and delivery, pricing aspects, and infrastructure and communications adequacy can be problematic. The research is expected to inform construction industry practitioners on these issues and is thought to hold relevance to others that work within similarly challenging environments.