From war zones to work sites: Matt Moran's mission to rebuild WA’s construction industry

From being the inaugural Executive Director of Defence West, completing army deployments to Afghanistan and East Timor, and serving as media adviser to a prime minister in the political trenches, Matt Moran knows how to pick his battles.

Two months into his latest role, Mr Moran spoke to API Magazine about the career tangent that has seen him appointed CEO of Master Builders Western Australia (MBAWA).

Until now, his experience was largely centred around defence strategy and public affairs, as well as a stellar journalistic career. He has held senior leadership roles, including Head of Strategy and Government Relations at Luerssen Australia and, as an Australian Army veteran, served as a public affairs officer in several conflict zones.

He then returned to the media, where he again left his mark, reaching the pinnacle of the industry by winning a Walkley Award, the Paul Lyneham Award and two UN Association of Australia Media Awards.

Following that successful tenure from 2011 to 2015 as a federal political reporter with Network Ten, Mr Moran joined the office of Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull as a media adviser. After the 2016 federal election, his career advanced through the Defence Ministry ranks, where as a senior adviser he was working on some of Australia’s most complex defence projects.

The building industry might at first appear to be a divergence from his past roles, but his insight into advocacy, strategy and policy development could prove invaluable in reshaping a sector facing no shortage of challenges.

Insolvencies, consumer wariness, skills shortages and high construction costs — Mr Moran takes the helm of the industry’s peak body at a crucial juncture.

Underscoring the enormity of his task, when asked to rate the financial health of WA’s building sector, he gave it a not-so-solid five out of ten.

“The industry is full of talent but businesses are constrained by the current skills shortages, excessive red tape, complicated regulations and supply challenges,” Mr Moran said.

“There is plenty of work, but some builders are worried about scaling up because it’s not worth the risk. Until governments make it easier to do business and de-risk projects as much as possible, we will struggle to meet demand.”

For every experienced communications practitioner, crisis management is often front and centre.

Mr Moran acknowledged there were still too many insolvencies and a housing crisis that needed to be tackled.

“Part of the solution could be improving the financial acumen of new business owners.

“We must incentivise employers to employ apprentices and make a career in the industry attractive for young people — we need to focus on supply-side solutions to the housing crisis.”

As a former Liberal prime minister’s media adviser, Mr Moran foresaw no issues dealing with the Labor state government.

“Understanding how the system works and knowing the right people to speak to is critical,” he said.

“I have worked well with both sides of politics over the years — you must be pragmatic and focus on achieving outcomes.

It’s rare to have my background in communications, advocacy and policy, and it helps me understand different perspectives and effectively advocate for issues of importance. I hope I can use those skills to promote the industry, highlight concerns and bring about positive change.”

One of the similarities between the building and defence industries, he noted, is that both suffer from critical skills shortages.

Mr Moran said WA, and Australia as a whole, needed to train more apprentices if it was to come close to meeting the National Housing Accord target of 1.2 million new homes in five years — and build the infrastructure to support a fast-growing population.

“WA’s building and construction industry faces an enormous task of building enough homes, commercial buildings and infrastructure to meet increasing demand — and labour shortages are the single biggest pressure point, ahead of the rising cost of materials.

“We need to train more apprentices and MBAWA is determined to be part of the solution, which is why we’ve launched the FutureBuild Academy — a new group training initiative to attract new apprentices to a career in building and construction.”

To reinforce his point, he cited one trade that captures the strain on supply.

“Bricklayers are in short supply, with some quotes putting the cost at $3.50 a brick. That’s not sustainable — we need to grow our workforce as quickly as possible.

“We have to get out of the mindset that you need to go to university to be successful. Over the last few decades, too many people were pushed into university when we should have been promoting trade training far more.”

Banking on a strong economy

According to the National Centre for Vocational Education Research, 3,820 people started a trades apprenticeship in WA in the March 2024 quarter — 5.8 per cent higher than the previous year, but still modest progress after two years of declines.

Meanwhile, new analysis has revealed WA has recorded the nation’s worst blowout in construction timeframes, as all states struggle to meet housing targets. It comes amid an environment where construction costs have risen 40 per cent in the past five years, while residential build times are up 80 per cent over the past 15 years.

Some of the variables behind these trends stem from global factors, but Mr Moran was adamant WA’s strong economy meant the building industry could aim for realistic performance improvements.

“WA has a very strong economy, with solid fundamentals and key trading relationships.

“While there may be some uncertainty with iron ore, the state is in an enviable position when you consider the prospects for economic growth and diversification.

“Current and projected investment in infrastructure projects, coupled with WA’s strong population growth, means the building and construction sector will continue to grow and remain a critical driver of the state’s ongoing prosperity.”

From briefing generals and prime ministers to championing bricklayers and apprentices, Matt Moran’s mission has always been, and remains, about building — whether it’s trust, strategy or the future of Western Australia’s construction industry.