Tasmania’s construction industry has received a targeted boost, with the state government committing $150,000 to a new support initiative aimed at helping builders and construction workers manage business pressure and mental health challenges.

The 12-month pilot, known as RISE, will provide free access to experienced mentors and coaches, offering practical help with cash flow, business management and personal wellbeing at a time when insolvencies and stress levels across the sector remain high.

The program will be delivered in partnership with Master Builders Tasmania, and is open to all construction workers across Tasmania, not just association members.

A sector under sustained strain

The announcement comes as Tasmania records its highest number of construction company administrations in more than a decade. Rising material costs, labour shortages, tighter finance and administrative burden have combined to place unprecedented pressure on small operators.

Master Builders Tasmania CEO Jenna Cairney said the strain is being felt most acutely by the small, family-run businesses that make up the vast majority of the industry.

“About 98 per cent of construction businesses in Tasmania are small operations,” Cairney said. “Often mum and dad are both working in the business. One might be on site all day, the other handling reception, invoices and paperwork at night.”

She said the emotional toll often shows up long before financial trouble becomes visible.

“You can imagine the stress at the dinner table when the business never really switches off,” she said.

Support that meets builders where they are

The RISE program will offer free coaching sessions via phone, online or in person, allowing builders to access support in a way that fits around demanding work schedules.

Areas of assistance include:

• Cash flow and business pressures
• Mental health and wellbeing
• Drug and alcohol issues
• Bullying and workplace stress
• Targeted support for women and First Nations workers in construction

Mentors will be experienced industry professionals who understand the realities of running a construction business, not generic business advisers.

Cairney described the model as a practical “phone a friend” approach.

“Builders are experts at their trade, but many haven’t been given the tools to run a business under this level of pressure,” she said. “This program helps fill that gap.”

Learning from a proven model

RISE mirrors a similar initiative launched in South Australia, which has already supported hundreds of tradies and small construction business owners. That program operates with a pool of 15 to 20 industry-experienced coaches and has been credited with improving both business resilience and personal wellbeing.

Tasmania’s pilot will adapt the same core principles to local conditions, with Master Builders Tasmania finalising delivery details with government ahead of the official launch.

Government focus on practical outcomes

Minister Kerry Vincent said the program recognises the reality of how many small builders operate.

“Many builders are doing their paperwork on the kitchen table or on their knees on the couch at night,” Vincent said. “That puts real pressure on couples who are trying to build a business and raise a family at the same time.”

He said the RISE program is designed to intervene early, before business and personal stress reach breaking point.

“This is about giving people somewhere to turn when things start to feel overwhelming, not after the damage is already done,” he said.

Resilience, not just survival

Industry leaders say the long-term goal of RISE is not simply to prevent business failure, but to help builders build stronger, more sustainable operations.

“If we can help businesses manage cash flow better and support them mentally and emotionally, they don’t have to worry about survival,” Cairney said. “They can focus on growth and thriving.”

That distinction matters as Tasmania’s construction industry faces increasing pressure to deliver new housing. The sector employs around 10 per cent of the state’s workforce and plays a critical role in meeting national housing accord targets of close to 6,000 new homes per year in Tasmania.

A broader shift in industry thinking

The launch of RISE reflects a broader shift across the Australian construction sector, where mental health and business resilience are increasingly recognised as inseparable.

Builders are being asked to deliver more homes, to higher standards, under tighter margins, while also managing compliance, workforce challenges and client expectations. Programs like RISE acknowledge that technical skill alone is no longer enough to keep a business healthy.

For many in the industry, the value lies in having confidential, judgement-free access to someone who understands the pressures of construction from the inside.

The RISE pilot is expected to launch in coming weeks once final grant arrangements are confirmed. If successful, it could become a permanent fixture in Tasmania’s construction support landscape, and a model for other states facing similar challenges.

Author: TGB Editorial