The 2026 CCF NSW Women in Civil Community Celebration Lunch at Le Montage saw 32 more people join the CCF NSW Women in Civil Mentorship Program.
They join 170 mentors and mentees who have completed it since its inception nearly nine years ago.
It was an energising day with a true celebratory atmosphere but its focus is on advancing the careers of women in the civil construction industry, so there was also a good deal of examination of the challenges that exist and how they might be solved.
Jess Hurst, from event sponsor WestTrac Equipment, was the first speaker and while recognising barriers at a leadership level, she spoke about why she’s hopeful after 15 years in the industry.
“When I first started out in this role I’d walk into boardrooms for pitching, negotiating, and there’d be 95 per cent men.
“Now, still at this stage, when I walk in those boardrooms there still is about 95 per cent men.
“But the thing that makes my job so good is, when I walk out into the offices of my customers, there are women there now smiling back at me.
“From engineers, to project managers, to contract managers, to support teams, and seeing them, I’d have to say, 30 per cent I see now walking into these offices,” she said.
This linked with the discussion of the panel, where Sandra Robinson, United Rentals Australia / New Zealand Strategic Account Manager Australasia – Civil and Infrastructure, raised similar themes.
“One of the barriers, I think, is that companies aren’t really being accountable for not having women in leadership roles and some of them aren’t listening,” she said.
Sandra mentioned a function for women she’d recently attended to illustrate her point.
“One man asked the question, ‘I don’t understand why we can’t get women in our company, I mean we put ads out there and we put women in the photos,’ and he said that in a room full of women!
“And I just think, obviously, what’s missing at that company is they don’t even understand the barriers, they don’t even think they’re there, and if you don’t understand the barriers and you if don’t think they’re there, you’re definitely not going to put the processes in place to fix those barriers and for us to get more women through the industry,” she said.
The theme of accountability was one that was echoed by event sponsor Gallagher speaker, Corinne Biagioni.
“While I sit on the insurance side, there are clear parallels between insurance and construction.
“Both industries are traditionally male dominated and, throughout my career, I’ve often found myself as the only woman in the room.
“Over time, that gives you a very clear understanding of risk, accountability, and the cost of getting decisions wrong,” she said.
Alysse Reedy, another member of the discussion panel and Fulton Hogan National Strategic Project Manager, said something she sees as an important positive is the benefits of mentoring.
“We’ve spoken about some of the challenges of being a woman in this industry and sometimes, when you’re in the thick of it, you just don’t see the forest for the trees.
“That perspective that a mentor can provide you, they can tell you what that forest looks like, and they can just give you that greater perspective.
“I have great mentors within the company that I work for but having that in the extended industry is brilliant,” she said.
Stacey Swetnam, QMC Group Site Manager, told the panel about the change she would like to see in the civil construction industry.
“I would just like in the future for women that want to come into the industry to feel like they can come in at any point.
“Not that they have to be the receptionist, not that they have to be the engineers or the lawyers, but there is opportunity industry-wide for them.
“And by opening up those access points, by having them onsite as tradespeople, as apprentices, not just the younger people but mature aged apprentices because that’s a huge, huge market that I think people overlook,” she said.
Next year, we will be marking the 10th anniversary of the Women in Civil Program.
Thanks to everyone who attended and particularly to our sponsors WestTrac Equipment and Gallagher and we’ll see you again in 2027.