Report Alleges Big-Dog Bent ‘Killing’ Small Businesses

A $367 billion (US$241 billion) infrastructure pipeline is at risk due to government practices that are “killing” small to medium businesses, civil contractors representing 40,000 workers say. A report released on April 5 found New South Wales (NSW) small-medium contractors are increasingly fighting over a smaller pool of government construction contracts, in favour of big multinationals. Contracts valued at less than $50 million (US$33 million) had dropped from 41 percent of all NSW government construction contracts to 23 percent in the past seven years, the report says. One in two contracts are worth more than $500 million (US$330 million)—far beyond the reach of small businesses. Civil Contractors Federation NSW, which commissioned the report, said members were clear that current procurement processes were “killing their businesses.”...