Though the last several months have brought some challenges for the construction industry, the team at Streetbuild has used this time to expand to better service clients across Australia. In 2021, we welcomed our new State Manager – WA, Cameron Morrison to lead the team over on the west coast. We sat down with him recently to hear more about what led him to Streetbuild.
- What drew you to begin your career in the construction industry?
I grew up on a farm in Wycheproof, Victoria. Though I always thought I would continue the farming tradition, several droughts lead me to pursue a fall-back plan. So, I completed my apprenticeship and soon feel in love with the work. I grew up working with my hands and had an interest in building, so it seemed like a natural fit.
- What led you to joining the Streetbuild team?
My career has been diverse and has spanned 30 years of progressive growth and seeking opportunities across multiple states.
My career began in the late 90’s. Opportunities for carpentry apprenticeships were scarce at the time, so I first entered the industry in a bricklaying pre-apprenticeship in Ballarat, Victoria as a steppingstone into carpentry. Four weeks into the bricklaying pre-apprenticeship, I was offered the full gig which saw me working in Ballarat and later, Townville in North Queensland.
From there, I decided to complete my diploma of Building and Building Surveying which I did at RMIT in Melbourne. On completion, I was offered a Contract Administrators role, but was promoted within 12 months to Project Manager where I worked on commercial projects across the state.
Some years later, my wife and I decided to explore Australia with Perth being the desired location. I was soon offered an opportunity with a national building company. While our original plan was to only stay for a year or two years, 14 years later it looks like we are staying.
I worked in WA as a Project Manager for almost a decade. More recently, I made the move over to Business Development, but when the opportunity arose to lead operations for Streetbuild in WA, I couldn’t pass it up. I was eager to get back to my roots and get my hands dirty again. Since joining the team in September, I’ve hit the ground running and am excited for what’s the come.
- What kind of projects excite you?
There isn’t just one type of project that I am drawn to. It’s not the size or industry that counts. I feel fulfilled when a project is deemed a success for the client – it’s finished well, it’s fit for purpose and I have a team that is proud of their work and eager to continue that momentum into the next project. That’s what excites me most.
- What have you enjoyed most about your role so far?
Even though I am separated from most of the wider team over here on the west coast, I’ve still felt a great sense of collaboration, team effort and just a generally great team attitude and approach. The team is always willing to work through challenges and celebrate successes together, even though we work across multi states.
- In your opinion, what is the outlook for the construction industry moving into the new year, after what was a challenging year?
Confirming pricing on materials and managing program timeframes with sub-contractors has been two of the biggest issue I’ve faced over the last few months.
As a team, we have learnt to work around lockdowns and border restrictions, however we now need to face whatever knock-on effects come of these into the new year.
