Productivity and Competitiveness
To support our vision for a stronger Australia, our ongoing advocacy aims to address Question 1: How do we increase productivity and raise living standards for all Australians?
Learn MoreLearn MoreQuestion 1: How do we increase productivity and raise living standards for all Australians?
Lifting productivity is how we can sustainably raise the wages and living standards for all Australians and make Australia a globally competitive country for investment.
Through our policy and advocacy work, we push for simpler, more consistent and future-focused frameworks that reduce duplication and inconsistent red tape. From modernising workplace laws, to promoting competition and efficient tax settings, we champion policies that broaden workforce participation and remove barriers to work and investment, creating the conditions for productivity gains to be made and benefits shared. We work to lift the economic participation and advancement of all Australians, including women, people living with disability, and First Nations people. Our aim is to create an environment where businesses can grow, workers can benefit, and Australia remains globally competitive.
Within this area of focus, we have two CEO Committees:
- Competitiveness and Productivity CEO Committee chaired by Robert Spurway, Managing Director and CEO, GrainCorp.
- Participation CEO Committee chaired by Melanie Evans, CEO, ING Bank.
BCA National Roadmap for Making Australia a
Top 10 Investment Destination
Key performance indicators for the nation, needed to track our progress as we work towards lifting living standards for all Australians.
KPIs for the Nation
The Business Council’s ambition is for Australia to become one of the world’s top 10 investment destinations, strengthening the foundations for higher productivity and living standards.
To measure and track Australia’s progress, we have developed a set of national KPIs aligned to our Big Six Questions.
Our Productivity and Competitiveness KPIs track Australia’s progress in lifting economic growth, reducing barriers to investment, strengthening global engagement and increasing workforce participation.
Competitiveness and Productivity
- Increasing GDP per capita growth
Growing the economy in a way that lifts living standards for Australians.
Current: 1.0% → Target: 1.6%
Metric: GDP per capita growth rate. - Reducing Commonwealth, state and territory red tape
Making it easier to do business by reducing costs and delays and putting downward pressure on prices for consumers.
Current: $160 billion Commonwealth regulatory burden → Target: 25% reduction
Metric: Red tape regulatory burden. - Capping Commonwealth real spending growth
Controlling government spending to support sustainable public finances and keep taxes low.
Current: 5.5% → Target: 2.0%
Metric: Real spending growth rate.
Global Engagement
- Increasing Australia’s average two-way trade-to-GDP share
Increasing Australia’s trade with our region and the rest of the world to support higher living standards.
Current: 46% → Target: 50% by 2035
Metric: Australia’s average two-way trade-to-GDP share. - Lifting foreign direct investment into Australia as a share of GDP
Making Australia a more competitive destination for investment to lift productivity and living standards.
Current: 27th → Target: Top 10 by 2030
Metric: Ranking out of 38 OECD nations.
Participation
- Closing the gender pay gap
Removing a barrier that limits women’s participation in employment.
Current: 21.1% average gap → Target: Zero gap
Metric: Gender pay gap ratio. - Increasing Indigenous employment by 2031
Increasing employment among working-age Indigenous Australians to lift economic capacity and future opportunities.
Current: 55.7% → Target: 62%
Metric: Indigenous employment rate.
Read the full set of KPIs in our National Roadmap for Making Australia a Top 10 Investment Destination.