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John Kilgour - Mental Health

On Wed 13th Aug '25 John Kilgour spoke to members on developing the "Positive Plans Positive Futures" program to tackle mental health issues in the construction industry, when he was CEO at Civil Contractors Federation Victoria.

● The program, launched in 2020, aims to reduce mental health issues in the construction industry and has seen a reduction in suicides in the construction industry from 1 in 6 to 1 in 8.

● Key statistics: 4133 suicide deaths in the construction industry over the last 20 years (980 from Victoria).

● Mental Health Action Plans as a key part of every worksite:

○ Job control & job demands

○ Lack of clarity

○ Organisational change

○ Management & Lack of recognition and rewards

○ Workplace relationships

● Other initiatives:

○ "Mates in Construction" - focus on prevention, early intervention, and support and reconciliation

○ "Bluehats" - a peer support program based on educating and training people to look after and support each other.

● Key messages:

○ "Stop small problems from becoming big ones" - act now

○ "Sliding door moments" - identify and address issues as they arise

○ "It is okay not to be okay, but it is not okay to be a business leader and not act".

○ Be proactive every day in recognition of mental health, not just on designated days.


About John ...
John spent a large part of his career in several leadership roles with BP in the downstream retail area, where he led an initiative to create the successful BP Highway Travel Centres in Queensland. He also served as the Oil Director – Vietnam and CEO of its subsidiaries BP Petco and Castrol Vietnam, which he transformed into a locally led and profitable manufacturing and retail lubricants operation.

He then moved into asset management and property consulting, before being selected as CEO of the Committee for Ballarat, which gave him insights into longer term strategic planning that goes beyond election cycles delivering social and economic growth ahead of major population expansion predicted for the region.   (Interesting fun fact: When John was CEO of the Committee for Ballarat, our member Phillip Lee was invited by John to join their Media & Communications Committee which he served on for 8 years and succeeded in getting the CofB to become active on social media !!)

John was the CEO of Civil Contractors Federation in Victoria (CCF), and President of the Victorian Civil Construction Industry Alliance (VCCIA), which represents 20-member based associations across civil construction industry delivering in excess of $22bn per annum of major infrastructure works in the state. John then joined the Fire Protection Association Australia as Chief Executive Officer, where he designed and implemented strategies to ensure its future sustainability and success.