Full, Fair and Reasonable: The Standard at the Heart of Every Industry Participation Policy in Australia

Across Australia, every major project – whether governed by the Australian Jobs Act 2013, State - based Local Industry Policies, or Territory participation frameworks – rests on one shared foundation: 

Full, fair and reasonable opportunity.

It is the common thread running from the Australian Industry Participation (AIP) National Framework endorsed by all governments in 2001, through the Jobs Act, and through every modern procurement guideline that touches local industry participation. No matter the jurisdiction, the expectation is consistent:  

Local businesses must be given a genuine chance to compete.

Yet while the phrase is universal, its practical meaning is often left unexplored. And when a core obligation isn’t clearly understood, it weakens in practice. 

What Full, Fair and Reasonable Actually Means 

Full

Australian suppliers must be able to see and access all relevant scopes – design, engineering, professional services, construction, operations. Not just the leftovers after non-local packages are locked in. 

Fair

Processes must be transparent, competitive, and non‑discriminatory. Equal footing. Clear criteria. Reasonable timeframes. No hidden barriers. 

Reasonable

Procurement must be structured so capable Australian businesses can genuinely participate – not theoretically, but practically.  

Packaging, timing, communication and requirements must support participation rather than unintentionally exclude it. 

These principles appear in every policy document because they serve every stakeholder: 

• Project owners expect capable, competitive, safe suppliers. 

• Local businesses expect visibility, clarity and access. 

• Governments expect genuine economic benefit, not compliance paperwork. 

• Communities expect outcomes that extend beyond the physical asset. 

Different vantage points – one shared expectation: the system must create real opportunity.

Opportunity, Not Guarantee 

The Jobs Act makes this explicit: Projects must ensure opportunity – not outcomes. 

Full, fair and reasonable does not require awarding contracts to local suppliers regardless of capability. It requires genuine effort: 

• Early engagement 

• Transparent information 

• Appropriate packaging 

• Clear pathways to participate 

• Procurement free from non‑market burdens 

These steps convert industry opportunity into commercial reality. From there, it is incumbent on suppliers to respond with value. 

Full, fair and reasonable is not a percentage. It is a process – and a process that can be tested.

The Tests That Matter 

• Could a capable, competitive, safe and commercially viable local business have found out about the opportunity early enough, clearly enough, and openly enough to bid? 

• Did the project collect, consider, and assess local businesses in a way that provided meaningful guidance and feedback on participation prospects? 

If yes – the process met a standard.  

If no – complaints, rework, and stakeholder pressure may become the standard.  

Projects that create opportunity early rarely need to defend their decisions later. They take their supply chains, workforces, regions, and stakeholders on the journey. 

The Hughes et al Point of View 

At Hughes et al, we help project teams turn full, fair and reasonable from a policy phrase into practice and evidence:  

• Early market engagement 

• Transparent packaging 

• Documented pathways for local businesses to participate 

• Systems to help build supply capability and workforce capacity. 

If your project can’t answer the two tests confidently, that is exactly where the work needs to begin – because that is where the risk will start to grow. 

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