On 12 December the Hon. Kelly O’Dwyer, Federal Minister for Jobs and Industrial Relations, announced that the Australian Building and Construction Commission (ABCC) will receive $3.7 million in additional funding and resources starting 2019-2020 to enhance its ability to enforce adherence to the rule of law on building and construction sites.

On the same day, ABCC Commissioner Steve McBurney announced the appointment of two new deputy commissioners. Jill Jepson will take on the role of Deputy Commissioner Corporate/Code and Matt Kelleher will become Deputy Commissioner Legal.

Providing context for the significance of the announcement, later in the week, the Age reported that the Federal Court of Australia has rejected an attempt by the Australian Mines and Metals Association (AMMA) to break up the merged Construction, Forestry, Maritime, Mining and Energy Union (CFMMEU). They had challenged the Fair Work Commission's decision to approve the amalgamation, saying that “it should not be allowed because the CFMEU and MUA were facing penalty proceedings”.

It is not clear at this point if the AMMA will appeal this decision to the High Court.