The Haskins name has been part of Canberra’s construction story for three generations. For brothers Mattand Lach, running Complex Co. is as much about honouring that legacy as it is about shaping the city’s future. Their journey has been marked by resilience, hard work and a refusal to give up, qualities that trace back to their grandfather John, who arrived in Australia from England aged just 15.
“Grandad came to Australia and ended up in Canberra, originally working on the first Snowy Hydro project as a chainman for a surveying company,” Lach explains. “He came out by himself at 15, lied a little bit about his qualifications to get his first job, and worked his way through. He eventually started his own construction business and developed many of the suburbs around Canberra.”
Their father, Mark, followed in John’s footsteps. “Dad started in the industry through working for some of the other businesses that are still around, Guideline being one of them,” Matt recalls. “He started on the tools; Grandad thought it was very important that he knew what it was like to be treated like a labourer back in those days. He eventually started his own business, Hasko, but went broke in 2001 – the same day as September 11. We lost the family home and we went from private school to being home-schooled. it was a big. It was a big eye opener, and it taught us a lot about business.”
Lach was the first to help restart the family company. “Originally it was just me and Dad. I worked with other firms like Dale and Hitchcock, driving rollers, labouring, and really built my way up from the bottom. Then we started again and grew the business from there,” he says. Matt joined later, and together they built Complex Co. into a company employing more than 120 staff and prequalified to deliver ACT Government infrastructure projects.
Motocross also helped shaped them. “We both raced motocross professionally in our younger years,” Lach says. “Too many injuries took their toll: Matt’s broken both legs, I’ve broken both arms. But motocross teaches you discipline – one mistake can cost everything – and it’s the same in construction.”
They also learned everything hands-on. “We were fortunate enough that there was often an excavator or something at home that we could operate,” Matt says. “What I’m proud of is that Lach and I actually learnt the basic skills: rollers, excavators, concreting, in the trenches laying pipe. We have a really good understanding of the process of construction.”
Complex Co.’s projects reflect that philosophy. “We’re still looking after Scrivener Dam, which is pretty special to us,” Matt says. “We’ve worked on the Acton waterfront, Civic laneways and the National Portrait Gallery. We’ve helped remediate almost every major building in the Parliamentary Triangle. The Bunda Street shareway stands out because it changed the city. We also did the Namarag project in the Molonglo Valley which was really special, remediating old sewage ponds and live firing ranges into a nature play space with amazing vegetation.”
Lach says remediation work does not get spoken about much, but plays a critical role in preserving and extending the useful life of structures. “It’s not just fixing things that are broken. It is really preserving infrastructure and giving it new life. We did hydraulicjacking at the Australian War Memorial to help extend the new parts there.
We’ve worked on over 100 bridges in Canberra. We’ve repaired, fixed and given new life to a lot of the buildings around Canberra in some way, shape or form. We’ve worked to really make the most of some of the cultural heritage that we have in the ACT.”
”These are legacy projects and we’re proud when we drive around and see what we’ve built,” Matt says. But they are frank about the challenges for the industry. “At the moment there’s $2.2 billion being invested in local infrastructure, and none of it will be delivered by a local contractor,” Lach says. “It’s not sustainable. We need procurement reform so ACT Government projects are delivered by Australian-owned businesses. Otherwise, there’ll be no opportunity for our kids to have their own businesses here.” Matt adds: “We don’t want to be subcontractors to tier ones; you just get bullied. We need a fair playing field.”
The MBA has always been part of their story. “Master Builders has always given us a sense of grounding,” Lach says. “Grandad was MBA President, and we’ve always been able to come to the Association for support, whether it’s IR, WHS or industry issues. It feels like a team, pushing for better industry conditions.” Matt agrees: “In the early days, if we had payroll or IR questions, it gave us security. That’s still the case today.”
Looking ahead, the brothers see both challenge and opportunity. “Delivering work is harder than ever – more red tape, tighter money – but there are still great projects,” Lach says.
The legacy of the Haskins that have come before them and their own hard-earned experience guides the advice the brothers share. “Do what you’re good at. And, if you’re letting yourself down on any of the simple tasks, generally the building work isn’t going to be right either. So, make sure your signs are in straight. Make sure your star pickets are in properly. Make sure your bollards are straight. All the simple tasks have to be done well. If the simple tasks are done well, everything else flows from that.”
