04/08/25

August 04, 2025

🏗 🚧 🌏 🛠 🚀 🦺 ♻ 🤖 🧱 🏛 🧰

THE MORNING PAPER FOR CONSTRUCTION PROFESSIONALS AND TRADIES

🚨 Safety Updates

Tradies National Health Month (1–30 August) urges tradies to prioritise their physical and mental wellbeing. Backed by AIHS and the Australian Physiotherapy Association, the campaign highlights high injury risks in construction. With 29 worker deaths annually, the focus is on prevention, culture change, and embedding safety into everyday work.

A campaign supporting tradie mental and physical health has reached $500,000 through donations from the sale of more than 43,000 work boots.

Important Notice from QWHSQ. From 1 August to 31 October 2025, WHSQ inspectors will audit businesses operating in buildings built before 1990 for asbestos compliance. Audits will check for asbestos registers and management plans where asbestos is present. Ensure your workplace meets all requirements to avoid penalties.

✒ Headlines & Industry

The Queensland Government has today announced the landmark Commission of Inquiry into the CFMEU, starting today, will be led by Stuart Wood AM KC. The Commission of Inquiry, which is expected to last 12-months, will also be overseen by Bob Gee as secretary.

A new report shows productivity in the Queensland construction industry has fallen 9 per cent since 2018. Had productivity remained the same, 77,000 extra dwellings could have been built since 2018, the Queensland Productivity Commission said. The commission released its interim report into Opportunities to Improve Productivity of the Construction Industry.

🏗️ Projects

NSW

A contract for a new 120 tonne per hour Kayasand plant has been signed and will see the completion of the facility in New South Wales by the end of next year. Heidelberg Materials will deliver the new facility at Bass Point Quarry south of Wollongong.

Larvotto gives go-ahead for Hillgrove developmentLarvotto Resources has reached a final investment decision on its Hillgrove gold-antimony project in northern New South Wales, and will move forward with the development.

This follows the company’s recent completion of a $US105 million senior secured bond issue, and a further $60 million equity raising. The combined finance will mean the Hillgrove project is fully funded through construction and commissioning.

Charter Hall has secured approval for a $925m, 55-storey mixed-use tower with hotel, apartments and retail opposite Hyde Park.

TAS

The Tasmanian government has released a summary of the business case for Marinus Link, a second undersea electricity interconnector between Tasmania and Victoria. The summary, released a day after the deal was signed, predicts opportunities — but also comes with warnings.

The Environment Protection Authority (EPA) Tasmania has approved the construction of a new metal recycling facility in Rocherlea, Launceston that will process up to 25,000 tonnes per annum. Sims Metal will construct and operate the metal recycling facility which will source materials from a variety of public, municipal, and manufacturing sources.

VIC

Victoria’s Labor Government is fast-tracking quarry approvals with the 2025 Joint Ministerial Statement to secure essential construction materials. Faster approvals and Strategic Extractive Resources Areas will boost investment, reduce delays, and support housing and infrastructure growth—ensuring affordable, local supply of rock and sand for schools, homes, hospitals, and transport projects.

Previously estimated to cost $3.9 billion, the Australian Energy Market Operator increased its cost estimate to $7.6 billion, and potentially as much as $11.4 billion.

Cardinia Shire farms are a step closer to a sustainable water supply with South East Water awarding the Western Port Recycled Water Scheme (Stage 1) contract to industry partner BecaHunterH20, Fulton Hogan & Interflow (BFHI). The $113.2 million integrated water management project, made possible through a $46.6 million investment from the Australian Government via the National Water Grid Fund, will unlock up to 4,000 megalitres of Class A recycled water annually.

WA

This WA tourist and defence town is surrounded by the ocean but doesn't have enough water. Water Corporation has chosen seawater desalination to jump-start its expansion. Local government and business are calling for a faster-tracked delivery, with 2030 the current target.

🧰 Construction Au Other

PERTH: Engineering and remediation contractor Duratec Ltd. has acquired 100% of AMD Electrical Pty Ltd., trading as EIG Australia, in a deal worth up to 9 million Australian dollars, the company announced Friday. The acquisition strengthens Duratec’s position in the national fuel infrastructure market and expands its self-perform capabilities across the Defence, Mining & Industrial, and Energy sectors.

A new report on construction productivity in Queensland makes it clear that business-as-usual won’t cut it, the Australian Constructors Association warns. The group has welcomed the Queensland Productivity Commission’s interim report, saying it supports many of the reforms the industry has long been calling for. 

Utilities specialist OCU Group has acquired a majority stake in Brisbane-based contractor All Energy Contracting (AEC), marking its first move into international markets. AEC, founded in 2018, delivers services in solar, wind, storage, civil engineering and power infrastructure across Australia and New Zealand.

🚀 Innovation, Digital & Futuristic Technology

This month, Singaporean architecture firm Park + Associates, in collaboration with CES_InnovFab —a developer specializing in large-scale 3D printed construction— completed QR3D, the country’s first multi-storey 3D printed residential building.

The study highlights machine learning's role in predicting concrete strength with industrial waste, promoting low-carbon solutions in the construction industry.

German contractor Züblin and technology firm Instatiq are testing the boundaries of 3D printing by printing the top floor of a four-storey apartment building on site in the small city of Metzingen, 30km south of Stuttgart.

🌱 Sustainability ​& Environment

Globally cities face a critical shortage of two billion affordable homes by 2100.  Australia’s Green Building Council is driving scalable solutions to reconcile housing demand with emissions cuts. Barriers persist in outdated valuation models and fragmented policies.

De Martin & Gasparini, a subsidiary of Boral, has been testing its first electric trailer pump since March. The pump then went out to its first project in June and it’s already proving to be a smart investment, it says. The pump is now working on a $20 million concrete supply, pump and place package with the developer  and construction company Built, for the Chifley Tower project in Sydney’s CBD – a major job involving over 35,000 cubic metres of concrete.

🌏 Around the World

The crane is seen here working at a height of 625 m above the river. Image: The Manitowoc Company. The Potain MCT 385 topless tower crane has played a crucial role in building the Huajiang Grand Canyon Bridge in Guizhou, southwestern China, now recognised as the tallest bridge in the world.

📖 Miscellaneous

AU 2025: The Design & Make Conference heads to Nashville, Sept 16–18! With 570+ sessions—including 90+ for construction—learn from global experts, sharpen your skills, and explore AEC trends. The session catalog is live—spots fill fast, so register now to stay ahead when session sign-up opens in early August.

The interim report blamed lost productivity in the construction sector for 77,000 homes not being built – “more than enough to address current supply shortfalls”.

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