19/08/2025

August 19, 2025

🏗 🚧 🌏 🛠 🚀 🦺 ♻ 🤖 🧱 🏛 🧰

THE MORNING PAPER FOR CONSTRUCTION PROFESSIONALS AND TRADIES

🚨 Safety Alert

A young worker sustained significant crush injuries to the lower leg while trapped between a vehicle and its trailer.

 

WorkSafe Inspectors have identified a concerning trend of crowd control barriers being used as edge protection on construction sites. While it is encouraging worksites are attempting to manage the risk of falls, the barriers found by the Inspector’s did not meet the requirements for providing adequate fall prevention when placed on a live edge.

✒ Headlines & Industry

Construction workers in Australia are building less today than they were in 1990. Productivity improvement is essential for economic growth and higher living standards in Australia. Despite its importance, construction productivity has failed to keep pace with other industries, costing Australia an estimated $62 billion per annum in lost work.

Leading advocacy groups across Australia’s design and construction sector have rallied to protect the current 3-year updating cycle for the nation’s building code.

The reality in construction is stark: around nine out of ten construction firms struggle to push past the million-pound or million-dollar turnover mark.

🏗️ Projects

NSW

The NSW Government has pledged $15 million to supercharge a program that helps safeguards water and sewage services for regional and remote communities.

Transport for NSW Maritime is inviting boaters, industry stakeholders and local communities to have their say on the future of maritime infrastructure across the state. Executive Director NSW Maritime Mark Hutchings said public consultation is now open on the Maritime Infrastructure Discussion Paper, which will guide the development of the future maritime infrastructure agenda. 

The playing surface at Sydney's $870 million Allianz Stadium is to undergo a major repair job despite being just three years old.

QLD

APA Group has shared a glimpse back in time to the construction of the Roma Brisbane pipeline. This 438km pipeline transports natural gas in both directions between the Wallumbilla gas hub near Roma, to Brisbane and regional centres in between. The associated 121km Peat Lateral Pipeline, constructed in 2001, connects the Peat and Scotia gas fields to the RBP mainline at Arubial.

SA

Adelaide Airport is set to undergo major upgrades to meet growing passenger demand, including an expansion of the international and domestic terminal. The airport serves as South Australia’s principal passenger airport, accommodating both domestic and international travel from a single terminal.

VIC

SMEC and Robert Bird Group (RBG), both part of the SJ Group, are contributing specialist engineering expertise to the City of Melbourne’s Greenline Project, an ambitious program to revitalise the northern banks of the Birrarung (Yarra River)

Minister for Transport Infrastructure Gabrielle Williams today announced crews will begin a 10 day construction blitz – working around the clock to build foundations of the new rail bridges which will replace level crossings at McDonald Street, Mordialloc and Station Street, Aspendale.

Minister for Agriculture Ros Spence today announced $10 million as part of the Victorian Plantation Support Program to establish new long-rotation timber plantations.The plantations sector is a powerhouse for our regional economy, providing regional employment and long-term resource security that is essential for building the homes and infrastructure our state needs. 

Federal heritage approval has been granted to Gurrowa Place – a major new mixed-use housing development sited at the southern edge of the Queen Victoria Market (QVM), which will be delivered by the City of Melbourne in partnership with Lendlease and Scape.

Renewable energy zones are set to cover eight percent of Victoria’s land after the Victorian Government increased the size of the planned zones to cover an extra 200,000 hectares of land.

WA

The Cook government has announced a new $50 million health infrastructure maintenance fund, amid mounting pressures on the West Australian public hospital system.

🚀 Innovation, Digital & Futuristic Technology

Whilst the concept of modular construction has been around for a while, it continues to gain traction in the broader construction sector. For example, in March 2025, the Federal Government announced a $54 million funding package to accelerate the adoption of prefabricated and modular construction methods as part of its commitment to housing in Australia.

Hitachi Construction Machinery (HCM) has revealed an increase in its research and development spending, signalling the growing importance of innovation in the construction industry.

The US startup OceanWell is scaling up its plans to deploy modular pods under the sea for energy efficient seawater desalination.

🌱 Sustainability ​& Environment

As Australians figure out how to live with so-called "forever chemicals", we've asked leading PFAS experts to help us understand the risks. 

The Treasurer’s Roundtable should prioritize climate by reforming environmental laws to fast-track renewables, expanding carbon pricing via the Safeguard Mechanism, phasing out the diesel fuel rebate to align industry incentives, and taxing resource rents fairly to reduce debt. These steps would cut emissions, boost investment, and enhance economic efficiency.

Saudi Arabia's ambitious Line project, a 105-mile-long futuristic city planned in the heart of the desert, faces mounting scrutiny over its potential ecological impact on migratory birds and significant construction delays, raising questions about the balance between urban innovation and environmental preservation.

🌏 Around the World

The Solomon Islands is one of the most disaster-prone nations globally, ranked second for overall risk exposure. Coastal communities – where over 60% of the population resides – face mounting threats from rising sea levels, frequent cyclones and saltwater intrusion. 

Forecasts indicate that by 2055 England’s public water supply could be short by 5bn litres a day without urgent action to future-proof resources, the equivalent to more than a third of the supplies available today.

The catastrophic floods that struck Texas last month, claiming over 135 lives and leaving nearly 170 missing, sent shockwaves far beyond the United States. Despite Texas boasting one of the most advanced flood forecasting and monitoring networks, the region was overwhelmed by a so-called “1-in-1,000-year”

👷‍♀️ People

Musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) remain the most common injury among workers in Victoria's construction industry, often caused by hazardous manual handling like lifting, carrying and repetitive movement. Since January 2023, WorkSafe has accepted more than 3,000 injury claims from construction workers.

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