25/09/2025

September 25, 2025

THE MORNING PAPER FOR CONSTRUCTION PROFESSIONALS AND TRADIES

🚨 Safety Updates

Safe Work Australia has published a new article exploring how work health and safety outcomes vary across Australia’s urban, regional, and remote areas. Workers in remote Australia suffer more serious, long-lasting injuries than city counterparts, with traumatic injuries and fractures far more common. Mental health claims drop in these regions, likely due to underreporting or access issues. With dangerous jobs and limited services, the true cost of remote work is only beginning to emerge.

Falls from height remain one of the most serious risks on Australian worksites, with nearly 30 workers losing their lives in 2023. These incidents accounted for around 15% of all workplace fatalities, making falls the second leading cause of death at work after vehicle-related incidents. The construction sector alone accounted for 45% of these cases. In response, two key standards – AS 5532 and AS/NZS 1891.4 â€“ have been revised to address these issues and improve safety outcomes.

âś’ Headlines & Industry

The Fair Work Ombudsman has filed Federal Court proceedings against the CFMEU and officials Joel Shackleton and Gerry McCrudden for alleged unlawful coercion and intimidation of Indigenous labour hire firm Marda Dandhi. The FWO alleges threats and misconduct aimed at stopping the company’s operations. Penalties are being sought.

The Housing Industry Association (HIA) has released its Housing 100 2024/25 report, ranking Australia’s largest 100 residential builders by the number of homes commenced over the past year. Metricon, which reported 4015 new home starts across four states in 2024/25, secured the top spot for the tenth year in a row. 

A Danish clean energy pioneer says Australia is poised for success with offshore wind, but there are lessons it can learn from abroad. According to the federal government, a single 2GW offshore wind farm has the potential to create 1,200 jobs during construction and 600 ongoing roles for operations and maintenance.

Master Builders Australia warns that low productivity is undermining efforts to control inflation, now at a 13-month high. CEO Denita Wawn urges swift regulatory reform and stronger support for apprentices and skilled migration. Despite inflation pressures, rising building activity is easing rental and housing costs, benefiting the broader economy.

Engineers Australia welcomes the launch of the NSW Government’s Infrastructure Digitalisation and Data Policy (the Policy), calling it a significant step towards smarter, more sustainable and efficient infrastructure delivery.

The builder involved in the Australian Antarctic research base upgrade is Bouygues Construction, working alongside Hugh Broughton Architects, Mott MacDonald, and Stantec. They’re handling construction and infrastructure renewal at the Davis Station starting from 2026.

🏗️ Projects

ACT

Canberra’s $137.5M Commonwealth Avenue Bridge upgrade, led by the National Capital Authority and builder Seymour Whyte Constructions, will cut six lanes to three for two years. The project starts in late 2025, causing major traffic delays and reduced weekday bus services. It’s unrelated to the future light rail expansion.

It is one of several plans for one of the area's newest suburbs.

NSW

The University of Wollongong’s new Liverpool campus, built by Built, will open in early 2026, with full completion by 2028. The project will expand student capacity from 1,500 to 4,000. It includes an 11-storey academic building, life sciences facilities, co-living apartments, retail, and public spaces near Liverpool Station.

DT Infrastructure has been contracted to construct a 49 MW/562 MWh DC-coupled battery at Lightsource bp’s Goulburn River solar farm in NSW. Already building the solar farm, DTI will integrate 112 battery units, delivering extended overnight energy discharge. Completion is set for late 2026, marking a major milestone in hybrid renewables construction.

Jinko Power, a subsidiary of JinkoSolar, has received federal approval to build the 134 MW Garoo Solar Farm with a 360 MW / 1,440 MWh battery in NSW’s New England region. Developed with Bright Path Renewables, construction is set to begin in late 2026, pending NSW government approval.

SA

BHP has secured a 10-year deal with Neoen for 100 MW of renewable power from the Goyder North Wind Farm and Battery to supply its SA copper operations. The agreement will meet 70% of Copper SA’s electricity needs by FY2030 and create 550 construction and 20 permanent jobs near Burra.

WA

An extra $500 million will be spent by the state government on health infrastructure projects in a timely boost to the under-pressure hospital system.The top up will bring the state government’s investment in health infrastructure to $3.7bn over the next four years.

Just 13 of 45 projects given priority status by the WA Government have entered construction, adding pressure on looming State development reforms to deliver a better result. See the full list of 45 projects.

🧰 Construction Au Other

Junior miner Zeotech continues to attract interest with news that it has entered into a non-binding MOU with Laing O’Rourke Australia Construction. Zeotech has Metakaolin mining leases on its Toondoon Project west of Bundaberg in Queensland’s Burnett region. The product is touted as a supplement for cement designed to reduce carbon emissions. 

🚀 Innovation, Digital & Futuristic Technology

Remote IoT uses connected sensors in hard-to-reach industrial sites, improving safety, efficiency, and cost savings. It’s vital in construction, energy, mining, and logistics, enabling real-time monitoring and predictive maintenance. By reducing risks and supporting sustainability, remote IoT is transforming heavy industries and shaping the future of operations.

Bluebeam, a construction management platform based on the sharing and mark-up of construction document PDFs, acquired Firmus AI, an artificial intelligence design review and risk analysis platform, Sept. 4. 

🌱 Sustainability ​& Environment

This study presents a water jigging method that recovers high-purity concrete aggregates from construction waste, addressing recycling challenges effectively.

The Infrastructure Sustainability Council is updating its rating tool for construction projects to make it easier, cheaper, and faster to use. Launching in August 2025, the new version reduces paperwork, simplifies rules, and helps mid-sized projects. It also improves how projects are checked and aligns with international risk standards.

🌏 Around the World

Buildings were evacuated as a massive sinkhole suddenly opened up at a busy intersection in the Thai capital. Watch as it happens

The Stargate project, the OpenAI-led plan to cover the world with datacenters, has announced plans to construct five new bit barns in the US.

For the first time, Italy and Austria are directly linked beneath the Alps: engineers have completed a continuous exploratory tunnel of the Brenner Base Tunnel, a landmark step in construction of what will be the world’s longest underground railway connection.

đź“– Miscellaneous

Former union boss John Setka faces new legal troubles as the CFMEU seeks to avoid paying his legal fees. Setka claims an implied agreement required the union to fund his defence against coercion allegations by the Fair Work Ombudsman. The Federal Court will rule on the matter next week.

Household food scraps collection by 2030, services for hard-to-recycle items like soft plastics and textiles, and more support for businesses moving towards a circular economy are all part of the City of Sydney’s plan to reduce the amount of items being sent to landfill over the next decade.

 

👷‍♀️ Tradies and Resource

More women are being encouraged to become construction workers a mid the housing shortage in Australia, but they face major hurdles in a male-dominated industry. That is the conclusion of a new report by the University of Sydney, commissioned by the National Association of Women in Construction. 

The Pre-Cast Skills Foundation equips women with specialised skills to work in Australia’s largest precast operation. Acciona is promoting gender diversity in construction through several targeted training and employment initiatives on the Western Harbour Tunnel project in Sydney, supporting women at all career stages.

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