29/08/2025

August 29, 2025

🏗 🚧 🌏 🛠 🚀 🦺 ♻ 🤖 🧱 🏛 🧰

THE MORNING PAPER FOR CONSTRUCTION PROFESSIONALS AND TRADIES

🚨 Safety Updates

A worker has sustained serious injuries after falling from an elevated forklift. Early investigations indicate the worker was lifted on a pallet by the forklift to make repairs to a pull-chain roller door when the worker fell. Investigations are continuing.

✒ Headlines & Industry

Among the concerns around freezing the National Construction Code, before and after the Economic Reform Roundtable in Canberra last week, came some cut-through comments from Adam Haddow, national president of the Australian Institute of Architects. 

A niche but integral part of our built environment, fire protection systems save lives and buildings.The New South Wales Government is looking at introducing a comprehensive licensing framework for all areas of Fire Protection under the Building Bill and is engaged in consultation with Industry through the process.

Continuing economic and pricing uncertainty in 2025 mean diligent preconstruction reviews are more important than ever for project success, a construction executive writes.

🏗️ Projects

NSW

The community is invited to have its say on the final concept designs for accessibility upgrades at three Blue Mountains train stations.

The New South Wales Government has accelerated the delivery of $155 million of funding for a pothole and road repair blitz across regional NSW.

Inland Rail’s proposed designs for the new Albury Station pedestrian bridge have been unveiled to the public. The new, elevated bridge structure will allow double-stacked trains to pass safely underneath and will connect to the existing highway pedestrian bridge. 

NT

An independent review of the Northern Australia Infrastructure Facility (NAIF) Act has made 21 recommendations to strengthen governance. Led by Warren Snowdon, the panel engaged widely and found strong support for NAIF. Minister Madeleine King welcomed the findings, with the government set to respond. NAIF's funding was extended to $7 billion.

QLD

The Borumba Pumped Hydro Transmission Connections project will link the future hydro facility to Queensland’s grid via two 500 kV lines: 106 km to Halys and 90 km to Woolooga. Using existing infrastructure corridors where possible, construction begins in 2026, aiming for completion by 2029 to align with hydro project operations.

Cloncurry Shire Council has awarded more than $26.5 million in contracts this month including the largest single tender in its history for the Scarr Street Revitalisation Project. The council awarded a $17million-plus contract to Durack Civil for the full scope of construction works for the project to revitalise Cloncurry’s main street. 

A new hotel is on the horizon for Brisbane’s booming northern corridor, with the 148-key Adina Chermside Brisbane confirmed to open its doors in February 2026.

SA

Giant battery project next to South Australia's first and biggest solar farm is the first to get environmental approval under the state's streamlined process. The Potentia Energy 900 MWh Emeroo battery energy storage system in South Australia is the first BESS to receive environmental approval under new hydrogren and renewable energy legislation. Australian renewable energy company Potentia Energy‘s $400 million (USD 260 million) Emeroo battery energy storage system (BESS) in South Australia (SA) is the first battery project to be granted an environmental approval under the new Hydrogen and Renewable Energy (HRE) Act.

A joint venture is delivering the Verdun Interchange Upgrade in South Australia, allowing access to and from the South Eastern Freeway in all directions. In a joint venture with Leed, and on behalf of the South Australian Government, BMD will construct a new eastbound entry ramp, westbound exit ramp and a single-lane roundabout at the Mount Barker Road and Silver Road junction.

TAS

The Tasmanian Government has reached a significant milestone in the development of the new Tasmanian Youth Justice Facility, with a development application now formally submitted to the Southern Midlands Council. The development application proposes a 24-bed facility, including 20 residential beds for young people.

WA

A 36-storey apartment project in South Perth is the latest development troubled by delay and costs blowout with the estimated value rising to nearly $300 million.

A gas-fired plant in the Pilbara will get a $150 million upgrade to power Northern Star’s $1.3b Hemi gold project and back the rollout of renewable energy.

Major Perth property developer Hesperia’s plans to build a $500 million battery and solar farm in Collie has squeezed through approvals despite the Collie community — and council — opposing the plan. 

🚀 Innovation, Digital & Futuristic Technology

With AI dominating headlines and reshaping industries, many are wondering: what does this mean for construction?

Two new automated systems, Click&Dig and Perception, are being introduced on CASE Construction Equipment’s wheel loaders to improve productivity and safety.

Hyperion Systems, a Western Australian start-up founded by 27-year-old robotics engineer Josh Wigley, has secured a $385,000 matched-funding grant through the Australian Government’s Innovation Growth Program. The award is intended to help commercialise what the company calls Australia’s first turnkey industrial 3D printing platform, a modular system capable of manufacturing large-scale parts for construction.

The Bill Gates- and Nvidia-backed firm says its AI model can grapple with the constraints of the physical world.

🌱 Sustainability ​& Environment

The top 10 fastest growing jobs in the UK’s workforce include sustainability right up at number two, according to a new analysis.

Investigating pretreatment techniques, this research reveals how microstructural improvements can enhance the performance of recycled aggregate concrete.

Pilot plant trials led by the UK Quality Ash Association (UKQAA) have shown that Coal Derived Fly Ash (CDFA) can be successfully processed to meet UK and European standards for use in cement and concrete.

🌏 Around the World

Amsterdam's smart city model prioritises people over technology, using AI as a tool for public good. Through citizen-led innovation, ethical AI governance, and open data, the city enhances sustainability, transparency, and inclusion. Its approach offers a global blueprint for adaptive cities that use technology to support human values and digital rights.

Analysts warn cooling demands could outstrip supplies as heatwaves intensify. Water scarcity is rising up the agenda as one of the major concerns for datacenters in Europe following an unusually hot and dry summer, marked by intense heatwaves in southern parts of the continent

Manhattan's super-slender 262 Fifth Avenue is causing trouble in midtown.

It already has 5,000 staff there, and annual revenues topping €1bn, but it wants to boost its presence in the country’s energy services market. So it has bought three Spanish companies in the sector: CVS, M3i Controls and Inmotechnia.

📖 Miscellaneous

As Queensland prepares for energy transition, engineering and advisory firm Beca is looking to bring lessons from major renewables projects in other jurisdictions to bear. With decades of experience at the front line of transmission design, stakeholder management, and decarbonisation, Beca says that a coordinated, pragmatic approach is critical if Queensland is to avoid the potential delays and stakeholder challenges that have been seen in projects down south.

Toowoomba Regional Council (TRC) is building a safer, stronger future at Cressbrook Dam through Queensland’s largest local government-led dam safety project – but what’s so critical about it? 

Contractor GenusPlus has reported a record annual profit and flagged further strong growth in the current financial year after winning more work on energy projects.

👷‍♀️ Tradies and Resource

The pursuit of a renewables-powered energy system necessary for a safe climate is under threat from workforce shortages showing few signs of letting up.

Engineers play a central role in building a climate-smart future. Engineers are adapting to new materials, methods and sustainability requirements that are changing how construction projects are designed and delivered. To keep pace, upskilling is becoming central to staying competitive, compliant and climate-conscious.

Thanks for reading,

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Alex

We monitor Australian construction 24/7—analysing thousands of articles from over 600 sources—to deliver the latest industry news straight to you.

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