What you can expect

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THE MORNING PAPER FOR CONSTRUCTION PROFESSIONALS AND TRADIES

🚨 Safety Updates

Safe Work Australia has updated the WHS prosecutions dashboard to reflect the latest publicly available data from 2024. We have also enhanced the dashboard functionality by adding the ability to filter the data by industry.

✒ Headlines & Industry

Australia will have to build housing at a significantly faster rate than it has in the last couple of decades to meet the government’s target of 1.2m new homes between June 2024 and 2029. To hit the target we need about 240,000 new dwellings every year, and new data shows we are already falling behind. The most recent State of the Housing System report predicts we will fall short of the target by more than 260,000 homes, an even bigger miss than was predicted the year before.

Australia’s construction costs rose 0.5% in the June 2025 quarter, with annual growth at 2.9%. Rising material, labour, and insurance costs are challenging housing affordability and threatening the goal of building 1.2 million homes by 2029. Labour shortages and inflation concerns persist, as states report varying cost increases across sectors.

Former NSW Building Commissioner David Chandler urges faster apartment construction, supporting the state’s plan to allow 6-storey buildings as Complying Development. He critiques prefab and MMC approaches, calling instead for practical, scalable methods like SmartBaU and better procurement models. Industry must shift from experimentation to efficient, quality-driven, medium-scale developments now.

🏗️ Projects

NSW

Blue Mountains City Council has resealed 76 roads – a combined stretch of 38kms – across the city during the 2024-2025 financial year, in a bid to enhance the safety and resilience of the local road network.

TAS

BL has been chosen to provide marine warranty survey services to support the installation of Australia’s Marinus Link interconnector – a critical energy infrastructure project. Under the contract, ABL’s operations in Australia will provide marine warranty survey services to support the marine transportation and installation campaign for the submarine part of the interconnector. The Marinus Link project will construct a 345-kilometre-long interconnector between Tasmania and Victoria, with 255km running undersea across Australia’s Bass Strait.

VIC

A policy expert questions whether Australia can still meet its renewable energy targets, as Blue Float Energy withdraws from a major Victorian renewables project, and from offshore wind internationally.

Construction of the 106 MW Lancaster Solar Farm in northern Victoria is gathering pace with Western Australian contractor Pilecom installing the first of the more than 23,000 piles that will be used in the project.

Strathbogie Shire Council is inviting the community to attend a public information session to view the final Euroa Railway Precinct Masterplan and learn more about the next steps in the significant project.

The Sunshine Superhub project involves upgrading six kilometres of track near Sunshine Station, serving as a key step toward Melbourne Airport Rail. Delivered in five packages—Enabling Works, Freight Works, Metropolitan and Regional Line Works, and Albion Station—it’s still unclear how it aligns with the 2022 Airport Rail package.

WA

Western Australia has fallen further behind national housing targets set by the Albanese Government but is outperforming other states.

The $30 million resort at Quindalup gets the green light, despite concerns for the surrounding environment.

Kerman Contracting has secured a $170 million Design and Construction (D&C) contract from Rio Tinto for the delivery of non-process infrastructure at the Hope Downs 1 mine in the Pilbara.

Roger Cook has encouraged a room of design professionals to help spark change in the way the state builds homes, while highlighting the importance of regional WA.

🚀 Innovation, Digital & Futuristic Technology

BuiltWorlds has just released its 2025 Robotics Top 50, an annual roundup of the most impactful robotics companies shaping the future of construction.

Australia’s construction industry is undergoing major transformation. In March 2025, the NCIF released its Draft Blueprint, “A building and construction industry that works for everyone,” featuring 45 recommendations across eight themes. Developed with broad collaboration, it aligns with the ACA’s Culture Standard to drive a more inclusive, sustainable sector.

AI is reshaping construction by boosting productivity, reducing delays, and enabling smarter decisions. While enthusiasm has cooled due to data, training, and integration challenges, early adopters see real value. Success hinges on ethical use, workforce training, and practical applications that enhance project delivery.

🌱 Sustainability ​& Environment

The Queensland Clean Energy Summit will be held in Brisbane on 15–16 September 2025, focusing on large-scale solar and storage. With over $2 billion invested in 2024, Queensland is a renewable energy leader, though evolving policies and market shifts pose challenges for investors and developers.

The New South Wales government has announced AU$26.2 million in funding for several Australian solar PV and battery initiatives.

As climate change intensifies, UK cities are increasingly vulnerable to the dual challenges of extreme heat and water scarcity.

🌏 Around the World

Overdevelopment in a flood-prone area and inadequate mapping by FEMA contributed to the July 4 catastrophe, with at least 120 dead and many still missing, say experts familiar with the situation. 

Energy producer aims to start construction by 2027 to secure U.S. tax credits before they expire under the new federal budget reconciliation law.

Work on what will be Greece’s tallest building, the Riviera Tower, has surpassed the halfway mark, reaching 113m towards its final 200m height. Twice as tall as Greece’s current tallest building – the 103m-tall Athens Tower 1, finished in 1971 – the 50-storey Riviera will have 169 apartments with between one and five bedrooms.

Afghanistan’s Ministry of Public Works and the Ministry of Transport of Kazakhstan have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to build a 115km railway from Towrgondi on Afghanistan’s border with Turkmenistan to Herat.

📖 Miscellaneous

Held annually, The Australian Institute of Architects announced the winners of the 2025 awards at a celebration in Launceston. Across the 10 categories, a variety of distinct projects were awarded including a Richmond vineyard's tasting room, Glenorchy Ambulance Station, an exemplary coastal home and a boldly coloured childcare centre.

International design firm Hassell, in partnership with global built environment consultancy Arup, has unveiled Arup’s new Brisbane office, a pioneering project that champions circular design.

The Infrastructure Book by Sybil Derrible is a detailed, engaging guide to how modern cities function, covering water, waste, transport, energy, and telecom systems. Packed with facts, city case studies, and witty footnotes, it’s an essential reference for curious readers eager to understand the hidden systems powering urban life.

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