15/12/2025

December 15, 2025

The Daily Dirt Aus

By G’day Construction………….…… 

THE MORNING PAPER FOR CONSTRUCTION PROFESSIONALS AND TRADIES

🚨 Safety Updates

WorkSafe ACT and the Suburban Land Agency warn year-end fatigue and deadline pressure are increasing risks on construction sites. A festive-season safety campaign urges workers and employers to slow down, value wellbeing, and refuse unsafe shortcuts. Ministers stress no milestone or deadline is worth an injury or compromised community safety.

A Queensland Industrial Court ruling has reinforced strict limits on operating heavy mobile equipment during lightning events. Sites must halt non-autonomous equipment within 16km of strikes and strengthen TARPs, sheltering, training and emergency planning, particularly during storm season, to proactively reduce lightning-related injury risks.

âś’ Headlines & Industry

Jera Nex bp’s 1 GW Blue Mackerel North offshore wind project in Gippsland has been granted Major Project Status by the federal government, recognising its role in replacing coal and supporting net-zero goals. MPS gives access to dedicated federal support for approvals. The sector faces challenges, with other Gippsland projects cancelled due to economics, deeper water, export routes, and auction timing uncertainty.

Kaushik Chakraborty of Bentley Systems highlights a shift in infrastructure spending toward regional areas—roads, bridges, water, and sanitation—reflecting a post-Covid drift from cities to smaller towns. Defence infrastructure investment also benefits civilians, while emerging tech and AI are increasingly deployed to support climate-resilient planning and construction.

🏗️ Projects

ACT

A new 2000-seat theatre will attract close to $34 million a year in spending to the ACT's economy when it is fully up and running, the ACT government expects. The government, which has signed a contract with Multiplex, said construction would begin early next year with completion in 2028,

NSW

A two-tower, 258-home development in Chatswood, Sydney, designed by Carter Williamson Architects and Land and Form Studios, has received state significant project approval from the NSW Department of Planning, Housing and Infrastructure.

The State Government is continuing to deliver safer, smoother journeys, with work set to start on a $25 million transformation of the Hume Highway at Table Top in early 2026.

QLD

Construction is underway on The Collective Residences at 117–119 Mt Gravatt–Capalaba Road, Upper Mount Gravatt. The apartment development is in a high-demand suburb 15 minutes from Brisbane CBD, close to major retail, education and transport. Off-the-plan sales are open, with settlement expected mid-2027.

Toowoomba Regional Council has endorsed plans to link the CBD with the Highfields Bikeway through a 5.5km active transport corridor. Delivered with TMR and Queensland Rail, the staged project will create safer walking and cycling connections, reduce car reliance, and support future delivery through partnerships and funding agreements.

Bechtel has been appointed EPC partner for Harmony’s Eva copper mine in northwest Queensland, delivering the concentrator and non-process infrastructure. The greenfield project will be the region’s largest new copper operation, supporting Australia’s critical minerals strategy, with construction starting in 2026 and first production targeted for 2028.

Queensland has opened EOIs for a Principal Consultant to deliver the Redland Whitewater Centre at Birkdale. Part of the $7.1 billion Games Venues Infrastructure Program, the facility will support elite sport, community recreation and emergency services, leaving a lasting legacy beyond the 2032 Brisbane Olympic and Paralympic Games.

Construction of Cairns’ $60 M SkyHaven Airport Accommodation Project, led by MiHaven, will start in March. The development features 186 self-contained units and will be Australia’s first dedicated corporate and transit workforce accommodation precinct at the city’s 7th busiest airport.

VIC

Frankie Carroll will depart as CEO of the Suburban Rail Loop Authority after guiding the project through early planning and major contract awards. Kevin Devlin will step in as interim CEO from 5 January. The project remains on time and budget, advancing construction while delivering faster travel and 70,000 new homes.

Construction has begun on the $1.62 billion Beveridge Intermodal Precinct in Melbourne’s north, set to become Australia’s largest logistics hub. The Inland Rail terminal will support double-stacked freight trains, shift freight from road to rail, create thousands of jobs, cut emissions, and commence operations by mid-2028.

The 150 MW/600 MWh Golden Plains BESS, adjacent to the existing Golden Plains Wind Farm, has reached financial close. TagEnergy awarded the balance-of-plant contract to CPP and Tesla will supply 168 Megapack XL 2.0 units. Construction starts March 2026, with completion expected July 2027.

The Mortlake Energy Hub, a 450 MW solar farm paired with a 600 MW/2,400 MWh BESS, is set on a 1,060-hectare site northwest of Mortlake. Yanara appointed Gamuda as Early Contractor Involvement partner in Dec 2025. Construction is scheduled from July 2026, with completion expected December 2029.

🧰 Construction Au Other

Boral has secured a AU$25 million NSW Government grant to fast-track alternative fuels at its Berrima cement works. The project will cut up to 60% of kiln thermal energy from coal, reduce 1.6 Mt of Scope 1 emissions, divert waste from landfill, and support decarbonisation of NSW’s cement supply.

Converge Expo 2025’s Major Projects Stage showcased Australia’s boldest infrastructure, from landmark bridges and Inland Rail to data centres, defence works and mega industrial projects. Leaders highlighted innovation, sustainability, mental health, diversity and collaboration as essential to delivering nation-shaping projects and a resilient future construction industry.

The Australasian Railway Association (ARA) has awarded the five-year Rail Industry Worker (RIW) Program contract to Metro Trains Australia (MTA), with extensions possible to 2031. The program, serving 95,000 participants across 13,000 organisations, will maintain current fees and deliver enhanced features including real-time fatigue monitoring, app-based access, e-learning uploads, and improved reporting.

🚀 Innovation, Digital & Futuristic Technology

Bobyard, an artificial intelligence platform focused on transforming how contractors perform construction takeoffs and estimates, has raised $35 million in a Series A financing round led by 8VC.

Ferrovial Agroman has integrated drones in construction to capture data, automate processes, and support decision-making while prioritizing safety and regulatory compliance. Combining drones with structured data tools, predictive analytics, and AI like ChatGPT enhances the Data Journey, converting previously unstructured knowledge into actionable insights, fostering innovation, and improving efficiency across projects.

🌱 Sustainability ​& Environment

Seashell-modified concrete offers a low-carbon alternative, reducing emissions and maintaining performance, ideal for coastal regions with abundant shell waste.

South Australia’s Waste Strategy 2025–2030 sets a framework for a circular economy, aiming for net-zero emissions by 2050. Focus areas include reducing waste, preserving resources, building circular markets, and promoting reuse, repair, and sustainable design. Implementation begins in 2026 under Green Industries SA.

CarbonCure Technologies has produced over 83.6 million cubic yards of low-carbon concrete globally, supporting decarbonization across 30 countries. Contractors influence emissions by specifying lower-carbon mixes and performance-based standards. CarbonCure’s cost-neutral technology, paired with carbon credits, allows contractors to build normally while reducing embodied concrete carbon in projects.

🌏 Around the World

From record-breaking skyscrapers and stadiums to stalled projects, here are the 10 most significant architecture announcements of the year as part of our Review of 2025.

đź“– Miscellaneous

Once tipped as Australia’s solar crown jewel, the 40-dish Mildura Solar Concentrator project was abandoned after electricity prices collapsed and policy uncertainty undermined investment. Despite early success and global innovation, falling grid demand, RET instability and cheaper photovoltaic technology made the large-scale solar thermal project financially unviable.

The Australasian Railway Association has responded to consultation on the ACCU Scheme review, calling for reforms to boost rail uptake. Proposed changes include new methodologies to incentivise freight mode shift, longer crediting periods to match rollingstock lifespans, and streamlined interaction with the Safeguard Mechanism.

A global review in Water, Air & Soil Pollution highlights advances in PFAS removal from drinking water, assessing over 200 studies. Granular activated carbon, ion exchange, and membrane filtration remain standard, while emerging technologies like plasma oxidation and electrochemical reduction aim to destroy PFAS rather than just concentrate it. The review stresses integrated, multi-stage treatment, enhanced monitoring, and stronger regulation to tackle persistent and short-chain PFAS effectively.

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Alex

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