17/10/2025

October 17, 2025

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THE MORNING PAPER FOR CONSTRUCTION PROFESSIONALS AND TRADIES

✒ Headlines & Industry

The Federal Government's fourth Capacity Investment Scheme tender has awarded 20 projects to deliver 6.6GW of renewable energy by 2030—enough to power over three million homes. With $17 billion in local investment, the projects include wind, batteries, and strong community and First Nations benefits, creating 13,000+ jobs nationwide.

Australia’s housing construction sector is facing a major productivity crisis. Despite working harder and paying more for materials, it’s producing fewer homes—pushing prices up and homeownership further out of reach. A recent report shows housing productivity has dropped by over 50% in 30 years. Builders face inflated material costs, labour shortages, and inefficient delivery models, while governments push for faster results. Reforms like faster approvals help, but experts say the sector must radically rethink how it delivers and builds homes to meet national targets and restore affordability.

🏗️ Projects

ACT

The Kingston Arts Precinct in Canberra will be subdivided into four parcels, featuring arts spaces, housing, retail, and a carpark. Heritage buildings will be retained, with completion expected by 2028. The design prioritises pedestrians, green links, and active transport, while traffic impacts on Wentworth Avenue are under review for mitigation.

QLD

Monaco Property Group's $500m luxury beachfront project in Miami, Gold Coast, will deliver 45 oversized apartments, some up to 1400sq m. Featuring a resort-style precinct and private rooftop terraces, construction begins in 2026. The five-storey development replaces a 1960s resort, blending coastal luxury with the site's rich local history.

DevCore Property Group will accelerate construction at its $1.1 billion Coral Cove Ocean Estate in Queensland’s Wide Bay-Burnett region, fast-tracking the delivery of 1,200 new homes following the company’s successful application for trunk infrastructure funding under the Queensland Government’s 

SA

A $500 million cutting-edge parcel-sorting centre at a former Holden factory site is set to be a game-changer for South Australian shoppers. The facility at Elizabeth, in Adelaide’s outer northern suburbs, will be the biggest in Australia Post’s network, capable of sorting 400,000 parcels a day using AI-powered technology.

Iberdrola will invest $495 million to build the 270MW/1,080MWh Tungkillo battery in South Australia, with construction expected by 2028. The project, acquired from RES Australia, is part of Iberdrola’s $1.7 billion Australian battery push and will support renewable integration and grid flexibility in the National Energy Market.

VIC

Residents are getting creative in their fight to save a "magnificent" 130-year-old Algerian oak tree from being felled for a controversial transmission line project in western Victoria.

The Allan Labor Government has fast-tracked over 1,000 new homes at Moonee Valley Racecourse, Melbourne’s largest project under the Development Facilitation Program. Valued at $709 million, it includes apartments, a hotel, retail space, green parks, and jobs—accelerating affordable housing delivery near key services and public transport.

A proposal for a new $590 million mixed-use development rising from the former State Savings Bank of Victoria at 623 Collins Street in Melbourne’s CBD, opposite Southern Cross Station, has been greenlit for development.

Boral has proposed a 12.5-hectare extension to its Montrose Quarry in Victoria, unlocking 20 million tonnes of materials—enough for 30 years’ supply. The plan includes safety upgrades and supports major infrastructure and housing projects, helping meet future construction demand as Victoria’s population heads toward 10 million by 2050.

Upgrades to 1 of Melbourne’s busy arterial roads will commence soon, with the contract for the Northern Package of the Yan Yean Road Upgrade Stage 2 now awarded. Australian-owned-and-operated company Decmil will deliver the Northern Package of works between Bridge Inn Road and Orchard Road.

Over $7 million in federal funding will accelerate planning for two major Melbourne precincts: revitalising the Birrarung (Yarra) Riverfront and developing a new city in the north. The projects aim to enhance public spaces, boost transport and housing integration, and promote sustainable, inclusive urban growth through strong regional partnerships.

Renderings for a forthcoming hotel and residential development in Melbourne, designed by Kerry Hill Architects (KHA), have been unveiled. The $300 million hotel is being developed by Orchard Piper alongside The Carter Group, with Como Hotels and Resorts newly appointed as operators.

WA

Pilot Energy (ASX: PGY) partners with Kala Data to build a modular data centre at its Arrowsmith site, using surplus gas power. The project supports early cash flow and the transition to carbon storage. Initial 1 MW deployment is set for 2026, with plans to scale to 30 MW.

🚀 Innovation, Digital & Futuristic Technology

Artificial Intelligence (AI) continues to shape conversations across industries - from construction to software to strategic consulting. But amid the excitement, not everyone is entirely convinced by the narrative of rapid transformation.

Toronto startup Provision has raised $9.8M CAD to boost construction productivity with AI. The company is building a co-pilot for estimators that speeds up document review and identifies costly project risks early. Founded in 2022, Provision says construction firms lose billions due to pre-construction errors. Backed by Cercano Management and Y Combinator, it’s already working with major firms like EllisDon and PCL. Provision aims to reach 99% accuracy with its AI tools by developing proprietary datasets, helping estimators reduce mistakes and accelerate workflows across $100B in reviewed projects.

Promise Robotics' Calgary factory uses cloud-based AI and robotic arms to rapidly build homes, cutting weeks of construction into hours. The flexible system adapts to different housing models in minutes and slashes downtime. Though still evolving, it promises to help double housing output, addressing Canada’s urgent housing supply challenge.

🌱 Sustainability ​& Environment

Hoffmann Green Cement Technologies completed seven wind turbine foundations in France using 100% clinker-free concrete. Partnering with Valorem and Omexom, the eco-friendly foundations totaled over 4,600m³ of low-carbon concrete. These projects highlight Hoffmann Green’s ability to deliver durable, large-scale civil works while advancing sustainable construction in the renewable energy sector.

Volvo CE has laid claim to the world’s first full-scale demolition project using all-electric construction equipment and trucks. The company partnered with a demolition contractor to use its electric construction equipment to take down three buildings at the Siemens Technology Campus in Erlangen, Germany. The electric equipment included excavators, wheel loaders and Volvo trucks to break up the concrete structures spanning 32,700 cubic yards and haul off the debris for recycling.

🌏 Around the World

Plans include a hub in the east coast city of Visakhapatnam in Andhra Pradesh, that will combine data centres, energy sources and a fiber-optic network. The company will also install subsea cables from Visakhapatnam to connect with the company’s land and subsea cable network that now measures two million miles. Google is partnering with AdaniConneX and Airtel on the project.

Canada’s Centre Block is undergoing a $5 billion transformation—the largest heritage restoration in the country's history. Since 2020, crews have blasted a 23m-deep pit beneath Parliament Hill to build a vast underground Welcome Centre and seismic upgrades. The 1920s Gothic Revival building is being reinforced with 500+ base isolators, 800 foundation piles, and new basement levels. Inside, 50 rooms, 250 stained-glass windows, and 20,000 heritage items are being restored. Completion is set for 2031, ensuring Parliament’s home is modern, secure, and ready for the next century.

📖 Miscellaneous

Australia’s tropical rainforests have shifted from carbon sinks to carbon sources as tree deaths outpace growth, mainly due to rising temperatures, drought, and cyclones. Despite greener canopies, long-term data shows less carbon is stored in wood. This challenges assumptions about forests’ future role in fighting climate change.

In a groundbreaking shift within the energy sector, green methanol is emerging as a formidable alternative to hydrogen, promising a sustainable future with its versatile applications and carbon-neutral footprint.  The Bell Bay Powerfuels project aims to produce 300,000 tons of green methanol annually by 2028.

Google abandoned plans for a large data center in Franklin, Indiana after public backlash over environmental concerns. Across the U.S., residents are resisting the AI-driven data center boom, citing high water and energy use, limited local benefits, and lack of transparency—posing challenges for tech expansion and U.S. competitiveness in AI.

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