The Daily Dirt Aus

By G’day Construction………….…… 

_{THE MORNING PAPER FOR CONSTRUCTION PROFESSIONALS AND TRADIES}

🚨 Safety Updates

Pilbara incident reinforces mining contractors’ safety obligations

Regulators have warned mining and construction contractors to strictly follow load-restraint procedures after a 2022 WA fatality. Three companies were fined $770,000 for failing to secure a MegaFill pump correctly, leading to a boom detaching and killing a driver. WorkSafe says the tragedy shows safer, practicable controls were ignored.

✒ Headlines & Industry

Australian investment in green projects surges despite drastic US policy reversal, report shows

Australian investment in green construction projects has surged from $20 billion to $157 billion over five years, funding renewable energy, light rail upgrades, water infrastructure, and sustainable building initiatives. Despite global policy headwinds, domestic finance is accelerating, supporting construction jobs, large-scale infrastructure, and climate-focused urban development across public and private sectors.

SunCable signs “landmark” deal with traditional owners for Australia’s biggest solar project

SunCable has signed a 70-year landmark agreement with traditional owners to develop Australia’s largest solar project at Powell Creek Station, NT. The multi-gigawatt facility will create extensive construction jobs, vocational training, and local business opportunities, supporting energy-intensive industries while ensuring cultural heritage protection and long-term community benefits.

🏗️ Projects

ACT

Holcim to deliver concrete solutions to Canberra transport project

Holcim is supplying low-carbon FutureCast® precast box culverts and readymix concrete for Canberra Light Rail Stage 2A, supporting a 1-in-100-year flood protection upgrade. The 1.7 km extension enhances the city’s sustainable transport network, integrating carbon-reduction measures, durable concrete solutions, and climate-resilient stormwater infrastructure.

Capital Property Group lodges application for latest CBD building

Capital Property Group proposes a six-storey, net-zero, fully electric office building at Knowles Place, Canberra, delivering nearly 10,000 m² of office space above a café/restaurant, two basement parking levels, EV chargers, and end-of-trip facilities. Designed to 5 Star Green Star and NABERS standards, it integrates solar, rainwater harvesting, and sustainable façades.

NSW

NSW energy distributors de-risk transition with new, unified system plan

NSW’s first Distribution System Plan enables smarter use of existing electricity networks, integrating solar, batteries, and EVs. By optimising distribution infrastructure, it defers costly upgrades, supports faster clean energy adoption, and provides a five-year buffer for transmission projects, shaping construction, electrical works, and planning for energy and infrastructure developments statewide.

QLD

New building planned for Brisbane’s James Street

Plans for a seven-storey building at 54 James Street, Brisbane, will replace a single-storey warehouse with three retail floors, three office levels, a landscaped rooftop, and two basement carparks. The design features vertical planted canopies, stacked volumes, and concrete fins, enhancing streetscape integration and creating a dynamic retail and commercial construction project.

‘Major milestone’: Queensland project gains key designation

Queensland’s Graphinex Esmeralda Graphite Project, hosting the state’s largest graphite deposit, is now a “prescribed project,” enabling fast-tracked approvals and construction from late 2026. Valued over $1.3 billion, it will include an open-pit mine, processing facility, and refinery, creating regional jobs and strengthening Queensland’s critical minerals supply chain.

SA

$5b SA desal plant and pipeline network expected to take longer to finish

The $5 billion Northern Water project has been delayed to 2032 after BHP pushed back its Olympic Dam expansion. Construction timelines have shifted, meaning taxpayers will wait longer to recover costs. The desal plant and 600km pipeline remain under study, with a final decision due next year and timelines adjusted to match BHP’s needs.

TAS

New Tasmanian precincts to create local opportunities | Ministers for the Department of Infrastructure

The Albanese Government is investing $4.8 million in planning two major Hobart precincts, driving future construction activity. Rosny Farm’s creative industries hub and the Halls Saddle tourism and infrastructure precinct will undergo feasibility, design and engineering work, unlocking jobs, improved facilities, and significant long-term urban development opportunities for Greater Hobart.

Tasmania cuts red tape for transport and infrastructure projects

Tasmania has appointed 14 consultants to a new Transport and Civil Infrastructure Panel, streamlining procurement for major road, bridge, and civil projects. The panel, supporting planning and advisory services, reduces red tape, speeds engagement, and enables efficient delivery of $220 million in infrastructure works over five years, boosting construction outcomes statewide.

VIC

Consultation Open For Five Ways Intersection Safety Improvements | Premier

Consultation has opened on safety upgrades for Warrandyte’s busy Five Ways intersection, used by 8,000 vehicles daily. The Albanese and Allan Governments are planning improvements to cut congestion and boost safety for all road users. Community feedback will inform design and planning, with initial works and investigations underway and planning due in 2026.

WA

10 Perth suburbs earmarked as new housing hotspots with rezoning around train stations 

Western Australia is the latest state to embrace transport-oriented development, with 10 train station precincts set for faster, higher-density growth. In a move to increase higher-density housing, the Western Australian (WA) government has unveiled plans to speed up development and reduce red tape around major train station precincts across Greater Perth. 

🚀 Innovation, Digital & Futuristic Technology

New tech pathway for Victorian local government planning

ADAPTOVATE and Enterprise AI have joined Victoria’s AI in Planning Panel, enabling councils to use DAISY, an AI-powered Development Assessment system. The technology streamlines planning approvals, automates documentation, and improves accuracy, accelerating housing delivery. This partnership supports councils in scaling development processes efficiently, enhancing community outcomes and reducing administrative burdens.

What Startup Funding Reveals About the Future of Construction Technology

Nymbl Ventures’ Q3 2025 ConTech Market Report reveals interesting data on the ConTech scene. AI and Robotics Propel $4.4B Surge in Built Environment Tech Funding Investment in construction and infrastructure technology soared in the third quarter of 2025, marking one of the strongest periods for the built environment tech sector in recent years.

🌱 Sustainability ​& Environment

CEFC invests $50 million to help kick gas out from student digs

The CEFC has invested $50 million in Scape Australia to electrify up to 20 student accommodation buildings, removing gas infrastructure across its 38-building portfolio. The project incorporates advanced energy management, PassivHaus principles, and load-shifting technology, representing Australia’s largest apartment electrification initiative and a major construction retrofit effort.

Experts warn this carbon-cutting policy could backfire

Federal office leasing rules mandating 5.5-star NABERS ratings risk increasing embodied carbon, warns ASPA. Upgrading existing buildings produces far less carbon than new builds, yet current policy favors new construction. Industry urges factoring embodied carbon into procurement, promoting adaptive reuse and extending building lifecycles to achieve true net-zero outcomes.

Can circularity in construction become a reality?

Kaziwe Kaulule, managing director of Holcim UK’s aggregates and CDM divisions, explains how further embracing circularity in construction is an essential step towards making sustainable building practices the  industry standard

🌏 Around the World

Breaking the Bank: Construction's Biggest Budget Fails

We must learn from these mistakes. From California's High Speed Rail to Britain's HS2, these are some of the world’s most notorious, bank-breaking mega builds.

📖 Miscellaneous

ACCIONA powers up Australia’s first energy recovery facility in Western Australia

Australia’s first operational energy recovery facility has officially been opened by Western Australian Premier and Member for Kwinana Roger Cook. Owned and operated by ACCIONA, the Kwinana Energy Recovery facility will transform up to 460,000 tonnes of non-recyclable waste each year into 38 megawatts of baseload renewable electricity – enough to power more than 55,000 homes.

👷‍♀️ Tradies and Resource

Building a new cohort of tradies in Geelong

Nyaal Banyul’s GEESP program is transforming lives in Geelong, creating 43 apprenticeships and delivering 37,000+ training hours for people facing employment barriers. With mentoring, TAFE training and onsite experience, it opens real construction pathways. Apprentice El’s success highlights its impact as the project builds both a landmark and local opportunity.

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