19/11/2025

November 19, 2025

The Daily Dirt Aus

By G’day Construction………….…… 

THE MORNING PAPER FOR CONSTRUCTION PROFESSIONALS AND TRADIES

🚨 Safety Updates

Statement of Regulatory Intent: Implementation of workplace exposure standard for aluminium (welding fumes) WorkSafe WA has reduced the workplace exposure standard for aluminium welding fumes from 5 mg/mÂł to 1 mg/mÂł, effective immediately. PCBUs must review controls, assess exposure and implement stronger measures. Enforcement will follow a 12-month education-focused period under WA’s Work Health and Safety Regulations.

✒ Headlines & Industry

A year-long inquiry into Queensland’s CFMEU has begun, probing allegations of bullying, violence, misogyny and links to organised crime. Lead witness Geoffrey Watson SC alleges a culture of intimidation designed to build power. Former leaders deny the claims. The commission will deliver findings and recommendations by July 2026.

Australia’s construction costs are set to rise sharply from 2027, driven by Brisbane 2032 Olympic projects and activity in Sydney and Melbourne. WT forecasts building costs growing 5.2% in 2026, reaching 6.4% by 2028, with Brisbane leading at 10% annually. Workforce, materials, and capacity constraints heighten delivery risks nationwide. National shortages of 300,000 workers loom, increasing delivery risks unless planning, skills and productivity improve.

The Property Council warns Australia faces a critical infrastructure labour shortage, risking delivery of roads, water, and power needed for new homes and industrial hubs. With a 141,000-worker shortfall set to reach 300,000 by 2027, the council urges investment in training, skilled migration, and Modern Methods of Construction to meet demand.

🏗️ Projects

ACT

Preliminary works have begun on the $137.5 million Commonwealth Avenue Bridge renewal in Canberra, with Seymour Whyte Constructions leading. Upgrades include structural strengthening, widened shared paths, new viewing platforms, lighting, and landscaping. Main construction starts January 2026, with staged completion expected by late 2027, enhancing safety and connectivity across Lake Burley Griffin.

NSW

In three separate announcements, the New South Wales government has just dropped some significant rezoning plans across several Sydney regions.  These include a new Transport Oriented Development (TOD) scheme approved on the north shore, two planning proposals now open for public consultation in the north-west, and one fast-tracked rezoning in the south-west.  

NSW has released designs for the $910 million Rouse Hill Hospital, featuring emergency, maternity, inpatient, outpatient, and virtual care services, plus a ‘care arcade’ with retail and cafés. Community feedback is open until 10 December 2025, guiding final designs to meet North West Sydney’s growing healthcare needs.

New South Wales is set to make decennial liability insurance (DLI) mandatory for Class 2 residential buildings by 2028. DLI provides 10-year, no-fault coverage for major defects, shifting risk from owners to insurers, aligning NSW with international standards, boosting consumer protection, and incentivising higher construction quality and accountability.

Plans for a $341 million mixed-use precinct featuring 482 new homes have been formally proposed for the former Kingswood Drive-In site at 60–80 O’Connell Street, Caddens, approximately 50 kilometres west of Sydney’s central business district (CBD).

NSW’s new Waste Infrastructure Plan addresses an impending waste crisis, job losses, and $23 billion economic impact. Key steps include inter-agency coordination, updated Energy from Waste (EfW) policy, and gazetted sites. Success requires securing land, ensuring approvals, and government-led proactive planning—private sector reliance alone is insufficient.

Sunrise Energy Metals raised $46 million to advance pre-construction at its Syerston scandium project, NSW, the world’s largest high-grade deposit. Funds will support engineering, water and power connections, infill drilling, and early works. The project strengthens critical minerals supply for technology and defence, with US Export-Import Bank backing.

The NSW and Australian governments are seeking community input on $100 million in safety upgrades for Bells Line of Road, a key Blue Mountains crossing. Civil Consulting and Highway Design (CCHD) will lead investigations to identify priority improvements, aiming to enhance motorist safety and regional connectivity.

QLD

Brisbane’s Queen Street Mall will expand along Albert Street for the first time in 15 years as part of Cross River Rail. Staged works include new footpath dining, retail, and a tree-lined public plaza outside the upcoming Albert Street Station, boosting pedestrian access, local business, and the city’s vibrant lifestyle.

The Queensland Government is seeking feedback on updated designs for the $5.75 billion Logan and Gold Coast Faster Rail project, including Kuraby, Trinder Park, Woodridge, and Kingston stations. Designs improve accessibility, safety, and connectivity, remove level crossings, and expand rail capacity, supporting SE Queensland growth and 2032 Olympic readiness.

SA

South Australia will upgrade 119 regional level crossings under the $160 million national RLCUF program, with $654,000 allocated in Round 2. Works include improved warning signs and safety systems delivered with councils and ARTC. The upgrades aim to cut serious crashes and build on earlier funding to enhance long-term rail safety.

Civil & Allied Technical Construction (CATCON) has begun works on South Australia’s $40 million Mount Barker roundabout upgrade at the intersection of Adelaide, Alexandrina, Wellington, and Flaxley Roads. The dual-lane roundabout will improve traffic capacity, safety, and reduce delays, supporting 170 construction jobs annually, with completion expected in 2026.

VIC

The Allan Labor Government is investing over $1 million in regional Victoria to improve walking, cycling, and transport links. Projects include new bus shelters, missing footpaths, safer school routes, EV community transport, and assisted transport for at-risk students, enhancing accessibility, safety, and active travel across local communities.

WA

Rural and remote communities across WA’s Wheatbelt, Great Southern, Mid West, and Goldfields-Esperance regions will receive funding through the Community Water Supplies Partnership. Fourteen projects, supported by $5.6 million from state and federal governments, aim to improve water infrastructure, enhance drought resilience, and strengthen climate adaptation in regional towns and councils.

A major lighting incident occurred on Monday at the Boorloo Bridge in Victoria Park, Western Australia, prompting authorities to close the structure to pedestrians and cyclists. A large lighting strip fell from one of the bridge’s pylons, narrowly missing a cyclist on the path below.

🧰 Construction Au Other

Australia’s brownfield urban rail projects demand integrated governance and constructability. Governance provides structured oversight, aligning stakeholders and managing complexity, while constructability ensures designs are practical, safe, and efficient. Early collaboration between designers, planners, and contractors mitigates risks, reduces disruptions, and enables innovative solutions, improving delivery outcomes in dense, live rail environments.

Cement Concrete & Aggregates Australia urges national performance-based standards and procurement that rewards innovation and emission reductions to scale low-carbon concrete use. Aligning standards, pipelines, and procurement will enable recycled aggregates, low-carbon binders, and sustainable materials, supporting Australia’s housing, transport, and energy projects while delivering economic, social, and environmental benefits.

Monadelphous has acquired Kerman Contracting, which will continue operating as a standalone subsidiary. The partnership aims to leverage synergies, enhance growth, and preserve Kerman’s 40-year legacy and values. Supported by Monadelphous’ reputation and resources, the focus will be on stability, scale, and strengthening client relationships across future projects.

🚀 Innovation, Digital & Futuristic Technology

At Melbourne Build, the Chartered Institute of Building highlighted prefabrication’s potential to address Australia’s housing crisis. The panel stressed that modern methods of construction (MMC) require national strategy, workforce development, client education, and industry collaboration. With proper support, prefab can deliver faster, affordable, and sustainable housing at scale.

AEC industry leaders reveal four key insights on AI and digital twins: reality capture is now accessible beyond large projects; digital twins offer measurable sustainability benefits; AI adoption faces trust and knowledge barriers; and human expertise remains central, with technology augmenting—not replacing—creativity and critical problem-solving across construction workflows.

🌱 Sustainability ​& Environment

Australians are sceptical of the European CRREM tool, which tracks stranded asset risk but not carbon emissions. Experts say NABERS is superior locally, accounting for energy intensity, renewables, and services. Despite CRREM’s global ambitions, Australians prefer NABERS for more accurate, region-specific assessment of buildings’ net-zero performance.

Landmark partnership establishes first regional body to advance circular economy solutions for end-of-life tyres in Australasia. Tyre Stewardship Australia (TSA) and Tyrewise New Zealand (Tyrewise) have announced the formation of the Trans-Tasman Tyre Recycling Alliance (TTRA), a groundbreaking regional body dedicated to advancing circular economy outcomes for end-of-life tyres across Australia and New Zealand.

Australia has launched a next-generation Unit and Certificate Registry, migrating ACCUs and SMCs to a secure blockchain platform. The registry consolidates carbon credits, enhances transparency, security, and data access, and supports voluntary and compliance markets. It lays a foundation for scalable, efficient, and trustworthy carbon trading and future environmental schemes.

👷‍♀️ Tradies and Resource

SJ Group has appointed James Phillis as Chief Executive and Murray Kretschmer as COO to lead its global Infrastructure + Energy division. The leadership shift supports growth in decarbonisation, digitalisation, and AI-driven design as the company expands solutions across 40+ countries amid accelerating global infrastructure and energy transformation.

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