21/11/2025

November 21, 2025

The Daily Dirt Aus

By G’day Construction………….…… 

THE MORNING PAPER FOR CONSTRUCTION PROFESSIONALS AND TRADIES

âś’ Headlines & Industry

The administrator of the CFMEU, who took control of all of the union's construction branches in 2024 due to allegations of corruption, has given evidence to a Queensland inquiry.Mark Irving KC told the hearing the alleged violence within the CFMEU was a "cancer" and that he planned to terminate the membership of prominent members. Commissioner Stuart Wood KC is due to deliver his final report to the Queensland government in July next year.

The Tasmanian government has reaffirmed its commitment to freeze proposed changes to the National Construction Code (NCC) 2025 by initiating a consultation. The decision will reduce red tape and help avoid unnecessary costs to delays in the construction of new housing across the state. 

Geoffrey Watson alleges Queensland’s CFMEU used intimidation to dominate construction, claiming police agreed to avoid industrial disputes. He cited harassment of AWU members and risks to major projects. Police reject any secret deal. Watson says fear is pushing major builders from Brisbane, driving up costs and undermining industry competition.

Australia’s data center construction market is surging, driven by cloud migration, AI workloads, and digital transformation. Valued at USD 1.1 billion in 2024, it’s projected to reach USD 2 billion by 2032. Hyperscale and Tier III/IV facilities dominate, with opportunities in high-density cooling, sustainable design, edge deployment, and skilled workforce expansion across major sectors.

🏗️ Projects

NSW

The high-speed rail plan between Sydney and Newcastle is criticised as unclear, costly and poorly aligned with local travel patterns. With limited stations and modest projected benefits, critics argue it won’t meet accessibility needs. Alternatives like improved public transport and emerging autonomous vehicle networks may deliver better regional outcomes for far less investment.

A proposal for a $341 million mixed-use precinct on a former drive-in cinema site in Caddens , 50 kilometres west of Sydney’s CBD , has been lodged for planning approval. Designed by Group GSA for developer Holdmark Property Group, the state-significant development application comprises 17 mid-rise apartment blocks.

QLD

Bundaberg has approved 18 coastal developments totalling 3,676 retirement and relocatable homes, driven by demand for an affordable lifestyle. Projects like Coral Cove and Burnett Heads are underway, but locals warn rapid growth is straining health and aged-care services. Economists say more housing will ease affordability, though nursing shortages persist.

Gladstone Area Water Board has awarded the design and construction contract for the $57 million East End pipeline project to McConnell Dowell BMD Joint Venture (MBJV). Major construction works are expected to commence in early 2026 and completion is scheduled for late 2026.

Construction has begun on the $500 million Queensland Beef Roads program, starting with a $47.5 million early works package on Clermont–Alpha Road. Over 10 years, nine key beef corridor roads will be upgraded and sealed, improving safety, freight efficiency, and supply chains across Central Queensland’s 218,000-square-kilometre cattle-producing region.

The Bruce Highway will undergo a $50 million upgrade between Ingham and Innisfail, improving flood resilience. Works include safety upgrades, road widening, culvert replacements, and reconstruction. Funded under the $450 million Queensland Resilience and Risk Reduction Program, construction is expected next year, enhancing safety, connectivity, and disaster preparedness for North Queensland communities.

VIC

The Commonwealth Government will provide additional funding for Melbourne’s $34.5 billion Suburban Rail Loop, with the amount to be revealed in the May 2026 Budget. The 90 km orbital loop will link middle suburbs and Melbourne Airport. Only $14 billion is currently committed, while early construction and tunneling are already underway.

WA

The Peel Health Campus Redevelopment will deliver a new public hospital with an expanded ED, mental health emergency centre, more inpatient, palliative, outpatient and chemotherapy services, plus new theatres. Procured via a two-phase alliance, RFPs open November 2025, award January 2026, with construction starting mid-2026, funded through the $1.5b Building Hospitals Fund.

A strike threat looms over Woodside’s Pluto 2 LNG expansion as the Offshore Alliance seeks approval for industrial action after stalled pay talks with Bechtel. Workers want a 30% pay rise, rejecting a 5% offer. A strike could slow construction and delay first LNG cargo planned for late 2026.

Multiplex has topped out Stage Two of NEXTDC’s $110 million P1 Perth data centre in Malaga, doubling its IT capacity. The five-level building features WA’s largest satellite antenna array, sustainable construction practices, and local workforce engagement. Fit-out of plantrooms, offices, and data halls will continue, with completion expected Q3 2026.

A proposed masterplan for the next stage of Golden Sedayu's $4 billion Burswood Point precinct has been lodged. Perth-based Golden Group formed a joint venture with Indonesian developer Agung Sedayu in 2021, with the latter having a significant contribution of the equity for the Belmont project.

🚀 Innovation, Digital & Futuristic Technology

The Gold Coast Cooperative Corridor (GC3) has launched to advance connected and automated vehicle technologies in Australia. Partnering Lexus, the City of Gold Coast, and Queensland Transport, GC3 will test C-ITS systems at key intersections, improving safety, efficiency, and data-driven mobility ahead of the 2032 Brisbane Olympics.

A AI Institute warns that construction firms are underusing AI due to limited staff training, fragmented data, and absent formal policies. Many rely on informal AI use, risking security breaches. Mandatory AI literacy programs, structured policies, and customized AI tools are needed to boost productivity and safely harness technology.

🌱 Sustainability ​& Environment

The study demonstrates machine learning's role in predicting compressive strength of rice husk ash concrete, aiding the shift to sustainable building materials.

Timber is vital to decarbonising construction, yet perceptions, policy gaps and limited plantations hold Australia back. Despite its low embodied carbon and strong public support, local supply lags, forcing imports. To unlock timber’s climate potential, Australia must expand plantations, invest in manufacturing, and adopt policies that reward carbon-smart building.

The final PFAS Senate Inquiry Report, released yesterday, calls for urgent, stronger regulatory action to address contamination, a move set to directly impact operations across the waste and resource recovery (WARR) sector.

🌏 Around the World

Switzerland has unveiled the world’s largest solar folding roof above Lake Thun’s wastewater plant. Developed by DHP Technology, the retractable 3.6 MW system spans 23,000 m² and uses 50% less material. Generating 3 GWh annually—enough for 700 homes—it enables dual land use across sites like carparks and logistics hubs.

Tajikistan is constructing the world’s tallest dam, the Rogun Dam, to generate massive hydroelectric power and address chronic energy shortages. Begun in 1976 as a Soviet megaproject, it faces seismic, geological, and social challenges. Completion is expected by 2029, potentially transforming regional energy supply while displacing over 46,000 residents.

đź“– Miscellaneous

Safe Work Australia has released national principles to guide fair, consistent workers’ compensation coverage for gig-economy workers, who currently miss out due to contractor status. Developed through broad consultation, the five principles give jurisdictions flexibility to adapt coverage to their own schemes while addressing the unique risks of digital-platform work.

Engineers have warned infrastructure for the 2032 Olympic Games must be designed and delivered with the next half-century in mind.

Australia’s apartment building sector is set for strong growth from 2026, alongside continued recovery in detached housing. Multi-residential starts, subdued since 2024, are forecast to rise from 72,020 in 2025 to nearly 100,000 by 2030. Growth is driven by population increases, returning migration, rising prices, and strong renovation demand nationwide.

👷‍♀️ Tradies and Resource

Engineers Australia has warned that the nation’s future workforce is under strain, as new data from Jobs and Skills Australia has again identified continued shortages across critical engineering disciplines. 

 

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