The Daily Dirt Aus

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🚨 Safety Updates

November 2025 Update

The November 2025 eSAFE Construction Newsletter highlights workplace safety and mental health during Safe Work Month, silica risk management, mandatory audiometric testing for noisy environments, storm-season site security, wet-season melioidosis precautions, and a 2026 statewide falling-object compliance campaign. Updated codes of practice provide guidance to meet legal WH&S standards.

✒ Headlines & Industry

Nicheliving directors’ homes searched, laptops and phones seized

Perth builder Nicheliving, banned from construction for 10 years after delaying hundreds of homes, is under fresh ASIC investigation. Last week, 50 homes and directors’ properties, including those of Ronnie Michel-Elhaj and Paul Bitdorf, were raided with AFP support, and devices seized. Investigations continue; past agreements allowed insurance payouts for stranded homeowners.

NSW government proposes building law reforms to support more prefab homes

The New South Wales government has proposed a raft of new building law reforms aimed at accelerating the adoption of modular and prefabricated homes and streamlining the broader housing approvals process.

New transmission towers are crucial for renewables – but contentious. Here’s where they should go

Australia’s solar and wind now supply 40% of power, but net-zero electrification requires six times more capacity and new transmission lines. High-voltage alternating current (HVAC) and direct current (HVDC) corridors can unlock renewable resources efficiently. Prioritising routes reduces costs, avoids communities, and boosts regional jobs, supporting cheaper, reliable clean energy.

SEEK Advertised Salary Index - October | SEEK

Construction-focused advertised salaries in Australia rose modestly in October, with monthly growth at 0.4% and annual growth steady around 3.6% y/y. Salary gains reflect ongoing demand for skilled construction workers, particularly in Tasmania, Northern Territory, and South Australia, supporting infrastructure projects and trades roles nationwide.

🏗️ Projects

NSW

Potentia lands federal approval for NSW solar and storage project

Potentia Energy’s Tallawang Solar Hybrid Project in western NSW has received unconditional federal environmental approval, clearing the way for construction. The 1 GW project combines a 500 MW solar farm with a 500 MW/1,000 MWh battery, will create up to 420 construction jobs, and is expected to start building in early 2027 within the Central-West Orana REZ.

Boosting $2 billion regional food manufacturing with CCIC

The Central Coast Food Manufacturing Innovation Hub is under construction, with completion expected January 2026 and opening in March. The $17.14 million project provides purpose-built factory bays, a 400 m² pilot facility, and modern training spaces to support scalable food manufacturing. Construction focuses on flexible, production-ready infrastructure for SMEs and larger manufacturers.

Early works to start at Grafton

Early works are starting on the $263.8 million Grafton Base Hospital Redevelopment in NSW, preparing the site for construction of a new three-storey Acute Services Building. Initial works include minor refurbishments to maintain services while main construction proceeds, with future facilities featuring an Emergency Department, imaging, inpatient units, and expanded maternity and surgery spaces.

Sydney Airport seeks expert panel for five-year $3.9bn framework

Sydney Airport is tendering for architectural and engineering firms to join a five-year, A$6bn capital works panel. The programme includes designing a new terminal combining Terminals 2 and 3, adding 12 gates, and supporting growth to 72 million passengers annually, aiming for consistent, innovative, and efficient infrastructure delivery.

DP World to expand operations as Yennora DC upgrade begins

Construction has commenced on Stockland’s 40,000 m² Yennora Distribution Centre upgrade in Western Sydney, replacing a 1970s warehouse. DP World will expand into the new Building 2, integrating rail and logistics operations. Texco is the builder, targeting completion in late 2026, supporting modern freight, warehousing, and long-term industrial estate redevelopment.

QLD

$662 million Centurion Mine expansion declared coordinated project

The $662 million Centurion Mine North expansion in Queensland will involve extensive construction to extend mining operations northward, supporting longwall production, infrastructure for coal and gas extraction, and associated facilities. The project is expected to create 525 construction and operational jobs, fast-track approvals, and enhance mining, power, and gas infrastructure in the region.

Harmony advances $2.3 billion Queensland copper project

Harmony Gold Mining has approved the $2.3–$2.6 billion Eva Copper project in northwest Queensland, targeting 65,000 t/year of copper concentrate initially. The 15-year mine will process 18 million tonnes of ore annually. Construction is expected to take 30 months, with first production scheduled for H2 2028, demonstrating strong capital efficiency.

Queensland reveals new Bli Bli bridge plan for future traffic demand

The Queensland Government has proposed a new Bli Bli Bridge on Maroochydore Noosa Road with two lanes, road shoulders, and active transport paths, expandable to four lanes. The existing bridge remains operational. Community feedback will guide design, supporting traffic, safety, and connectivity for pedestrians, cyclists, and motorists.

SA

South Australia project gains grid connection deal, in key step to ending yer-long wind investment drought

Tilt Renewables’ Palmer Wind Project in South Australia has cleared a major construction milestone by securing an Offer to Connect from ElectraNet, enabling grid-ready development. The 288 MW project, with 40 turbines, is advancing toward a final investment decision, supported by federal underwriting, an AGL off-take, and a $2.25 billion refinancing to back construction.

TAS

Hydro Tasmania launches renewable energy offtake tender

Hydro Tasmania has launched a renewable energy offtake tender to support construction of new wind and solar projects delivering up to 1,500 GWh annually. The initiative enables developers to secure financing and build infrastructure over the next five to six years, integrating with hydro assets to meet Tasmania’s rising energy demand from 2030.

VIC

Metro Tunnel Ready To Serve Victorians | Premier

Melbourne’s Metro Tunnel Project nears completion, with five new stations offering 27 retail spaces, including cafes, restaurants, and convenience stores. Retail fit-outs are mostly leased, opening progressively next year. A new entrance at State Library Station is now open. The tunnel doubles Melbourne’s underground rail, easing congestion and improving travel.

State seeks fresh feedback on five renewable energy zones, puts one on the back-burner

Victoria is consulting on five draft onshore renewable energy zones (REZs)—Western, Central Highlands, Gippsland, North West, and South West—and one offshore-focused Gippsland Shoreline REZ. Feedback is open until February 2026. The Central North REZ is postponed. The plan supports Victoria’s 65% renewable target by 2030 and 95% by 2035 while ensuring community benefits.

WA

Massive wind, solar and battery hybrid project to power huge mine in heart of W.A. goldfields

Northern Star Resources’ Kalgoorlie Regional Renewable Energy Project will involve constructing 32 wind turbines, a 110 MW solar array, and a 140 MW/300 MWh battery system to supply 70% of its gold mining operations’ electricity. The build will strengthen the local grid, reduce reliance on thermal generation, and support large-scale mine electrification.

🧰 Construction Au Other

SEEK Employment Report - October | SEEK

Construction-focused job ads in Australia rose 1.0% m/m in October and 7.9% y/y, reflecting steady demand despite overall declines in job ads nationally (-0.4%). Growth was concentrated in Queensland, South Australia, and Western Australia, highlighting continued workforce needs for trades, site roles, and infrastructure projects in these states.

White Paper: Designing for the Long Game: How Envision Embeds O&M Success into Infrastructure

The Envision framework integrates operations and maintenance (O&M) planning early in infrastructure design, guiding teams on collaboration, efficiency, emissions, resilience, and integration. By embedding lifecycle-focused strategies, projects reduce costs, minimize environmental impact, and enhance long-term performance, ensuring infrastructure delivers enduring value and reliability to communities over decades.

🚀 Innovation, Digital & Futuristic Technology

Could AI and 3D printing replace tradies in the future?

3D-printed homes, built rapidly by software-driven teams rather than tradies, could help address Australia’s housing shortage. Designer Jamie Durie showcased a Sydney home reaching lock-up in under two weeks using recycled concrete. With an 85,000–87,000 tradie shortfall, automation in construction may be essential to meet the demand for 1.2 million homes.

Concrete mixes pave way to award

The Warringah Freeway Upgrade in Sydney won the Arvo Tinni Award for urban pavement design. CPB Contractors developed 16 new pavement profiles and diverse concrete mixes, including high-early-strength and steel fibre, to rehabilitate 1960s MRCP sections. Construction maintained traffic for 250,000 daily vehicles, showcasing innovative brownfield concrete work.

Revolutionising data-driven decision-making with AI

Lupa Technology is transforming construction contract management using AI, enabling faster drafting, review, and administration of complex FIDIC contracts. By centralising project data, automating reporting, and providing validation tools, AI enhances decision-making, reduces risks, and creates new roles focused on data management, improving efficiency across infrastructure projects.

Buildroid AI Launches in the U.S., Bringing Its Simulation-First Robotics Platform to Construction Sites Nationwide

Buildroid AI launches in the U.S., bringing its simulation-first robotics platform to construction sites. Using NVIDIA Omniverse digital twins and BIM data, the hardware-agnostic system coordinates multiple robots for full-trade workflows. Early pilots show efficiency gains, with commercial deployments in 2026 targeting blockwork and partition-wall installation nationwide.

🌏 Around the World

AWS to build 1.3 gigawatts of government-grade supercomputing power for Uncle Sam

Amazon Web Services on Monday announced a plan to build 1.3 gigawatts of compute capacity in new datacenters dedicated to serving the US government, at a cost of up to $50 billion.

Carbon capture and green materials firm goes under

Carbon8, a University of Greenwich spin-out, developed Accelerated Carbonation Technology to convert CO₂ into carbon-negative aggregates for construction. Despite innovation and its modular CO₂ntainer system, funding shortfalls led to administration in April 2025, closure of Medway and Wraxhalls sites, and redundancy of 11 staff, with IP now available for acquisition.

📖 Miscellaneous

Minecraft innovation honour for Launceston council

The City of Launceston Council won the LGAT 2025 Award for Excellence in Innovation for using Minecraft to engage the community. By importing LiDAR scans into the game, students explored Launceston’s topography and parks, contributing ideas on planning and open spaces. Over 800 students participated during National Science Week.

Completion of Demonstration Project for Green Hydrogen Production, Transportation, and Utilization in Australia and Indonesia

Marubeni completed a green hydrogen demonstration project in South Australia, producing low-cost hydrogen from surplus renewable energy, storing it in metal hydride tanks, and transporting it to Indonesia for industrial fuel cell use. The project proved supply chain feasibility, enabled co-firing trials in Australia, and supports decarbonization and grid balancing.

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