29/10/25

October 29, 2025

THE MORNING PAPER FOR CONSTRUCTION PROFESSIONALS AND TRADIES

✒ Headlines & Industry

Shadow Industrial Relations Minister Tim Wilson says the Albanese government let the  CFMEU “off the leash”. The Albanese government has been accused of failing to clean up the CFMEU after new accusations emerged about the scandal-plagued union.

Technology group Wärtsilä said the company will deliver the largest DC-coupled hybrid battery energy storage system (BESS) in the National Electricity Market (NEM) in Australia, reflecting a growing trend toward hybridization of storage assets with co-located renewable generation.

New buildings in Australia's largest city will be required to be fully electrified following a successful council motion outlawing the installation of gas appliances. The new planning controls were given final endorsement by the City of Sydney Council yesterday. The council had restricted indoor gas appliances, like stoves and heaters, in new homes earlier this year.

Global constructor FCC and Australian rail specialist Martinus have announced the formation of the AlignWide Alliance – a dedicated partnership designed to deliver complex brownfield rail programs safely, reliably and with minimal disruption, while shaping the next generation of integrated rail infrastructure across Australia.

The sector is urgently rolling out new capital projects to meet increasing demand for renewable energy. Digitising these projects from day one sets them up for long-term success. 

🏗️ Projects

NSW

Following on from the recent releases of the Central Coast Regional Plan 2041 and the Gosford Urban Design Framework, the NSW government has said that it will progress plans to increase the housing density in the suburbs of Gosford and West Gosford, which together form the city centre of the NSW coastal region. The state estimates this will enable the construction of 1900 new homes.

New South Wales is building 100 new preschools, starting with Cartwright Public School, aiming to double numbers by 2027 at US$504m. Schools will serve 9,000 children, split between metro and regional areas. Investments include kitchens, toilets, outdoor spaces, Aboriginal-led early learning, and upgrades to non-government preschools.

NT

The Department of Logistics and Infrastructure is planning safety and drainage upgrades at the Maningrida barge landing, a key supply hub for 2,500 residents and 30 homelands. Fyfe Engineering’s design proposes improved stormwater drainage, resurfacing, and new safety signage. Community feedback on the preliminary design is open until 21 November 2025.

QLD

A development application has been lodged for a 37-storey residential tower, located at 37–41 Peel Street, South Brisbane. Designed by Koichi Takada Architects, the proposal includes 290 apartments above a six-level podium and basement for car parking.

Aria Property Group revises its Mooloolaba hotel plan, adding two floors and 50 rooms to the previously approved 159-room scheme. The 16-storey resort will include 201 rooms, 46 apartments, and retail facilities. Aria plans to fund Stage 3 of the Mooloolaba Foreshore Revitalisation to ensure public parkland is completed before hotel opening.

SA

The first stage of South Australia’s Accommodation Diversity Code Amendment has been adopted, streamlining approvals for apartment-style, communal and aged care housing. Aged care is now recognised as essential infrastructure. Additional code amendments, including for Seaton and Sellicks Beach, aim to boost housing supply, supported by faster, more agile planning systems.

TAS

New designs for the $130 million Tasman Bridge Upgrade have been released, improving safety for walkers and cyclists. Upgrades include higher barriers, wider pathways, new handrails, and better connections. Developed through consultation and technical assessment, the works mark a major milestone ahead of construction starting on Hobart’s eastern shore in coming weeks.

VIC

Jacinta Allan says reforms would see housing permit-approval times slashed and generate more than $900m in construction activity each year. The Victorian government has announced the biggest overhaul of the state’s planning laws in a decade, in a bid to slash approval times to just 10 days for stand-alone homes while limiting rights of appeal to neighbours only.

WA

Worley has been appointed by Rio Tinto to provide EPCM services for the Brockman Syncline 1 iron ore project in the Pilbara. The project will process up to 34 Mtpa, with first ore expected in 2027.

🚀 Innovation, Digital & Futuristic Technology

Arena has funded another automated solar installation tech that promises to slash the time it takes to install the foundations of a large-scale solar farm by 20 per cent.

Australian utilities are leveraging digital water solutions to improve efficiency, reliability, and sustainability. Initiatives include smart metering, behavioural studies, industrial reuse, and advanced desalination technologies. Projects from WA to Victoria are reducing leaks, optimising supply, and integrating data-driven insights, positioning the sector for smarter, more resilient water management in a changing climate.

WA’s METRONET Thornlie-Cockburn Link has installed 5,000 precast panels using purpose-built rotators, pioneered by the NEWest Alliance (CPB Contractors, DT Infrastructure, PTA). The innovation reduced crane use, manual handling risks, and costs, improving safety and productivity along seven kilometres of rail, marking Perth’s first east-west suburban rail connection.

🌱 Sustainability ​& Environment

As the Green Building Forum continues in Sydney, focus is turning to refrigerant management. Next week, GBCA and AIRAH will release Freeze Frame: Refrigerants as Long-Term Building Infrastructure, highlighting that 62 million Australian devices hold 100 MtCO₂e potential emissions. The paper urges industry to plan for low-GWP refrigerant transitions in future-ready buildings.

The National Road Transport Association (NatRoad) has welcomed the release of the inaugural International Road Transport Union (IRU) Green Compact Survey Report 2025.  The peak body says the IRU report, which includes data and insights provided from around the world, can help guide the policy direction of a cost-effective and equitable transition to decarbonisation in the sector.

🌏 Around the World

Two workers died on October 24 when a crane collapsed from a barge at a former marine terminal on the Mystic River in Everett, Massachusetts. They were union members. Emergency crews responded, and investigations are ongoing by local police, state police, OSHA, and the Coast Guard. The site was part of a redevelopment project.

Three workers died on April 29 at Bechtel’s Port Arthur LNG terminal in Texas when a climbing formwork platform failed. Bechtel identified seven contributing factors: improperly secured bracket, unanchored fall-arrest equipment, inadequate training, absence of experienced crew, mentoring noncompliance, night working risks, and inconsistent safety culture.

📖 Miscellaneous

This is an enormously consequential week in Canberra for one reason: environmental protection law reforms , without which Australia will remain in first gear for decades to come. It’s putting a spotlight on just how far we risk falling behind peers on critical national infrastructure.

Google has announced a nuclear facility shuttered in 2020 will return to service in 2029 to help power its "growing cloud and AI infrastructure in Iowa", a year after Microsoft signed on to reopen Three Mile Island.

JCB marks its 80th anniversary, celebrating its origins in a Staffordshire garage and growth into a global construction equipment leader with 22 plants and 19,000 employees. Highlights included a heritage plaque, a cavalcade of iconic machines, and recognition of the JCB Academy, which has educated over 3,500 students into careers and further study.

👷‍♀️ Tradies and Resource

Dr Gretchen Gagel highlights three keys to high-performing teams: hiring for culture fit before skills, establishing team norms through social contracts, and building agility to manage change. She emphasises aligning values, defining acceptable behaviours, and exercising “change muscles” to foster resilient, adaptable teams in a rapidly evolving construction industry.

As many as one in eight electrical apprentices have been subject to an electric shock at work, a new survey has found.

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Alex

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