- G'day Construction Newsletter
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- 15/04/2026
15/04/2026
The Daily Dirt Aus
By G’day Construction………….……
THE MORNING PAPER FOR CONSTRUCTION PROFESSIONALS AND TRADIES
🚨 Safety Updates
WorkSafe is issuing a reminder to employers and self-employed persons about the risk of working near overhead powerlines and the importance of identifying hazards and implementing appropriate risk controls.
✒ Headlines & Industry
The Jacinta Allan government faces backlash for withholding 950 pages on alleged CFMEU corruption tied to Big Build projects. Critics claim “contempt for Victorians,” with the scandal reportedly costing taxpayers up to $15 billion and raising transparency concerns.
Tradies urge Anthony Albanese’s government to scrap fuel excise as soaring diesel prices and energy costs push over 15,000 businesses into insolvency. Small operators warn rising expenses are crushing margins, driving job losses, and worsening Australia’s cost-of-living crisis across construction and transport sectors.
🏗️ Projects
NSW
London-based Níall McLaughlin’s studio has unveiled designs for Sydney’s new Catholic cathedral precinct in Waitara, the first of its kind in over a century. The 7.7-hectare development will combine a cathedral, housing, education, and community facilities, with timber and sandstone forms inspired by the Hawkesbury River landscape.
Work will begin later this month on a $5 million upgrade to the Kidman Way at Willbriggie bend in NSW, realigning and widening the road to improve safety for around 2,000 daily vehicles, including heavy freight traffic. The project aims to reduce crash risks and enhance efficiency along this key regional transport route.
Hurstville’s Horizon development by Masscon is advancing as a 19-storey mixed-use project combining 179 apartments above retail, including a Woolworths supermarket. Located near major transport links, the ICIRT-rated build reflects growing demand for high-density living, with construction progressing toward completion in late 2026.
VIC
A $160 million Bendigo water upgrade will modernise Coliban Water’s ageing rural network in Victoria, replacing 1870s open channels that currently lose up to 79% of supply. Delivered with Australian Government funding, the project improves efficiency, reduces leakage, boosts reliability for agriculture, and supports Murray–Darling Basin environmental and cultural water outcomes.
WA
Hancock Iron Ore and Vocus are delivering a 2000km Horizon fibre network across the Pilbara, enabling high-speed connectivity for FIFO workers. The project boosts wellbeing, supports AI-driven mining, and enhances productivity, marking a shift toward digitally enabled, connected, and more competitive remote operations.
Monadelphous has secured $145 million in new contracts and extensions across Australia and PNG, including work with Rio Tinto and BHP. Projects span ventilation systems, maintenance services, and plant construction, reinforcing its strong pipeline in the resources and infrastructure sectors.
The Statutory Planning Committee has greenlit Cedar Woods' latest project in Subiaco, set to add 236 apartments to its Incontro development.
🧰 Construction Au Other
Australia’s construction industry is calling for “once-in-a-generation” reform of the National Construction Code as rising fuel, petrochemical, and compliance costs push up building prices and insolvencies. Industry bodies say streamlining regulation could reduce red tape and help address Australia’s housing crisis amid ongoing global supply chain and energy shocks.
A former ABCC commissioner told a Queensland inquiry that the CFMEU breached industrial laws at least 25 times over 14 years, resulting in millions in fines. He argued stronger enforcement, a formal code of conduct, and stricter site rules are needed to improve productivity and reduce disruptions in the construction industry.
RSK Group has appointed Steve Abbott as divisional director for the Asia Pacific region, overseeing a business that generates over $400 million in revenue. The move supports RSK’s expansion strategy across APAC and MEA, strengthening its acquisition-led growth plan toward a £5 billion global revenue target by 2030.
🚀 Innovation, Digital & Futuristic Technology
Haskoning has acquired the ViviMag patent from Kemira, advancing a water technology that recovers phosphorus from sewage sludge using magnetic separation. The innovation supports circular economy goals by enabling resource reuse, reducing pollution, and creating potential new revenue streams for wastewater utilities across Europe.
Nemetschek Group has agreed to acquire U.S. heavy civil software firm HCSS to strengthen its infrastructure and construction technology portfolio. The deal expands its North American presence and supports growth in large-scale infrastructure markets driven by urbanisation, energy transition, and government investment in digital construction tools.
Bosch Rexroth and Kawasaki Heavy Industries have launched a partnership to develop hydrogen fuel cell powertrains for off-highway machinery such as excavators and loaders. The project aims to replace diesel systems with zero-emission hydrogen drives, improving torque performance while reducing construction, mining, and agricultural emissions.
🌱 Sustainability & Environment
Volvo Construction Equipment has begun serial production of its A30 and A40 electric articulated haulers, marking a global first for machines of this size. With up to 39-tonne payloads, they signal growing demand for zero-emission heavy equipment, offering reduced emissions and competitive operating costs in mining and quarrying sectors.
Graphene nanoplatelets significantly improve concrete strength, durability, and permeability by refining microstructure and reducing cracking. Studies show up to 47 MPa compressive strength and major durability gains, supporting longer-lasting, more sustainable construction materials with reduced maintenance, lower environmental impact, and improved performance in harsh conditions.
A world-first off-grid project is integrating solar and wind generation with 5 GWh of battery storage to deliver large-scale renewable power independence. The system aims to provide reliable, zero-emission energy without grid reliance, demonstrating how combined renewables and storage can support remote infrastructure, industrial operations, and future clean energy systems.
A major social housing MMC project in Cairns has exposed serious failures in Australia’s circular construction ambitions, with around 120 modular units reportedly sent to landfill after water damage, defects, and poor protection during assembly. The case highlights procurement flaws, rising costs, and ongoing challenges undermining confidence in modern methods of construction.
👷♀️ Tradies and Resource
Australian infrastructure consultancy MBB Group has appointed former AECOM exec Mike Gillen as its new regional leader for Queensland, continuing the firm’s recent string of headline recruits. Based out of Brisbane, Gillen joins the MBB Group after spending more than a decade and a half at AECOM, latterly as its industry director for cities.
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Alex
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