22/01/2026

January 22, 2026

The Daily Dirt Aus

By G’day Construction………….…… 

THE MORNING PAPER FOR CONSTRUCTION PROFESSIONALS AND TRADIES

âś’ Headlines & Industry

Australian home building approvals and commencements are rising, with nearly 49,000 dwellings started in September 2025. However, completions lag behind targets, leaving a growing shortfall under the National Housing Accord. Industry groups warn delivery speed, especially apartments, must lift sharply in 2026.

Australia’s solar and wind now supply 99% of new generation and 40% of grid power, but net-zero goals need six times more capacity. Expanding transmission—HVAC for shorter distances, HVDC for long-range northern renewables—is critical. Prioritising corridors avoids forests, reduces costs, and connects resources to population centres. Community buy-in, storage integration, and strategic planning are essential to unlock renewable potential and lower electricity prices.

🏗️ Projects

NSW

ACCIONA and SMEC, via the Malabar System Alliance, will deliver Sydney Water’s 10-year Malabar Wastewater Renewal Program. Upgrading WRRFs at Liverpool and Glenfield and new pipelines, the project boosts capacity, resilience and sustainability, delivering up to 60% energy efficiency improvements by 2029.

The Minns Government has launched a $1 billion Pre-sale Finance Guarantee to fast-track housing construction, starting with Rozelle Village. The scheme underwrites apartment pre-sales so developers can secure finance sooner, unlocking over 225 new homes initially and supporting hundreds more projects across NSW.

A $95 million proposal for 82 apartments across three six-storey buildings in Mona Vale is on exhibition. Enabled by NSW low and mid-rise reforms, the development tests increased density in an environmentally constrained area, balancing housing uplift with flooding, biodiversity, traffic and neighbourhood character considerations.

Hydecorp proposes a $148.6m, nine-storey, 259-apartment development in Roseville, NSW, including 48 affordable units. The project, near Roseville Station, involves basement parking, communal facilities, and heritage-sensitive design. Public exhibition and agency review are underway, addressing concerns on bulk, tree loss, infrastructure, and local amenity under TOD and NSW housing policies.

SA

South Australia’s Green Gold Energy received approval to connect its 108 MW Morgan Solar Farm and 440 MWh battery system to the grid. The $185 million project will generate ~260 GWh annually, powering around 50,950 homes, support grazing on-site, aid the state’s clean energy transition, and enhance grid reliability.

VIC

Works have begun on replacing the 1947 Rainbow Creek timber bridge in Gippsland with a new reinforced concrete structure. Funded jointly by the Albanese and Allan governments, the $11.25 million project will improve safety, reduce maintenance, and support more than 3,000 daily vehicle movements, with completion expected in late 2026.

Construction will begin in 2026 on the Henderson Road and Ferntree Gully Road intersection upgrade in Knoxfield, with Fulton Hogan delivering the project for the Allan Government. The works will add turning lanes, ease congestion and improve safety for 40,000 vehicles daily, building on nearby road upgrades.

WA

Perth Film Studios in Western Australia has been completed, marking a $300 million investment to boost the state’s screen industry. The world-class facility includes four sound stages, workshops, offices, and the southern hemisphere’s largest backlot. It aims to create jobs, attract productions, and support WA’s economic diversification and cultural projects.

The Western Australian Government has awarded a major contract to the Worley Arcadis JV for technical advisory services on the Westport container port in Kwinana. The work will guide design, approvals, and cost planning, de-risking delivery of the new port critical to WA’s trade growth and long-term economy.

Engineering company Wood has secured a two-year, $65 million contract extension with Woodside to provide EPCM services across North West Shelf offshore assets in Western Australia. The work includes brownfield modifications to enhance production, reliability, and longevity at facilities such as North Rankin, Goodwyn A, and the Okha FPSO.

🧰 Construction Au Other

Safe Work Australia is seeking industry feedback on improving safety for earthmoving machinery used to lift loads. The discussion paper explores risks from using machines like excavators for lifting, proposes guidance or a new high risk work licence, and invites stakeholders to comment by 2 March 2026.

High Wycombe-based robotics producer FBR has inked a conditional purchase order for its Mantis automated welding robot with a Louisiana machinery dealership.

🚀 Innovation, Digital & Futuristic Technology

Blacktown City Council has launched DAISY, an AI-powered digital assistant to help residents navigate planning rules and prepare development applications. The tool provides 24/7 guidance on requirements, documentation, and submission checks, aiming to improve application quality, reduce delays, and make the planning process clearer and more accessible.

Procore, a leading cloud-based construction management platform, said Jan. 20 it has acquired Datagrid to enhance its artificial intelligence strategy and deliver data connectivity for customers.

Trimble’s survey of 1,800 construction professionals highlights technology and talent as top priorities for 2026. Contractors in concrete-intensive projects are focusing on workforce development, AI, and digital tools to boost productivity amid labour shortages. Interoperability, precision technologies, and training are key to maximizing efficiency, quality, and competitiveness on Canadian jobsites.

XBuild, an AI estimating platform built for construction contractors, has raised $19 million in a Series A round led by N47, with participation from Rackhouse Ventures and Andreessen Horowitz. The company said it will use the new capital to expand beyond roofing into additional construction estimating categories, including concrete, landscaping, painting, windows and doors, glass and glazing, insulation, HVAC, and plumbing.

🌱 Sustainability ​& Environment

Griffith University is leading a $924k, three-year project to study nutrient pollution in Australian rivers. Focusing on the Logan River (Queensland) and Hawkesbury-Nepean (NSW), the research will examine rivers’ capacity to process runoff, supporting restoration, nutrient trading, and improved waterway management under growing environmental pressures.

Operando 5D imaging uncovers carbonation-driven processes in cement paste, paving the way for stronger, sustainable concrete through enhanced CO2 absorption.

🌏 Around the World

New Zealand’s Fletcher Building will sell its construction division to VINCI Construction for NZ$315.6 million, potentially rising to NZ$334.1 million. The sale, including Higgins, Brian Perry Civil, and Major Projects, shifts Fletcher’s focus to building materials, simplifies its portfolio, reduces debt, and transfers 2,300 employees to VINCI by year-end.

Australia’s CraneSafe program will be adopted in the US through a partnership between CICA and NCCCO. The Green Sticker by CraneSafe system will standardise periodic crane inspections nationwide, improving safety, accountability, and consistency based on Australia’s 20-year crane inspection model.

Construction has begun on Zaha Hadid Architects’ Bishoftu International Airport in Ethiopia, set to become Africa’s largest airport. Serving Ethiopian Airlines, the airport will handle up to 110 million passengers, feature four runways, airside hotel, and mixed-use Airport City, and use sustainable materials and energy. Completion of phase one is targeted for 2030.

Moody’s projects $3 trillion in global data center investment by 2031, driven by hyperscalers and rising demand. Costlier builds, power constraints, and skilled labor shortages may delay completion, but evolving financing and tenant risk-sharing accelerate projects. Larger hyperscale facilities will expand capacity, keeping demand strong despite higher construction costs.

đź“– Miscellaneous

Mark Beeson reviews Dan Wang’s Breakneck, arguing China’s engineer-led system rapidly delivers infrastructure and growth, while the US lawyer-driven model slows progress. China’s build-first approach fuels innovation and legitimacy but risks social harm, technocratic overreach and weaker individual rights compared with liberal democracies.

👷‍♀️ Tradies and Resource

Australia’s first timber union is moving toward independence, with the Federal Court set to consider registering the TFTU on 24 February 2026 after more than 90% of CFMEU Manufacturing Division members voted to formally split, backing a new union focused on timber, furnishing and regional jobs.

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