News

  • collapses

    NEWS

    SDAU extension welcomed by WA property industry

    The Government of Western Australia has announced the State Development Assessment Unit (SDAU) will be reopened to December 2023. The SDAU is a rigorous process that provides opportunity for public comment ... more

  • Project to focus on retention of women in construction industry

    NEWS

    Survey shows extent of gender-based adversity in construction sector

    The results are in on the inaugural National Association of Women in Construction ‘State of the Industry’ survey, and among the findings, a massive 75 per cent of respondents say they have experienced gende... more

  • NEWS

    Australian cities out-of-step on walkability, according to transport study

    Australian cities may be less likely to promote healthy and sustainable lifestyles than some lower-income global counterparts, a global study has found. Led by RMIT University, The Lancet Global Health study... more

  • Universal

    NEWS

    Driving sustainability through green construction

    The construction industry is one of the largest contributors of solid waste in Australia. Australia’s construction sector generates 30 to 50 million tonnes of carbon emissions every year, mostly from elect... more

  • SDAU extension welcomed by WA property industry
    20 May, 2022
  • Survey shows extent of gender-based adversity in construction sector
    20 May, 2022
  • Australian cities out-of-step on walkability, according to transport study
    20 May, 2022
  • Driving sustainability through green construction
    19 May, 2022

Land sales hampered by skills and materials shortages, according to UDIA WA

Land sales have dipped by 22 per cent in the March 2022 quarter according to the latest figures from the Urban Development Institute of Australia (UDIA WA). 1,880 new land sales were recorded in the March 2022 quarter. While this figure is down compared to the increased activity prompted by the State and Federal government building stimulus over the last two years, activity remains elevated compared with pre stimulus conditions and still nine per cent up on the five-year average sales volume. UDIA WA chief executive officer Tanya Steinbeck said the number of sales this quarter remained higher than t... more
Engineers Australia

Engineers Australia introduces Construction Engineering Area of Practice

Engineers Australia has introduced a new Construction Engineering Area of Practice (AoP) which will help maintain a high-quality construction engineering skills pipeline needed to meet the demands of the nation’s construction sector. The Australian Constructors Association (ACA) has been leading the charge for an AoP, working closely with Engineers Australia since 2020. It is this collaborative effort over the past two years that sets the Construction Engineering AoP apart from others says Engineers Australia’s Chief Engineer Jane MacMaster FIEAust CPEng. “[This AoP] has brought together a lot of har... more
Murdoch

World first robotics technology to power timber construction

Robotic technology has been trialled on a Western Australian construction site in a world-first project at Murdoch University, in conjunction with major partners Aurecon and the University of Technology Sydney (UTS). The robots have been uniquely designed by UTS researchers to deliver cumbersome screw fixings. This task can cause fatigue and injury in workers given the repetitive and labour-intensive nature of this work, especially on mass engineered timber (MET) construction projects. The catalyst for the trial is the construction of Building 360 at Murdoch’s South Street campus – a technology-rich, M... more
construction

Underground masterpiece takes out Australia’s top construction award

The Sydney Metro City & Southwest Tunnel and Station Excavation (TSE) Works by John Holland, CPB Contractors and Ghella Joint Venture has been announced winner of the 2022 Australian Construction Achievement Award (ACAA) at a major industry event in Sydney overnight. The project was delivered in the heart of the busy Sydney CBD and included a whopping 15.5-kilometre twin rail tunnel, dive structures and six complex underground stations between Chatswood and Sydenham, including the first rail tunnels under Sydney Harbour. The project, which achieved the highest ever ISC Infrastructure Sustainability rat... more
National Prize

National prize winners demonstrate design beauty and sustainability

The Australian Institute of Architects has annlounced the 2022 National Prize winners, recognising design excellence and leadership. Melbourne-based architect Sean Godsell was awarded the highest honour for architecture, the Gold Medal. Noted as a “master craftsman” and internationally recognised design thought leader, Mr Godsell’s lifetime of work was lauded as revealing “an extraordinary commitment to excellence in design, detail and resolution”. “To achieve all of this in his practice timeframe is an extraordinary achievement that should be recognised, lauded and celebrated,” the jury cita... more
collapses

High profile construction collapses threaten surge in insolvencies 

The Cracks in the Foundation whitepaper by CreditorWatch has found the construction industry’s key credit metrics, such as late payment times and insolvencies, are set to worsen over the next 12 months as the impact of high-profile company collapses leaves a lasting impression. This year has already seen the demise of several companies, starting with the voluntary administration of Probuild, one of Australia’s largest builders with a national pipeline of $5 billion, quickly followed by ABD Group, Privium Home, Condev and most recently Next Construction. These failures were caused by an unfortunate stor... more
green energy

Green energy stimulates Australian regional property markets

As Australia heads towards net zero emissions by 2050 the push towards green energy has advanced many green energy projects across the country. Regional Australia has already benefited from this increased demand resulting in strong gains in employment, population growth, and in turn residential rents and prices have seen upward momentum. For commercial markets this sentiment is echoed, with a growing need for a mix of assets in regions which historically have little supply. An increased workforce grows vibrancy in communities around retail and community assets, growing businesses have taken up much commer... more