What's News

Report card slams ‘short-term’ focus of Vic infrastructure
3 March 2010
Engineers Australia 2010 Victorian Infrastructure Report Card reviewed infrastructure categories across energy, telecommunications, transport and water, showed progress in some areas over the past 5 years, but general concern overall.Recommendations of the report card include an increase in the quantum of funding, addressing population growth and climate change, partnering with the private sector and the allocation of risk within such partnerships. More...

Infrastructure investment drives Victoria’s growth
3 March 2010
Victoria’s economy has again defied the ongoing impact of the Global Financial Crisis with State Final Demand growing by 4%over 2009 according to a report from the Australian Bureau of Statistics today.   More...

$12.6m for rural roads a boost for farmers, processors
3 March 2010
A $12.6 million Victorian Government package will boost road links between local farms and markets, the Premier John Brumby announced today. The funding, part of the Government’s successful Local Roads to Market Program, will go toward 54infrastructure projects worth more than $26 million in 32 regional and rural councils. More...

Innovative coal research to share more than $700,000
3 March 2010
Innovative research projects aimed at developing new technologies to cut greenhouse emissions from brown coal and find new ways to use the resource will share in more than$700,000 from the Victorian Government.   More...

Victorian roads get smarter with new network plans
25 February 2010
New world-leading transport management guidelines will reduce congestion and prioritise public transports routes, bringing the best out of Melbourne’s existing road infrastructure, Roads and Ports Minister Tim Pallas announced today. Mr Pallas said the Australian-first Smart Roads operating plans would improve the efficiency of metropolitan road network for all transport modes. More...

Victorian construction activity up 12.5%
24 February 2010
Construction work underway in Victoria has grown 3 times as fast as the national average - rising by 12.5 % compared to 3.9% in Australia - according to the latest construction work figures released by the Australian Bureau of Statistics today.   More...

New South Wales

NSW fails to secure funding for infrastructure
3 March 2010
The Keneally Government has again botched the state’s infrastructure submission for federal funding, wrongly assuming it needs to “wait for an invitation” before it seeks financial backing for any major projects. More...

Minister acts to resolve growth centre precinct delay
1 March 2010
Substantial progress has been made towards finalising the rezoning of 2 precincts in Sydney’s North West Growth Centre with the most pressing issue being the level of section 94 contributions,the levy developers must pay to councils to fund delivery of new local infrastructure such as drainage works, parks, local roads,community centres and public libraries. More...

NSW architect suspended for “forging” development consent
22 February 2010
A practitioner at a NSW firm has been suspended from practice for professional misconduct. Phillippe Goriaux, a director at Newcastle-based In site Architecture & Design, was charged with forging a development consent and “improperly” recovering fees from clients. More...

Companies demand compo for dumped metro
22 February 2010
The Australian Industry Group (Ai Group) has urged the state government, which confirmed on Sunday the metro would not go ahead, to publicly commit to complete compensation, and for companies which lost millions tendering for the NSW government’s now scrapped CBD Metro project to be reimbursed in full. More...

Metro reimbursement should be 100% of costs incurred says Ai Group
23 February 2010
The Australian Industry (Ai) Group believes that the NSW Government should make a public commitment that the short-listed consortia for the Sydney Metro will be fully compensated with 100% of the costs they have incurred. The State Government had made a commitment to proceed with the project and the risk ofa client not proceeding with a project once it is in the market is nota risk that companies could or should have to price into a contract proposal. More...

$9.3 million infrastructure boost for Port Macquarie
19 February 2010
Minister for Planning, Tony Kelly, has today inspected one of 2 sites earmarked for infrastructure projects supporting urban development in Port Macquarie. Applications were evaluated by an independent assessment panel and had to meet a set of strict criteria, including the project facilitating development of new housing and employment, and the council can complete the project within 18 months. More...

New framework for building certification in NSW
1 March 2010
The NSW Government is expanding the State’s system of accreditation for building certifiers to include council building certifiers and are the first step towards one system of accreditation for all building certifiers the, Minister Assisting on Planning Barbara Perry has announced. More...

Officials gagged over mine fears
1 March 2010
Critical infrastructure supplying Sydney’s drinking water is likely to be damaged by vast new coalmines planned for the city’s south-western outskirts, government agencies have told the Planning Assessment Commission.   More...

Queensland

Aquila’s Eagle Downs infrastructure deadline lapses
1 March 2010
Aquila Resources said its infrastructure deal for the Eagle Downs coking coal project joint venture with Vale has lapsed, and that it would pursue its rights in respect of the default notice it served toVale last week.   More...

Citigold teams up with China’s Jinqu to develop Queensland mine
4 March 2010
Australian gold-miner Citigold has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with China’s Henan Jinqu Gold (Jinqu) to jointly develop a 200,000oz/y gold mine in Queensland. City includes the Sunburst, Brilliant and Day Dawn reefs, which the JV company would develop together as one “supermine”, Citigold said in a statement. More...

Queensland councils granted power to slash building costs
22 February 2010
There are councils that still want both a planning approval and separate building approval for duplexes in residential areas in all cases and the government proposes to amend the regulations by the end of March to allow councils to decide on opting into the simplified approval process only for duplexes, bypassing a resolution in open council. More...

Planning for the future - builder appointed for Pacific Motorway widening
4 March 2010
Federal Infrastructure and Transport Minister Anthony Albanese and Queensland Main Roads Minister Craig Wallace announced the selection of Fulton Hogan Pty Ltd, for the $158 million project that will widen the Pacific Motorway (M1) from 4 to 6 lanes between Nerang and Worongary.  More...

Other

ACT tender process ‘a shambles’: CFMEU
4 March 2010
The construction union has told an ACT Legislative Assembly committee that many subcontractors working on Government building sites have awful safety standards. The CFMEU says the ACT Government’s tender process is a shambles because it keeps employing building companies which ignore safety regulations, underpay their workers or collapse owing money to them. More...

Publications/Conferences

Discussion paper: Taskforce to consult resources industry
The National Resources Sector Employment Taskforce today released a public discussion paper titled Resourcing the Future which will assist in generating discussion about ways to address the workforce needs of major resources projects in Australia over the next 5 years and beyond. Submissions should be lodged by close of business 9 April 2010 by email to This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it . For more information download a copy of Resourcing the Future.

QLD: Comment invited on proposed Hancock rail corridor
Landowners and residents who would be directly affected by Hancock Coal Pty Ltd’s proposed rail corridor, have been invited to have their say. The public consultation submissions from interested parties will be taken until 5pm on Monday 22 March,2010. More...

National Insulation Safety Inspection Hotline
22 February 2010
The new hotline 131792 is now available for householders concerned about insulation installed under the discontinued Home Insulation Program. The hotline supports the safety and inspection program announced on 22 February for a targeted, risk-based audit and inspection of 15% of homes with non-foil insulation, and the existing electrical safety inspection program for all homes with foil insulation installed under the program. More...

QLD: New era for sustainable energy units begins
1 March 2010
All new units and those undergoing major renovations will be required to achieve a minimum 5 stars (out of 10) energy equivalence rating from March to lift environmental standards for all new homes, offices and government buildings in Queensland. The new measure applies to the building shell, roofs, walls,windows and floors. More...

QLD: Building newsflash: Registration and licensing requirements involving fire safety23 February 2010Building building certifiers and other building practitioners are advised about the requirements for registration and licensing when formulating or providing alternative solutions relating to fire safety in buildings under the Building Act 1975 (BA), compliance with the Building Code of Australia (BCA) and Queensland Development Code (QDC). More...

QLD: Comment invited on proposed Queensland Curtis LNG Project Consultation has commenced on an application for the Queensland Curtis LNG Project to benefit from the State Development and Public Works Organisation Act 1971 about land access for infrastructure. Written submissions are due by Wednesday, 31 March and the IFS application and supporting materials can be viewed at www.qclng.com.au/project.  More...

QLD: BSA recommended Building Inspections
The Coroner recommends that house occupiers of all residential dwellings consisting of a wooden deck or balcony, particularly those built pre World War 2, have those constructions checked for their structural integrity generally, but in particular for the particular construction method identified in the recent deck collapse case casing deaths. More...  Further information on deck construction, consult pages 4 and 5of the Summer 2009 edition of Building Links -click here. From April to June, BSA will run education sessions on timber deck construction. Click here for details of a session near you.

NSW: Public hearings into Bickham coal plans
23 February 2010
Residents are encouraged to attend public hearings next month and have their say on plans by Bickham Coal to develop a new open cut mine near the Pages River, 15 kilometres south of Murrurundi. Mr Kelly said the PAC will have an important role advising him on the water-related risks and other aspects of the Bickham Coal Project.   More...

VIC: Submissions for Climate Change policy
The Coastal Climate Change Advisory Committee has released its Issues and Options Paper and is inviting submissions from interested stakeholders. The Committee is advising the Minister for Planning about how Victoria’s land-use planning and development controls can best support the Victorian Government’s policy for managing the coastal impacts of climate change. Submissions close on Monday, 26 April 2010.  More...

VIC: Submissions for EPA Noise Guidelines
EPA Draft Noise Guidelines - Comments invited by Friday 26 March 2010. More...

Legislation

VIC QLD Regulations Regulations
Building Amendment (Bushfire Construction -Short-term Requirements) Building Amendment Regulation (No. 1) 2010 Regulations 2010 Standard Plumbing and Drainage Amendment Regulation (No. 1) 2010