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Commonwealth

Renewable energy future fund dumped
12 May 2010
The Government has dumped its membership of the FutureGen Alliance, a public-private partnership between the US Energy Department and an international consortium of mining and energy companies. More...

Australian Draft National Ports Strategy released: NTC
5 May 2010
A draft future ports strategy for Australia has been released for public consultation. It calls for long-term coordinated planning of Australia’s major ports and their related transport corridors and shipping channels. A nationally coordinated approach to the planning and development of port infrastructure is essential for Australia’s future economic growth. More...

Principals doubt value of school building scheme
6 May 2010
Almost 30% of principals surveyed by the auditor-general believe they are not getting value for money from the controversial $16.2 billion school building program. Concerns about value for money predominantly arise in the case of schools that have had the design and construction of BER P21 works procured by their Education Authority, rather than those who procured these services themselves. More...

$23.0 million for the nation’s new National Waste Policy
11 May 2010
The Government will invest $23.0 million over five years to deliver Australia’s new landmark National Waste Policy, which provides leadership to tackle Australia’s growing waste problem over the coming decade. The National Waste Policy will help avoid the generation of waste, reduce the amount of waste being disposed and turn more waste into valuable resources according to Mr Garrett. More...

$2.8b in new stadia fronts Aussie Cup bid
15 May 2010
New state-of-the-art arenas to be built in Perth, Canberra and Blacktown in western Sydney are part of Australia’s bid for either the 2018 or 2022 FIFA World Cup. More...

Government transport commitment questioned
12 May 2010
Infrastructure lobby groups are questioning the Federal Government’s commitment to public transport projects and traffic congestion solutions. Infrastructure Partnerships Australia, which is 60% private sector and 40% government agency funded, believes people are looking to the Federal Government for more certainty on roads and public transport investments. More...

Construction rebound set to gather momentum
13 May 2010
The construction sector is forecast to grow at a higher rate through 2010 and 2011 with infrastructure and resource-related construction underpinning growth. According to the latest Australian Industry Group/Australian Constructors Association Construction Outlook survey, total turnover from construction work will lift by 4.1% this calendar year (following growth of 2.7% in 2009), and 7.4% in 2011. More...

Auditor General’s report into the Building the Education Revolution
5 May 2010
The Minister for Education has welcomed the Auditor General’s report into the Building the Education Revolution Primary Schools for the 21st Century (P21) program, tabled in the Senate. The Building the Education Revolution project is the largest component of the Government’s stimulus program. More...

Australian Government to create infrastructure fund: Annual $700m contribution
3 May 2010
The government will create an ongoing infrastructure fund on the back of a new 40% super profits tax on mining companies. The infrastructure fund will help build the roads, rails, ports, electricity and water supply and other facilities needed to unlock Australia’s resource wealth and expands on the government’s $22 billion investment in the nation’s infrastructure announced in the 2009/10 budget. More...

Government’s Response to Henry Tax Review Backs Importance of Housing and Small Business
3 May 2010
Master Builders Australia has welcomed the Government’s continued recognition of the importance of housing and small business. Master Builders has been a strong and long time advocate of increased infrastructure investment and therefore backs the proposed establishment of the Resource State Infrastructure Fund to improve Australia’s capacity building infrastructure and capabilities. More...

Victoria

Ararat prison builder to deliver more local jobs
13 May 2010
Minister for Corrections, Bob Cameron, today announced the Aegis consortium had been selected today to deliver and maintain the 350-bed expansion of the Ararat Prison facility. More...

$140 million housing project to create 440 jobs
13 May 2010
Planning Minister Justin Madden has approved the master plan for the $140 million residential development in Ashwood / Chadstone. More...

Victoria shines strongly on federal solar shortlist
12 May 2010
Victoria has featured strongly in the penultimate round of projects vying for funding under the Federal Government’s $1.5 billion Solar Flagships Program, according to the Energy and Resources Minister. Mr Batchelor said he looked forward to receiving submissions from the short-listed projects for the Victorian Large Scale Solar tender that closes on 24 May this year. More...

24,300 job bonanza from extra first home owner bonuses
12 May 2010
Victoria’s home builders are set to be big winners from the 2010 State Budget with an analysis of the new and extended first home bonuses for new home construction predicting an extra 24,300 Victorian jobs in the next financial year. More...

Agreement clears way for Melbourne’s growth
4 May 2010
The Dispute Resolution Committee of Parliament has negotiated a bipartisan way forward for funding vital infrastructure in an expanded urban growth boundary, according to the Planning Minister Justin Madden. More...

Transport plan projects to build for the future
4 May 2010
The 2010 State Budget delivers a record $6.4 billion for better roads and public transport including new trams, more stations and road projects to reduce congestion, increase capacity, secure Victorian jobs and build the State’s economy for the future. More...

New South Wales

NSW pledges $120 Million to support solar projects
11 May 2020
The NSW Government has pledged $120 million to support and attract solar energy projects to the State. Round 1 of the solar Flagships Program will support the construction of two large-scale, grid-connected solar power stations in Australia, one using solar thermal and one using photovoltaic technologies. More...

Bankstown insulation batts fraud being investigated by Federal Police
11 May 2010
Federal police are investigating a person who used a false identity to scam $500,000 of taxpayers’ money using the Federal Government’s now-axed insulation batts scheme by selecting vacant properties. Minister Assisting the Minister for Climate Change and Energy Efficiency Greg Combet said the government will rigorously seek to recover money from any insulation installer who is prosecuted for fraud, including seizing property under the Proceeds of Crime Act. More...

Safety under the Building the Education Revolution program
3 May 2010
Environmental scientists, building industry experts, health groups and the NSW Teachers Federation have raised concerns about the potential risks associated with buildings in the $16.2 billion program. Schools have complained of dodgy workmanship, including incorrectly fitted light switches and fans, temporary foundations, leaking water tanks and lifting carpets and other safety hazards. More...

Mine safety review is flawed
5 May 2010
A review of NSW coal mines held up by the state government as evidence of the industry’s world-class safety system is flawed because it examined paperwork not mines, says an expert involved in the investigation of the Beaconsfield disaster. The report was based on a ‘’desktop audit’’ that ignored the reality at the mines. More...

Queensland

Santos appoints contractor for LNG plant off Gladstone
14 May 2010
Santos has announced the appointment of a contractor for early works on its proposed Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) plant in central Queensland. The company has appointed Fluor Australia as the preferred upstream engineering, procurement and construction contractor for its proposed LNG plant at Curtis Island off the coast of Gladstone. More...

Companies bid for Northern Link tunnel construction
13 May 2010
Brisbane City Council has received three tenders for construction of the $1.8 billion Northern Link tunnel. The toll road will connect the Western Freeway at Toowong with the Inner-City Bypass at Kelvin Grove. More...

Gold Coast Rapid Transit tenders
13 May 2010
Gold Coast Rapid Transit project moves further step towards reality with opening of bids for $110m worth of roadwork contracts. Bligh says the road-works package will be delivered using a competitive early contractor involvement (ECI) approach, and is the largest package of early works contracts released so far which will provide a shot in the arm for the local construction industry. All interested contractors visit the e-tenders website www.tenders.qld.gov.au for more information.

Qld Insulation company charged for electrocution
7 May 2010
A Queensland home insulation company has been charged after an extensive investigation into the electrocution death of an insulation installer. Beenleigh-based QHI Installations was charged with breaching section 30 of the Electrical Safety Act 2002 for allegedly failing to conduct its business or undertaking in a way that was electrically safe. More...

Ballymore redevelopment may end up in court
11 May 2010
The development application moved one step closer to approval today after a recommendation from Brisbane City Council’s Development Assessment Committee for an ambitious $100 million upgrade. The Rudd Government’s decision to back away from a prior promise of $25 million from the Howard Government leaves the project in doubt. More...

QMBA back freeze on infrastructure fees
13 May 2010
The Queensland Master Builders Association says a moratorium on the introduction of infrastructure charges for developers in Cairns, in the state’s far north, will boost the construction industry. More...

Sunshine state on track to become the solar state
13 May 2010
Premier Anna Bligh welcomed the announcement in the Federal Budget that five Queensland projects have been short listed for funding under the Rudd Government’s $1.5 billion Solar Flagships initiative. The Rudd Government’s $1.5 billion Solar Flagship Program aims to support the construction of two large scale, grid-connected solar power stations in Australia, using solar thermal and photovoltaic technologies. More...

Western Queensland airports to get a million dollar upgrade
7 May 2010
Local Government Minister Desley Boyle said residents and visitors would benefit from upgraded airport facilities with a million dollar makeover of Bedourie and Birdsville airports about to get underway. Ms Boyle said tenders were expected to be awarded later this month with work due to commence in early July. More...

First transit housing plan speeds up with development at Yeerongpilly
12 May 2010
Homes could be built within two years at what the State Government hopes will be one of the first successful transit-oriented developments at Yeerongpilly on Brisbane’s southside. Brisbane Lord Mayor Campbell Newman said it was hoped parcels of land, for a mix of high, low and medium density housing, would be made available to the public early next year. More...

Gateway upgrade bridges a great divide
4 May 2010
A new bridge forms part of the $1.88 billion Gateway Upgrade Project, the largest road and bridge project in Queensland’s history, and will be open for a community day on May 16. The project is being delivered by Queensland Motorways Limited with design and construction by the Leighton Abigroup Joint Venture (LAJV). More...

Contractors chosen for Cardwell Range Realignment
6 May 2010
The construction companies that will straighten and upgrade the Bruce Highway over the Cardwell Range have been selected, clearing the way for work to begin in July. Federal Infrastructure and Transport Minister Anthony Albanese and Queensland Main Roads Minister Craig Wallace said Abigroup Contractors and SMEC Australia had been selected to design and deliver this federally-funded $115 million project expected to be completed in late 2012. More...

Other

Shire ready for court battle over road compensation
11 May 2010
The Murray Shire Council is ready to go to court to get the compensation it says it is owed by construction giant Southern Gateway Alliance (SGA). A construction and government partnership the SGA built the Perth-Bunbury Highway and the Murray Shire has been negotiating to get compensation for damage to local roads by haulage trucks transporting raw materials during the project. More...

Publications/Conferences

Department of the Environment, Water, Heritage and the Arts: risk assessment of the insulation components under the Energy Efficient Homes Package
Author: Minter Ellison (Firm)
Source: Canberra: Dept of the Environment, Water, Heritage and the Arts, 2009: 20 p
Insulation; Housing; Risk management; Planning processes; Dept of the Environment, Water, Heritage and the Arts. More...

Review of the administration of the Home Insulation Program / Allan Hawke
Author: Hawke, Allan; Australia. Dept. of Climate Change and Energy Efficiency, 2010; 66 p
Insulation; Housing; Safety; Program management; Energy efficiency; Nation Building and Jobs Plan 2009; Evaluation; Dept of the Environment, Water, Heritage and the Arts; Committees and inquiries; Federal state relations; Interstate comparisons. More...

ABCB: Performance Standard for Private Bushfire Shelters 2010 (Part 1)
30 April 2010
The ABCB has released a Performance Standard for the design and construction of private bushfire shelters. More...

OFSC clarifies criteria for protective structures on earthmoving equipment
The OFSC has clarified the interpretation of Mobile Plant and Equipment criterion H16.7, regarding earthmoving equipment to be fitted with compliant Roll-Over Protection Structures/Falling Object Protection Structures, and seatbelts. More...

VIC: Land Use Planning Safety
WorkSafe Victoria has prepared a Guidance Note on land use planning near Major Hazard Facilities. More...

QLD: Implementation of energy efficiency requirements from 1 May 2010
5 May 2010
The Queensland Development Code (QDC) modifications to the Building Code of Australia (BCA) energy efficiency requirements commenced on 1 May 2010. This includes the 6-star energy efficiency requirements for residential buildings and an increase in the stringency of energy efficiency requirements for commercial buildings. More...

NSW: Guide to the Building Professionals Board
The Building Professionals Board has developed a Guide to the Building Professionals Board. The Building Professionals Board sets the rules of certification so that the buildings in which people live and work will be constructed to the very best standards. More...

Legislation

NSW

Bills
Commercial Arbitration Bill 2010
Building and Construction Industry Long Service Payments Amendment Bill 2010

Queensland

Acts
Architects Amendment Act 2010

Cases

CC No 1 v Reed [2010] NSWSC 294
Contracts - Building, engineering and related contracts - Progress claims under the Building and Construction Industry Security of Payment Act 199 - claim that later claim was an abuse as it reagitated matters the subject of earlier claims. No adjudication of earlier claims - Held in the circumstances no abuse - Proceedings dismissed. More...

Concrete Equipment Australia (Trading) Pty Ltd v Bonfiglioli Transmission (Aust) Pty Ltd [2010] NSWSC 393
Concrete Equipment was under contract to a third party to design and construct a concrete batching plant - Plaintiff has suffered loss and damage pursuant to an agreement with Readymix Pty Ltd for the construction of a concrete batching plant in Brisbane. More...

Kerslake Superannuation Pty Ltd v C & L Building Pty Ltd [2010] NSWSC 424
Corporations - winding up - winding up in insolvency - statutory demand - application for order setting aside - offsetting claim alleged - extent to which such claim must be quantified in supporting affidavit as distinct from any subsequent affidavit - where subsequent quantification less than amount of statutory demand. Building and Construction Industry Security of Payment Act 1999, s 25; Corporations Act 2001 (Cth), ss 459G, 459H(1)(b), 459H(3), 459H(4).More...

John Holland Pty Ltd v Schneider Electric Buildings Australia Pty Ltd [2010] QSC 159
Building and engineering contracts - Building and Construction Industry Payments Act 2004 (Qld) - whether payment claim sought to re-agitate issues decided by previous adjudicator - nature of previous adjudicator’s decision - whether the Act precludes re-agitation of same issues - whether issue estoppel arises from adjudicator’s decision - whether claimant should be restrained from serving an adjudication application. More...

Samways v WorkCover Queensland & Ors [2010] QSC 127
Torts - negligence - breach of common law and/ or statutory duties - where the plaintiff was injured when he walked into a stationary bobcat with an elevated bucket on a construction site - whether the injury was caused by the negligence of any or all of the defendants - whether the plaintiff’s injuries should be reduced on account of contributory negligence by walking into the bobcat. Guarantee and indemnity - indemnities - construction of contract - whether the second defendant is obliged to indemnify the third defendant for claims for negligence, including claims caused by the third defendant’s own negligence. More...

Etemovic v Baulderstone Hornibrook Qld Pty Ltd [2010] QSC 141
Procedure - Supreme Court procedure - Queensland - procedure under rules of court - parties - third party and similar proceedings - where plaintiff suffered personal injuries whilst working on a building site controlled by defendant - where plaintiff brought claim against defendant for negligence - where defendant issued third party notice against third party - where plaintiff brings an application to join third party as second defendant in the proceeding pursuant to r 69(1) and in reliance on r 69(2)(iii) or (iv) of the Uniform Civil Procedure Rules 1999 (Qld) - where the application is brought after the limitation period for commencing a proceeding against third party has expired - whether third party can be joined when application brought after expiration of limitation period - whether plaintiff’s non-compliance with pre-court procedures under the Personal Injuries Proceedings Act 2002 (Qld) precludes joining third party. More...

Allstate Explorations NL -v- Blake Dawson Waldron [2010] WASC 97
Action for damages for breach of contract and professional negligence - Solicitors - Construction project - Insurance cover - Solicitors advising on insurance required for parties to planned construction mining contract - Professional indemnity insurance - Managing agent a co-insured - Risks to be insured - Availability of insurance including principal’s liability extension - Interests of mine owners and manager in performance of contract - Insurable risks - Causation - Availability of liability insurance with or without extensions - Damages - Limitation of liability under statutory scheme - Limitation of actions by time. More...

Aquagenics Pty Ltd v Break O’Day Council [2010] TASFC 3
Contracts - Building, engineering and related contracts - The contract - Construction of particular contracts and implied conditions - Other matters - Proportionate liability legislation - Applicability - Contracting out. Arbitration - The submission and reference - Submissions as a defence and as a ground for stay of proceedings - Stay of proceedings - Order or refusal to stay - Particular cases in which stay ordered - Applicability of proportionate liability legislation. Civil Liability Act 2002 (Tas); Commercial Arbitration Act 1986 (Tas). More...