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Scott Morrison promises to fast-track infrastructure to boost the economy
The Prime Minister is planning to stimulate jobs and boost consumer confidence by injecting $4billion into infrastructure projects with the biggest share of spending going to Queensland.
After years of conflict, the federal and state governments seem to have finally reached an agreement that will see about $1.9 billion worth of funding released in the short term.
The projects will include:
- $400 million for new road funding
- $648 million to deliver already-promised projects sooner
- Construction of the Gold Coast Light Rail Stage 3 — from Broadbeach South to Burleigh Heads
- $46.3 million for two M1 motorway exit upgrades
- Accelerated funding for the Linkfield Road Overpass on the Gympie Arterial Road at Bald Hills
- Mt Crosby Road Interchange upgrade — onto the Warrego Highway
- $10 million brought forward for the Rockhampton Ring Road
- An agreement on the proposed Inland Rail linking Melbourne to Brisbane
“There are big infrastructure and transport tasks here in Queensland and it’s important that governments of whatever political persuasion work together to get these projects done on the ground,” Mr Morrison said.
Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk described the state’s “historic” deal as a “huge win for Queensland”, and an extra $1.9 billion towards roads, rail and funds for regional Queensland.
Source: ABC News
Australia: Salini Impregilo shortlisted for €1.5bn Sydney Gateway roads scheme
Italian company Salini Impregilo is on the shortlist for the €1.5bn Sydney Gateway roads scheme. It is the only non-Australian group to qualify and will compete against a joint venture of John Holland and Seymour Whyte and CPB Contractors.
Earlier this year, Salini Impreglio won the contract to build Snowy 2.0 – the biggest hydropower station in Australia and is in the midst of building the Forrestfield-Airport Link, a metro line connecting Perth’s eastern suburbs with the airport and the Central Business District.
Australia: Clough awarded construction of bridge and access road intersection for Main Roads
Clough as part of Acciona Clough Joint Venture (ACJV) has been awarded by Main Roads WA the construction of Great Northern highway road over rail bridge and access road intersection for Koodaideri mine in the Pilbara region.
Clough CEO and Managing Director, Peter Bennett said: “We are extremely pleased to be awarded this project.
Our history with Main Roads started in 1957 and we are proud to continue being part of the ongoing development of WA’s transport infrastructure.”
The scope of works includes the construction of 3.6 km of road for the approaches to the bridge over rail, the construction of the bridge over rail, and construction of side road upgrades of the Great Northern Highway and Koodaideri Mine Access Road (KMAR) intersection.
This is the second transportation infrastructure project awarded to ACJV this year.”
Source: Clough
Australia: O’Leary Civil Group in Queensland collapses
A southeast Queensland civil contracting group O’Leary Civil Group collapsed leaving a series of unfinished road and infrastructure project and as $6.5 million debt owed to about 250 unsecured creditors.
CPB Contractors wins contract for M80 Upgrade
CIMIC Group company CPB Contractors has been selected to deliver an upgrade to a northern section of Melbourne’s M80 Ring Road.
The design and construct contract will generate revenue to CPB Contractors of approximately $331 million.
The upgrade is located on the M80 Ring Road between Sydney Road and Edgars Road, approximately 14 kilometres north of the Melbourne CBD.
Funded by the Australian and Victorian Governments, the upgrade will increase capacity, reduce congestion and enhance safety for drivers.
Works include the widening and realignment of ramps, the construction of additional lanes, structural works, installation of a smart freeway management system, street lighting, traffic barriers, noise walls and landscaping.
Construction is scheduled to start in early 2020 and be completed in early 2023.
Source: CPB Contractors
New Zealand: TBM ordered for record-breaking NZ tunnel
A 5.45m-diameter Earth Pressure Balanced Tunnel Boring Machine (TBM) for the Central Interceptor project has been ordered from Herrenknecht.
The Central Interceptor will be Auckland’s largest wastewater tunnel and the biggest wastewater project in New Zealand’s history.
A joint venture of Ghella and Abergeldie signed the construction contract with Auckland Council’s water utility body Watercare while Arup is providing design support.
At 4.5 metres diameter, the Central Interceptor will be 13 kilometres long and will run from Western Springs to a new pump station at the Māngere Wastewater Treatment Plant.
It will lie between 15 and 110 metres below the surface. It will cross the Manukau Harbour at a depth of approximately 15 metres below the seabed. Along the proposed route, it will connect to the existing trunk sewer network to divert flows and overflows into the tunnel.
Australia: Perth and Gold Coast embrace regional tags for the influx of skilled migrants
For the first time, Perth and Gold Coast will be added to the list of locations migrants can move to on a regional visa.
Immigration Minister David Coleman said: “We have had advocacy from governments from all sides of politics in relation to those two places and decided to include them in our program because close to 70 per cent of our total population growth is in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane.”
There will now be 25,000 regional visas set aside for migrants who agree to work outside the major cities, up from 23,000.
NSW Government confirms seven new Sydney train stations for Metro West project
Seven station locations have been confirmed, but the Government is considering as many as nine stops.
The Transport Minister said the project would take the pressure off the T1 Western Line which, along with the T9 Northern Line, was expected to reach capacity within the next decade.
He said the project would also create around 10,000 direct and 70,000 indirect jobs.
Where the new stations will be:
- Westmead: Eastern side of Hawkesbury Road, south of the existing Westmead Station
- Parramatta: Between George, Macquarie, Church and Smith streets
- Sydney Olympic Park: East of Olympic Boulevard
- North Strathfield: Adjacent to existing North Strathfield Station
- Burwood North: Corner of Burwood and Parramatta roads
- Five Dock: Great North Road, between East Street and corner of Second Avenue
- The Bays Precinct: Between Glebe Island and Bay Power Station
UK: First TBM breaks ground on London’s new super sewer
BAM Nuttall together with its joint venture partners Morgan Sindall and Balfour Beatty have broken through the ground in the construction of London’s super sewer.
The TBM named after suffragist Charlotte Despard is digging the Frogmore Connection Tunnel from Wandsworth to Fulham as part of the Thames Tideway Tunnel project. At three meters wide and 70 meters long the TBM is the smallest machine on the Tideway project.
The 1.1km tunnel will help clean up the River Thames from sewage pollution and will be completed in 2024.
The first section of the main tunnel is also close to completion, as tunnelling machine Millicent approaches Fulham after tunnelling almost 5km from Battersea. So far, 8km of the Thames Tideway Tunnel has been built, with four tunnelling machines in the ground.
UK: BAM partners pioneering study of flexible working in construction
Two of Britain’s largest contractors BAM Nuttall and BAM Construct UK have combined to assist a pioneering study into flexible working on construction sites.
The two sister companies have a shared turnover of around £1.6 billion and collectively employ over 5,000 people.
Andrea Singh, Executive Director for BAM, said: “Creating solutions that would give us the ability to offer more flexible working arrangements would bring so many benefits. These challenges affect our ability to recruit and retain people from a diverse group, especially women, in an industry with a critical need to do so, to redress the skills shortage.
“Our work/life balance affects our mental health and our personal wellbeing. Our industry places high demands on our people and too many have struggled to cope with mental health pressures as a result. In the most extreme cases, this can lead to catastrophic outcomes. We need to find better answers, helping our teams achieve a better balance and reaping the rewards that this will bring on both personal and business levels.”
Source: BAM Nuttall
UK: Kier suspended from the Prompt Payment Code for failing to pay on time
Kier has been suspended from the Prompt Payment Code for failing to pay 95% of all supplier invoices within 60 days.
Kier’s suspension extends across its four separate companies: Kier Integrated Services Limited, Kier Infrastucture and Overseas Limited, Kier Construction Limited and Kier Highways Limited.
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