Construcciones Yamaro, by Armando Iachini

On-site tools record quantities and condition, feeding into auditable digital registers aligned with compliance and reporting requirements. (Images: Refit8) Verified asset intelligence is helping keep materials and products in productive use across the built environment. Project briefs across construction, fit-out and asset management are carrying new demands: waste prevention, embodied carbon accountability, compliance reporting and product stewardship. Sustainability expectations are influencing procurement frameworks and delivery models, yet one barrier persists: limited visibility of the products, materials and assets already inside buildings. Without verified information, reuse becomes difficult to plan, carbon reporting relies on assumptions, and de-fits default to removal instead of recovery. “We’ve built an industry that’s good at delivering new outcomes,” says Paul Rosenberg Vella, co-founder of building materials intelligence platform Refit8. “But we’ve historically p...

Glenfield’s Scheriya Cuello, 26, has made an unlikely shift from childcare to waterproofing. (Image: TAFE NSW) A former childcare worker has made an unlikely career shift to waterproofing, part of a growing cohort of TAFE NSW-trained waterproofing technicians helping to address one of the leading causes of building defects in the state. It comes as the 2023 Strata Defects Survey, conducted by Building Commission NSW in partnership with Strata Community Association NSW, found waterproofing to be the most common defect, present in 42 per cent of surveyed buildings. Glenfield’s Scheriya Cuello, 26, completed an Early Childhood Education and Care traineeship through TAFE NSW after leaving school but always harboured ambitions to pursue a trade. “My dad and grandad were both in construction and I’ve always enjoyed home DIY projects,” said Cuello. “There was always a sense that females don’t belong in the trades but that’s been changing in recent years, so I decided to make a change.”...

Winners will be announced at the ARBS Industry Excellence Awards Gala Dinner and the ARBS Future Leader Forum, both held during ARBS 2026 in Melbourne in May. (Image: ARBS) The ARBS 2026 Awards finalists have been announced, with categories spanning products, projects, education initiatives and emerging industry professionals. Following a competitive nomination process, the quality of submissions reflects the depth of talent and innovation driving Australia’s heating, ventilation, air conditioning and refrigeration (HVAC&R), building services and technology sector. “The response to this year’s program has set a new benchmark for the awards. We received almost 100 nominations, the biggest submission round in the history of the ARBS Awards,” says Amanda Searle, CEO of ARBS Exhibitions. “The quality and breadth of entries were exceptional, from major infrastructure projects to emerging tradespeople and innovative new technologies. It’s a genuine reflection of the talent and amb...

The 460-metre-long structure, with a main span of 183 metres, is among the world’s longest asymmetric cable-stayed pedestrian bridges. (Images: BESIX Watpac) Australian and Queensland firsts in sustainable construction have contributed to Kangaroo Point Bridge achieving an Excellent rating under the Infrastructure Sustainability Council’s (ISC) Design and As-Built Rating Scheme . Delivered in partnership between Brisbane City Council and Brisbane-headquartered builder BESIX Watpac, the project highlights a shared focus on environmental performance and social outcomes. Lord Mayor of Brisbane Adrian Schrinner said: “With almost 10,000 trips a day and more than four million in just over a year, Brisbane has clearly embraced the Kangaroo Point Bridge. “We’re committed to keeping Brisbane moving and our partnership with BESIX Watpac and the Federal Government delivered this vital link for our growing city. “But it’s more than concrete and steel – it’s become a destination, with loca...

Funding will support the purchase or upgrade of recycling, reprocessing and remanufacturing equipment across Victoria. (Images: Sustainability Victoria) Sustainability Victoria is inviting construction businesses to apply for up to $1 million in funding under Round 6 of the Victorian Circular Economy Recycling Modernisation Fund (CERMF). The CERMF combines Australian and Victorian government investment to support projects that strengthen recycling capability, build capacity and improve the resilience of the state’s resource recovery system. Victorian businesses can apply for grants from $50,000 to $1 million to buy or upgrade recycling, reprocessing and remanufacturing equipment that enables the recovery of materials, including soft plastics, e-waste, tyres (crumb rubber), liquid paperboard and textiles. The fund aims to diversify and attract new investment to increase the quality of recovered materials, improve circularity, and support technology and processes that provide new ...

An on-site sod-turning and Smoking Ceremony marked the start of construction, with representatives from NEXTDC and Multiplex in attendance. (Images: George Fetting) Multiplex has broken ground on NEXTDC’s S4 Sydney data centre in Western Sydney, one of the digital infrastructure developer’s largest Australian facilities. Located at 16 Johnston Crescent in Horsley Park and designed by HDR and Greenbox Architects, the 30,743-square-metre facility spans two four-storey buildings. An on-site sod-turning and Smoking Ceremony marked the project’s commencement, led by Uncle Colin Locke and attended by NEXTDC group chief development officer Simon Cooper, Multiplex regional managing director David Ghannoum and Multiplex regional director Patrick Murphy. “This milestone marks the beginning of a significant new phase in NEXTDC’s investment in Australia’s digital infrastructure, reflecting the scale of demand to support growing AI adoption and hyperscale cloud requirements,” said Cooper. “...