Construcciones Yamaro, by Armando Iachini

With recent ABS data showing 85 per cent of Australian construction businesses impacted by fuel prices or availability, hybrid excavators can help contractors reduce fuel use and operating costs. (Image: Komatsu) Rising fuel costs are putting pressure on Australia’s construction industry, making the fuel efficiency of heavy equipment an important consideration for contractors. Recent ABS data from the June 2026 Business Conditions and Sentiments survey shows 85 per cent of construction businesses were negatively impacted by fuel prices or availability, while 87 per cent of construction businesses reporting increased operating expenses cited fuel prices as a contributing factor. Komatsu Australia national business manager for construction Mark Boyes says the current environment is putting a renewed focus on hybrid excavators – a technology the company has been developing for almost two decades. Komatsu introduced the world’s first commercially available hybrid hydraulic excavator i...

Artist’s impression: The redevelopment will expand clinical services. (Images: NSW Government) Planning documents for the new Clinical Services Building at Fairfield Hospital are now on public exhibition, marking the next stage of the $630 million redevelopment. The NSW Government has committed $550 million to the project, with a further $80 million from the Commonwealth Government to expand the hospital’s Emergency Department. The five-storey Clinical Services Building will connect with the existing hospital through a new main entry and drop-off area. Subject to planning approval, it will include a new and expanded Emergency Department, Intensive Care Unit, medical imaging, operating theatres and inpatient wards. A refined artist’s impression of the building shows a nature-inspired façade designed to complement the existing hospital and surrounding bushland. NSW Minister for Health Ryan Park said the redevelopment had reached an important stage, bringing the project closer to del...

The renewable energy boom will require the construction industry to make better use of its resources. (Image: 安琦 王/stock.adobe.com) At the Renewable Energy Construction Summit, one opportunity stood out: using greater repeatability to do more with less. By Ian Moss , marketing leader for Australia and New Zealand at Payapps – an Autodesk company. At the recent Renewable Energy Construction Summit in Sydney, I had the opportunity to hear from industry experts about the challenges of delivering Australia’s renewable energy transition. One message in particular stayed with me. In a keynote on delivering renewable energy projects at scale, DT Infrastructure general manager of strategy Tom Perkin highlighted the need for the construction industry to find ways to do more with less. Ian Moss, marketing leader for Australia and New Zealand at Payapps – an Autodesk company. (Image: Payapps) We were told at the event that about $163 billion of energy infrastructure is expected to be delive...

The girders for the new Kemp Street bridge each weighed between 44 and 48 tonnes. (Images: Inland Rail) Inland Rail has completed a 96-hour rail possession between Cootamundra and Albury, delivering a package of works across the Albury to Illabo section in southern New South Wales. The possession allowed crews to carry out construction activities at multiple locations across the Albury, Greater Hume, Lockhart, Wagga Wagga and Junee local government areas between 11 and 15 September. In Junee, crews lifted 16 bridge girders into place for the new Kemp Street bridge. Using a 650-tonne crane, crews installed the girders, each weighing between 44 and 48 tonnes, marking a step forward in the delivery of the new road-over-rail bridge. Inland Rail chief executive officer Sean Sweeney said the extended track closure gave teams the access needed to safely complete the works. Related stories: Inland Rail completes Hume Freeway works at Seymour First solar-powered level crossings delivere...

The 40-level tower provides 1,010 student beds in Melbourne’s CBD. (Images: Multiplex) Multiplex has delivered Journal Student Living’s Market Way purpose-built student accommodation (PBSA) project at 100 Franklin Street, Melbourne, ahead of schedule. Designed by COX Architects, Market Way is located in the Queen Victoria Market precinct of Melbourne’s CBD, close to the city’s universities. The 40-level tower comprises 715 rooms providing 1,010 student beds across shared and individual configurations. It also features more than 3,000sqm of communal space – with resident amenities including a library, study rooms, gym, music and gaming rooms, cinema and rooftop terrace – more than 350sqm of retail space, a basement loading bay and 172 bicycle spaces instead of on-site car parking, reflecting students’ preferred mode of transport. Related stories: SP Setia and Multiplex break ground on Atlas Melbourne Freecity advances Macquarie Park tower using VMC Kapitol and ICD Property back ...

The first stage includes outdoor multi-purpose sport and play spaces. (Images: Billbergia) Billbergia’s proposed Rhodes Bay Masterplan has gone on public exhibition, setting out plans for more than 1,700 homes, new public spaces and community infrastructure on former industrial land in Sydney’s Inner West. The $3.2 billion mixed-use development was declared a State Significant Development by the Housing Delivery Authority in February 2025. Designed by SJB following a Design Excellence process, the masterplan proposes eight residential towers ranging from eight to 40 levels, delivering 1,720 dwellings across the waterfront site. It will also provide 16,000 square metres of public open space, including a 300-metre foreshore promenade, community parklands and sporting and water-based facilities. Related stories: Freecity advances Macquarie Park tower using VMC ECI partner appointed for new $2 billion Bankstown Hospital UNSW Sydney CBD fit-out to feature at 2026 Green Building For...

Artist’s impression: Atlas Melbourne will feature more than 850 apartments across 72 storeys. (Images: Multiplex) Multiplex has officially started construction on Atlas Melbourne, a $525 million, 72-storey residential high-rise tower being developed by SP Setia in the CBD. Located on a 2,851sqm site at 383 La Trobe Street, the Cox Architecture and Fender Katsalidis-designed tower will deliver more than 850 apartments, anchored by new pedestrian laneways connecting La Trobe and Little Lonsdale Streets. Atlas represents Multiplex and SP Setia’s second collaboration, following the 2022 delivery of 308 Exhibition Street . The twin-tower development included the 59-storey Sapphire by the Gardens residential tower and 61-storey Shangri-La Hotel. The ‘sky bridge’ linking the towers won the 2022 ASI National Award for Engineering Projects. Multiplex regional managing director Ross Snowball said the company was proud to continue its partnership with SP Setia following the success of Sapphir...

The Macquarie Park development is being delivered using volumetric modular construction. (Image: Freecity) Freecity has installed modules to level 12 of its 20-storey purpose-built student accommodation (PBSA) development in Macquarie Park, taking construction past the halfway point. The 528-unit project at 169–171 Herring Road is being delivered using volumetric modular construction (VMC), with the first modules craned into position on 12 June. Freecity co-founder and joint CEO Lawrence Zheng said the installation process was expected to become more efficient as work progressed. “The team is continually refining the stacking process, logistics and coordination on site, so the experience we are gaining at Herring Road will also inform how we deliver the next generation of VMC projects,” he said. “Australia needs to find ways to deliver housing faster and more efficiently. Herring Road is showing what can be achieved when manufacturing and construction are able to happen concurrentl...

The Watsonia tunnel boring machine launch structure forms part of Melbourne’s North East Link project. (Image: Seequent) Better understanding of underground conditions can help construction teams reduce risk and improve decision-making throughout infrastructure delivery. By Pat McLarin, civil segment director at Seequent. Australia is in the middle of an ambitious infrastructure program, with $242 billion in major public investment planned through to 2029, according to Infrastructure Australia’s 2025 Infrastructure Market Capacity report. The challenge is turning that investment into projects delivered with greater confidence and productivity, especially as recent setbacks show how quickly ground risk can undermine cost and schedule certainty. The pressure to improve project delivery came into sharper focus in August, when the Australian Constructors Association and Consult Australia launched new Design – Best Practice Principles aimed at improving construction productivity. Thei...

Artist’s impression – subject to change: The project will deliver 600 new hospital beds for the region. (Images: Queensland Government) The Queensland Government has appointed Multiplex to deliver the new 600-bed Coomera Hospital, with civil works, construction of retaining walls, permanent stormwater management tanks and works on the multi-storey car park expected to start next month. Major foundation works are already underway, including concrete pours to support the expanded footprint, alongside retaining works, remodelling of existing structures and bulk earthworks. Queensland Premier David Crisafulli said the 600-bed Coomera Hospital would help meet the health needs of the rapidly growing northern Gold Coast. “We’re delivering a bigger, better Coomera Hospital, with 200 more beds because Queenslanders deserve easier access to health services and health infrastructure that keeps pace with population growth,” he said. Related stories: ECI partner appointed for new $2 bi...

The event will feature more than 30 speakers over the two days. (Images: FuturePlace) As Australia’s construction sector faces pressure to deliver more complex projects with tighter budgets, compressed timelines and ongoing workforce constraints, the Construction Technology Leaders Summit 2026 will focus on how technology can support project delivery today. Taking place on 28 to 29 October at Doltone House, Darling Island, Sydney, the summit will bring together contractors, developers, infrastructure owners, digital engineering leaders and technology providers from across the industry. Rather than focusing on future possibilities, the summit will look at how businesses are moving beyond pilots and proofs of concept to understand what is delivering results on projects today. Topics will include AI-powered planning and forecasting, digital engineering, connected construction sites, robotics, automation, data-driven decision-making and technology adoption strategies. Related stories: ...

The Kany Bidi team has worked across six major Laing O’Rourke projects. (Images: Supply Nation) Laing O’Rourke’s commitment to supplier diversity is helping drive growth for Western Australian Indigenous-owned traffic management company Kany Bidi, with procurement contracts now valued at more than $14 million. The partnership demonstrates how sustained procurement relationships can extend beyond individual projects to create lasting opportunities for Indigenous businesses, employment and economic participation. A member of Supply Nation since 2011, Laing O’Rourke recorded $66 million in procurement spend with Supply Nation-verified businesses in the 2024–25 financial year, up from $2.3 million in 2017–18. The international engineering and construction company now works with about 120 Indigenous businesses across its projects throughout Australia. Kany Bidi, meaning “One Path”, was established in Perth in 2019 by proud Whadjuk, Ballardong, Noongar man Michael Johnson. Laing O’Rour...

The course is expected to commence in Semester 1 2027. (Image: NINENII/stock.adobe.com) Charles Darwin University (CDU) will introduce a new Master of Construction Management in 2027 as the Northern Territory works to build its local construction workforce. Up to 70 students will be able to study the course from Semester 1 2027, developing the skills needed to lead complex construction projects. CDU discipline chair in engineering professor Stefanija Klaric said there was strong demand for construction managers across the country, with the NT facing particular workforce challenges. Klaric said the Territory’s construction industry currently relied heavily on construction managers brought in from southern states who may not be prepared for the NT’s working environment. Related stories: NSW infrastructure boom puts delivery capability to the test Women in trades: Supporting success at every stage Construction workforce challenge goes deeper “A key issue we’re hearing from indu...

Kapitol’s investment includes prototype construction. (Images: Kapitol and ICD Property) Kapitol and ICD Property have formed a $10 million volumetric modular construction partnership with Chinese manufacturer CIMC Modular Building Systems. The two Australian companies have each invested $5 million into the venture, which will draw on established offshore manufacturing capacity while supporting the development of local modular capability. Kapitol’s investment covers staff, systems and processes, product development and prototype construction, while ICD Property has invested in prototype procurement and the development of its modular business. Both companies have self-funded their investments. Related stories: Kapitol scales planning with Asta Komatsu and Atlassian Williams F1 Team extend partnership NSW infrastructure boom puts delivery capability to the test The partnership will target large mid-rise and high-rise build-to-rent developments, purpose-built student accommo...

Komatsu brings decades of experience in construction, mining and forestry machinery to its partnership with Atlassian Williams F1 Team. (Images: Komatsu) Komatsu and Atlassian Williams F1 Team have extended their global partnership beyond 2026, with the agreement expanding technical collaboration between the two organisations. Under the extended partnership, Komatsu will become Williams’ Official Hydraulic Innovation Partner, drawing on its experience developing hydraulic systems and other technologies for construction, mining and forestry equipment. Komatsu engineers will also contribute their manufacturing expertise to the development of components for future Williams F1 cars. The relationship between the companies dates back to the 1990s, when Komatsu manufactured gear components for Williams’ 1996 and 1997 Formula 1 World Championship-winning cars. The organisations renewed their partnership in 2024 and are now expanding opportunities for engineering collaboration, knowledge sha...

Australia’s high-speed rail program is progressing through its development phase. (Image: THINK b/stock.adobe.com) The Australian Government has appointed professor Eva Hanly and Christopher Rayner as members of the High Speed Rail Authority (HSRA) Board. Hanly is a strategic adviser and non-executive director with nearly three decades of experience procuring, delivering and operating complex infrastructure projects across the transport, mining and energy sectors. She has held senior roles at infrastructure companies including Squadron Energy, where she was chief executive officer, as well as Worley, Transurban and Origin. Hanly is currently a professor of engineering practice at the University of New South Wales and a director on the TAFE NSW Advisory Board. Rayner is an experienced rail executive from the UK and brings working knowledge of high-speed rail projects, specifically rolling stock, operations systems and systems integration, to the HSRA Board. Related stories: Majo...

Does NSW have the capability, systems and certainty needed to deliver its next generation of infrastructure? (Image: Viacheslav Yakobchuk/stock.adobe.com) Infrastructure investment in New South Wales is reaching levels rarely, if ever, seen before. From transport and housing to renewable energy, defence and data centres, the scale of work ahead presents enormous opportunity for the construction industry. But as projects become more complex, the pressure to deliver with greater productivity, certainty and consistency is growing too. That was a central theme of a private executive roundtable hosted by Cupix in Sydney in June, bringing together senior leaders from construction, engineering, property, infrastructure, government and technology. The discussion, captured in Cupix ’s new What New South Wales Builds Next white paper, explored a question that extends beyond any individual project: what will it take for NSW to successfully deliver its next generation of infrastructure? The w...