Construcciones Yamaro, by Armando Iachini

The Australian Constructors Association wants to see the industry change how it operates. (Image: MST/stock.adobe.com) The Australian Constructors Association’s new CEO, Peter Colacino, shares what needs to change to meet the nation’s growing infrastructure demands. By Peter Colacino, CEO of the Australian Constructors Association. Nation-shaping work has always been high stakes. However, the challenges faced by the construction sector today are the greatest in a generation. The scale of what we are being asked to deliver is extraordinary, but so too is the question of whether our existing systems and processes can deliver it. Over time, layers of complexity and cost have been built into project delivery. Outdated approaches, skills constraints and cost pressures are now converging at exactly the moment demand is peaking at record levels. Peter Colacino, CEO of the Australian Constructors Association. (Image: ACA) However, the flipside of these challenges is an immense opportunit...

The GO Company, co-founded by electricians Logan Barnett (left) and Jasmyn Smith, took home the National Crystal Vision Award. (Images: NAWIC) The National Association of Women in Construction (NAWIC) National Awards for Excellence recognise contributions to industry growth and gender diversity. By Cathryn Greville, CEO of NAWIC. NAWIC’s vision is to build an equitable construction industry for all, and further change is still needed in the sector to achieve that. Progress is being made, and I believe we are on the cusp of a cultural shift in construction – one where workplaces accommodate the needs of all workers, regardless of background. Cathryn Greville, CEO of NAWIC. Our National Awards for Excellence recognise the achievements of those working on the ground to drive this cultural change. The awards celebrate the achievements and innovation of women, organisations and male allies across four categories: the Crystal Vision Award, the Business Award, the Presidents’ Choice Aw...

Maintaining a consistent finish was critical to achieving the project’s architectural design. (Image: ECOTONE) At Skye by Pikos in Brisbane, exposed concrete is both structure and finish, placing pressure on construction quality and long-term durability. Cadell Taye, CEO of National Precast. (Image: National Precast) By Cadell Taye, CEO of National Precast. Located at 8 River Terrace in Kangaroo Point, Skye by Pikos is a 69-residence development overlooking the Brisbane River and CBD. Designed by Conrad Gargett and constructed by Tomkins Commercial & Industrial Builders, the project uses concrete as the primary architectural expression across soffits, structural walls and precast façade elements. Construction challenge Using concrete as a finished surface introduces a high level of complexity. Unlike concealed structural elements, architectural concrete must achieve its final appearance during construction. Surface quality is influenced by formwork, concrete mix, placement a...

JumpLift is a self-climbing elevator solution for high-rise developments. (Images: KONE) KONE is helping projects move, build and rise faster by bringing permanent lift systems into the construction phase earlier. While pressure on construction businesses isn’t new, it has, of late, felt relentless. Contractors are expected to deliver projects faster as labour shortages and rising costs continue, with geopolitical uncertainty and fuel prices adding further strain. Site efficiency and unnecessary costs are receiving closer attention, with developers and main contractors looking harder at how projects are delivered and where costs can be reduced. The response isn’t simply to absorb it, but to adapt. Solutions that accelerate delivery are easing the load, or in KONE Australia’s case, lifting it. That capability is underpinned by global experience. KONE has delivered vertical transportation systems across high-rise construction for more than a century, including many of the world’s tal...

Multiplex is set to join the Obayashi Group. (Image: tippapatt/stock.adobe.com) Brookfield, through its private equity strategy, has agreed to sell Multiplex to Obayashi Corporation, one of Japan’s largest construction companies, for US$650 million. The transaction includes about US$530 million in cash proceeds on closing and an earn-out based on future business performance. Multiplex was founded in Australia in 1962 and acquired by Brookfield in 2007. After spinning out its real estate assets and facilities management business in 2016, it became a standalone construction business as part of Brookfield Business Corporation, the flagship listed vehicle of Brookfield’s private equity group. With operations in Australia, the UK and Canada, Multiplex’s global portfolio includes complex developments across the commercial, residential, healthcare, infrastructure, hospitality and mixed-use sectors. Anuj Ranjan, CEO of Brookfield’s private equity group, said the transaction delivers a stro...

Komatsu Rental gives contractors access to modern, well-maintained machines. (Images: Komatsu) Komatsu Rental is building out a national model for equipment hire, focused on availability, support and consistent performance. Utilisation is the primary measure in fleet strategy, and hire offers a pragmatic way to maintain control. Rather than tying up capital in owned plant, contractors can align fleet size with workload and respond to program changes without carrying idle equipment. Access to modern, well-maintained machines without long-term commitment supports productivity and compliance across staged programs, providing flexibility, cash flow protection and delivery certainty. For Komatsu Rental, that places emphasis on fleet readiness, with low-hour machines and integrated support enabling equipment to be deployed to match project demands. It’s structured to support customers across the full project lifecycle, from early-stage civil works through to large-scale commercial const...

The project’s critical objective across all phases was achieving ‘first ore on ship’. (Images: McConnell Dowell) Tropical Cyclone Megan didn’t leave a wharf to repair at Groote Eylandt. It left a twisted, partially submerged structure that had to be dismantled before anything could be rebuilt. On 18 March 2024, Tropical Cyclone Megan shut down the Groote Eylandt wharf, cutting off the island’s only manganese export line and bringing a globally critical operation to a standstill. The wharf, operated by Groote Eylandt Mining Company (GEMCO), a South32 and Anglo American joint venture, is central to the island’s manganese exports. Without it, stockpiles build quickly and production becomes unsustainable. According to South32, it is the world’s largest producer of manganese, with Groote Eylandt a key source of supply. The disruption placed immediate pressure on global supply and the Northern Territory economy, with flow-on impacts for jobs and government revenue. What followed wasn’t a...

Artist’s impression: Webuild is delivering the New Women and Babies Hospital Project in Perth. (Images: Webuild) As Webuild pursues its next stage of growth in Australia, it is focused on creating lasting impact beyond project wins. Across Webuild’s operations in Australia, the focus doesn’t stop at the physical assets delivered, but moves to the social and economic outcomes those projects generate after completion. Joel Stringer embodies this mindset. Recently appointed executive vice president of business development, he brings more than 25 years of Tier 1 design and construction experience to support Webuild’s continued growth in Australia and the Asia Pacific region. Stringer speaks proudly of the ripple effect the infrastructure industry has on the nation. “Infrastructure is a catalyst for economic activity and social outcomes,” he says. “We have an obligation to ensure that the benefits of our projects flow through to the communities we operate in. That is underpinned by clo...

Coatings span basic protective finishes to systems for sustained aggressive exposure. (Image: p a w e l/stock.adobe.com) Corrosion of steel fasteners is inevitable, but with the right coating system, its progression can be effectively controlled. Steel corrodes through electrochemical reactions in which iron forms oxides in the presence of moisture and oxygen, degrading structural integrity. The rate is dictated by humidity, airborne chlorides, pollutants and exposure conditions. In Australia, coastal environments amplify these factors, with salt-laden air accelerating corrosion. For fasteners, the coating system is the primary line of defence against these conditions. Most fasteners are steel-based and vulnerable to corrosion, especially in chloride-rich environments. Coatings mitigate this, either forming a barrier that isolates the steel or corroding sacrificially to protect it. At Hobson Engineering, expertise in Australia’s varied exposure conditions drives an expanding range o...

nbn Field Services is helping women build technical careers across Australia. (Image: Stringer Image/stock.adobe.com) Empowered Women in Trades has welcomed the nbn team to the EWIT village, highlighting women building hands-on careers in telecommunications. By Melinda Davis, GM of Empowered Women in Trades. It is important to shine a light on the people and stories that showcase women doing great things in their careers. This is Stephanie Page’s story. Melinda Davis, GM of Empowered Women in Trades. (Image: Anna Nguyen Photography) Across regional Australia, more women are stepping into hands-on telecommunications roles, working on the ground to solve complex problems and help keep their communities connected. For Page, a field technician based in Cooma, New South Wales, joining nbn Field Services meant moving into a practical, trade-based role with impact close to home. “I was previously working in state government within an IT department,” she says. “When I saw nbn was recrui...

Research can show where construction needs to improve, but stories are what help people see that change is possible. (Image: Gorodenkoff/stock.adobe.com) The International Institute for Women in Construction (IIWIC) is helping the industry see how change is already taking shape. By Dr Gretchen Gagel. I was born in the US state of Missouri, known as the ‘Show Me State’, meaning ‘I’ll believe you when you show me’. I often joke that the global construction industry was born there because we lean to the ‘laggard’ rather than ‘early adopter’ side of the innovation adoption curve. Sometimes we are hesitant to try new things unless peers have led the way. Dr Gretchen Gagel. (Image: Heidi Victoria) I was recently in a meeting with several US principal contractor leaders. I mentioned that John Holland Group was piloting two different project start times to accommodate workers who need to drop children at school or daycare. The response was immediate: “How are they doing that? We’ve been t...

Collaboration sits at the centre of Transmutation’s approach. (Images: Transmutation) Transmutation is building sustainable, data-backed supply chains for construction, aligning material innovation with commercial and compliance pressures. Contractors now require more from suppliers than product compliance alone. Scope 3 reporting has moved emissions accountability from aspiration to verification. Materials, transport and subcontractor inputs must be quantified, not estimated. The challenge is no longer identifying alternatives but securing inputs that can be traced, measured and defended. Transmutation defines its role in construction through control of sustainable supply chains, not through individual products. The business operates across sourcing, processing, material engineering and delivery, with verified emissions data attached at each stage. From source to site Founder Brad Scott describes the company’s current phase as an expansion of an established model, calibrated to t...