Construcciones Yamaro, by Armando Iachini

Queensland’s Gateway to Bruce Upgrade. (Image: CIMIC Group) The Gateway Connect Joint Venture – comprising CPB Contractors, BMD and Georgiou – has been awarded the $950 million Gateway to Bruce Upgrade. A Queensland Government initiative, the project aims to improve safety, connectivity and resilience across the Gateway Motorway and Bruce Highway corridors. The project scope includes new lanes on the Gateway Motorway to increase capacity, improved connections to Bracken Ridge Road and the Deagon Deviation, and upgrades to the motorway curve at Bracken Ridge. Works will also replace the Wyampa Road overpass, deliver staged improvements to the Gateway Motorway, Bruce Highway and Gympie Arterial Road interchange, and introduce new shared active transport pathways. Wildlife protection fencing and underpasses will further support environmental outcomes and safeguard native fauna. Related stories: Practical completion delivered early on Maroochy Private Hospital Time to rethink con...

Cathryn Greville has been recognised for her leadership in advancing gender equity in construction. (Images: The National Association of Women in Construction) The National Association of Women in Construction continues to champion equity, opportunity and inclusion for women and underrepresented groups, helping to shift the dial across the industry. By Cathryn Greville, CEO of the National Association of Women in Construction. I was honoured to be named the Construction Sector Gender Equity Champion of the Year 2025 in APAC Insider’s Australian CEO Excellence Awards in August. The awards celebrate the leadership and innovation that has positioned Australia as a global powerhouse in a rapidly evolving world. They recognise the contributions of CEOs who are not just steering their companies to success but are also shaping Australia’s economic and societal landscape. This award is a reflection on the work of the National Association of Women in Construction (NAWIC) team, past and ...

L–R: UniSuper’s Nick Stephens, GPT Group’s Chris Davis, FDC Construction’s Cameron Jackson, Asahi Beverages’ Adrian Benson, HB+B Property’s Luke Wilson, and TMX Transform’s Adam McDonald. (Image: HB+B Property) Construction is underway at the new $1 billion Deer Park Estate in Melbourne’s west, marking the start of a major industrial development anchored by a new distribution centre for Asahi Beverages. Located 15 kilometres west of the CBD, the 340,000-square-metre estate was announced in February 2024 and is owned by UniSuper. Once complete, it will feature facilities with strategic links to Melbourne’s planned intermodal freight precincts, the Port of Melbourne, Melbourne Airport, other industrial and retail precincts, and households. To mark the start of construction, Asahi Beverages general manager of manufacturing and project delivery Adrian Benson attended a sod-turning event with Nick Stephens from site owner UniSuper, Luke Wilson from developer HB+B Property, and Chris D...

Backed by her crew, Holly Gray is learning fast and helping lift standards in the workshop. (Images: NexGen) One Semco apprentice is proving that when barriers come down, skills, safety and culture rise. By Lauren Fahey, executive director at NexGen. Semco didn’t set out to tick a box; it set out to build a stronger team. Holly Gray, a diesel mechanic apprentice, was hired because she was the right person, not because the company needed a photo for LinkedIn. Today, women make up 24 per cent of Semco’s team. Lauren Fahey, executive director at NexGen. Gray joined the team with a very normal goal: to be seen for her skill on the tools. That decision is already lifting standards in the workshop. Communication is cleaner, safety discussions are more focused, and the team is solving problems faster. This is what happens when you widen the gate and back talent. “I wanted to be known for the work, not my gender,” says Gray. “The boys have had my back from day one. I am learning fas...

Artist's impression: Hillsdale development. (Images: Homes NSW) Homes NSW is seeking experienced developers and builders to deliver three major housing redevelopments across Sydney, with proposals now open through the NSW Government’s procurement portal. The projects – located in Hillsdale, Pagewood and Sylvania – form part of the state’s $6.6 billion Building Homes for NSW program. Homes NSW CEO Rebecca Pinkstone said the developments would deliver high-quality, modern homes while providing industry with confidence through government-backed investment. “We’re calling on developers and builders to partner with us and be part of the solution to the housing crisis,” said Pinkstone. “Each project will deliver new, sustainable homes at scale and give industry the confidence that comes with partnering on government-backed social housing.” Across the three sites, more than 800 new dwellings are planned, replacing ageing properties with hundreds of fit-for-purpose social homes al...

At Opt Hire, partnership is more than a word. (Image: khwanchai/stock.adobe.com) One of the strongest themes to come out of last month’s Converge Expo in Melbourne was the importance of partnerships, highlighted by Opt Hire’s Dave Ewan during his panel discussion on ‘Powering Productivity’. By Dave Ewan, business unit manager at Opt Hire. Across the industry, there’s growing recognition that true progress doesn’t happen in isolation. In today’s construction and infrastructure landscape, the projects that run smoothly, stay on schedule and deliver real value are built on partnerships, not transactions. Opt Hire believes that collaboration is the foundation of smarter site management. Every project we support is an opportunity to work with our clients, not just for them. Because when we understand their on-site challenges, we can design the best solutions. Partnerships that drive progress Truly optimal outcomes come from teams that share goals, insights and a collective understa...

Digital claim management tools like Payapps automate submissions, approvals and compliance checks. (Image: Dusan Petkovic/stock.adobe.com) Insights from the FCON-Tech summit signal construction leaders want technology that delivers, not dazzles. By Ian Moss, marketing leader for Australia & New Zealand at Payapps. At this year’s FCON-Tech summit, I had the pleasure of listening to a panel of construction CEOs and CIOs cut through the buzzwords with a refreshingly honest message: technology in construction must solve real business problems. Throughout the discussion, three priorities stood out as the lenses through which technology decisions are made: efficiency, cost and user experience. These principles are shaping how Australia’s top builders choose and scale digital tools. Efficiency Rising project complexity, tighter margins and compliance pressure are forcing contractors to look for efficiencies beyond the job site. Many are finding them in the back office, particular...