Construcciones Yamaro, by Armando Iachini

The City of Sydney’s 2026/27 budget includes funding for streets, parks and community facilities. (Image: Lucinda Varney – Airview Group/City of Sydney) Over the next 12 months, the City of Sydney will invest more than $1 billion in infrastructure, services and projects supporting its 242,000 residents. The council’s 2026/27 budget includes operational expenditure of $671 million to back local businesses, fund essential infrastructure projects and maintain community facilities, parks, open spaces, roads, and waste and recycling services. More than $265 million will be spent on capital works projects to support the growth of the city and local villages, including $170 million on asset renewal. The budget is part of the City of Sydney’s 10-year plan that forecasts spending $2.3 billion to meet the needs of an evolving community and ensure the city remains vibrant, accessible and sustainable into the future. Lord Mayor of Sydney Clover Moore said major projects over the next five yea...

A purpose-built ERP system can help contractors prepare for growth. (Image: BlazingDesigns/stock.adobe.com) The right enterprise resource planning (ERP) system can help construction contractors scale, but only if the business is ready to change how work gets done. By Alex Boury, general manager of Access Construction . Australia’s construction contractors are under pressure to do more with less. Margins are tight, the labour gap is biting and regulations keep on expanding. Some contractors are finding their old systems – a disconnected tech stack that’s looking wobbly or a legacy ERP with spreadsheets filling the gaps – can’t keep pace. For contractors serious about scaling, a purpose-built construction ERP has become the obvious next step: a single platform connecting financials, projects , procurement, plant and payroll, with real-time visibility over cost, cash and compliance . Done well, it’s the difference between doubling your project portfolio and doubling your administrati...

Left to right: JN Bentley director Steve Tetlow; Leed chairman of the board Andrew Millar; Mott MacDonald regional managing director for Asia Pacific, New Zealand and Australia Adrian Jones; and Leed managing director Craig Laslett. (Image: Mott MacDonald) Mott MacDonald, a global employee-owned engineering consultancy, has entered into an agreement to acquire Leed Engineering & Construction, a privately owned Australian civil contractor. The acquisition will enable Mott MacDonald and Leed to offer an integrated design and construction team, with a focus on the provision and remediation of water infrastructure assets. Leed is a multi-disciplinary engineering and construction company, specialising in complex infrastructure projects. Founded in 2001, the business has grown to become a national infrastructure contractor with a team of more than 350 people and offices in South Australia, Victoria and New South Wales. The company has civil construction experience across water, dams,...

Artist’s impression: PAYCE’s Melrose Park development. (Images: PAYCE) Sydney developer PAYCE has received planning approval for a 351-apartment development in Melrose Park. The NSW Department of Planning has granted rezoning and development approval for the Hope Street development, which will include 197 units and 154 co-living units. Evolve Housing will own the 197 units, which will be leased as affordable housing under the Australian Government’s Housing Australia Future Fund (HAFF) . The homes will contribute to NSW’s delivery targets under the National Housing Accord. The 154 co-living units will provide rental accommodation for more than 700 residents. PAYCE chairman Brian Boyd said the project will boost affordable rental accommodation in an area with strong demand and amenity. “The project is situated within 100 metres of the new Parramatta Light Rail Stage 2, currently under construction, which will provide a much-needed transport link to not only the new Sydney West Met...

Bluebeam Max brings AI-powered tools into familiar project workflows. (Image: Bluebeam) Bluebeam , a developer of solutions and services for architecture, engineering and construction (AEC) professionals worldwide and part of the Nemetschek Group, has made Bluebeam Max available to all customers globally. The move gives teams the option to upgrade to a premium subscription with AI-powered automation and review tools. First unveiled at Bluebeam’s Unbound 2025 conference, Bluebeam Max was made available to select customers under a beta program. Now widely available, Bluebeam Max expands Bluebeam Revu with automation and AI tools designed to help AEC teams reduce manual work, identify issues earlier and improve collaboration across the project lifecycle. “AI is ushering in a new era for the built environment – one where complexity becomes manageable and data becomes actionable,” said Usman Shuja, CEO of Bluebeam. Related stories: Bluebeam announces Unbound 2026: World Tour Bluebeam...

Construction activity remains steady, but rising costs are weighing on the sector. (Image: Fathor/stock.adobe.com) The Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) has released its Q1 2026 Global Construction Monitor , with the latest results pointing to steady headline activity but rising pressure across costs, workloads and credit conditions. Globally, the Construction Sentiment Index edged up from +7 to +8, suggesting overall activity remained relatively stable. However, 12-month material cost projections rose across the board, while the outlook for credit conditions weakened. Infrastructure expectations remained one of the brighter areas. In Australia, the Construction Sentiment Index fell from +21 to +11, with RICS pointing to the impact of geopolitical tensions, rising material costs and tighter credit conditions. Current workloads declined across all major sectors. Private residential fell from +16 to +3, private non-residential moved from +11 to -6, and infrastructure an...

Glenn Merkel has joined NAWIC’s Board of Directors. (Image: NAWIC) The National Association of Women in Construction (NAWIC) has appointed a man to its Board of Directors for the first time in the organisation’s 30-year history. Glenn Merkel’s appointment to the seven-member board reflects NAWIC’s commitment to inclusive leadership and the role of male allies in advancing gender equity across the construction industry. He joins national chairperson Jennifer Gillett, national vice chairperson Susan Mercer, and fellow directors Anna Broughton, Alison Fietz, Talia Keyes and Stefanie Nutt. “Glenn brings skills and experience that will strongly complement the existing expertise across our board and support NAWIC’s strategic priorities. This appointment reflects our commitment to building a balanced board with diverse perspectives and strong governance experience,” said Gillett. “Our board remains committed to driving our organisation forward with the support of our members, volunteer c...