Australia: Construction & Infrastructure - What's news - 14 October 2015

In the media

Australian PCI®: Construction growth maintained in September
The national construction industry expanded for a second consecutive month in September, with the Australian Industry Group/Housing Industry Association Australian Performance of Construction Index (Australian PCI®) falling slightly by 1.9 points to 51.9 to remain above the 50-point level separating expansion from contraction (07 October 2015).  More...

Independent BP Act Review almost complete
Building Professionals Act Reviewer Michael Lambert is considering all submissions and feedback received as part of the review as he prepares his final report (06 October 2015).  More...

Should 116 Construction Standards be Withdrawal?
As concern about dangerous and non-conforming products within the Australian construction sector grows, moves to withdraw more than one hundred construction standards are raising concern (06 October 2015).  More...

$297 million in new offshore exploration investment
Four offshore petroleum exploration permits, representing $297 million in new investment, have been granted in Commonwealth waters off Western Australia as part of the second round of the 2014 Offshore Petroleum Exploration Acreage Release (06 October 2015).  More...

Federal Government invests $3.5 million in Solar Plant for North Queensland
A $23.4 million Solar Plant will now supply renewable energy to Weipa's bauxite mine, processing facilities, township and port in the first commercial diesel displacement solar plant at a remote mining operation in Northern Australia (29 September 2015).  More...

Victoria

Residential construction activity eases
Despite a sharp fall in residential construction activity expectations, business sentiment for the Victorian property industry has held steady during the December 2015 quarter. The latest ANZ/Property Council Survey shows Victorian respondents' sentiment remained unchanged from the previous quarter at 134 on the index for the December 2015 quarter (08 October 2005).  More...

Contract awarded for Nepean Highway upgrade
Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Infrastructure and Regional Development Warren Truss announced that Rose Civil Victoria Pty Ltd had been selected to deliver the $500,000 project (06 October 2015).  More...

QIC consortium buys $1.78bn gas facility
A QIC led consortium has entered into a binding agreement to acquire the Iona Gas Storage Facility west of Melbourne in Victoria from EnergyAustralia, a member of the China Light & Power Group. The consortium, comprising the QIC Global Infrastructure Fund (QGIF) and QIC clients, will acquire Iona for a purchase price of $1.78 billion (08 October 2015).  More...

Tullamarine project to cut congestion and create jobs
Construction will start this week on $1.3 billion CityLink Tullamarine Widening project between Bulla Road and Bell Street (05 October 2015).  More...

Builder suspended after demanding early payment
A builder has been reprimanded and had his registration suspended for four months after he demanded payment for the frame stage before the work was completed, and also failed to complete the building work in the agreed timeframe (05 October 2015).  More...

New South Wales

Sutherland Hospital upgrade approved
Sutherland Hospital will get a new and expanded Emergency Department and other new facilities after the Department of Planning and Environment approved a major upgrade (08 October 2015).  More...

Demolition company fined $120,000 after worker's skull pierced by steel bar
A Sydney demolition company has been fined $120,000 over an incident in 2013 where a worker's skull was pierced by steel bar that flew into the cabin of the excavator he was operating (07 October 2015).  More...

Westmead Hospital redevelopment vision unveiled
NSW Premier Mike Baird and Minister for Health Jillian Skinner today revealed the new concept design behind Stage 1 of the $900 million Westmead Hospital redevelopment (06 October 2015).   More...

Building products with asbestos found in NSW
The authority overseeing the controversial development faces serious questions about its handling of asbestos and other toxic materials along the 33 kilometre tollway route (02 October 2015).  More...

Northern Coal Logistics project approved
The Department of Planning and Environment has approved an application by Centennial Coal to upgrade infrastructure to process and transport coal from its Lake Macquarie mines (02 October 2015).  More...

Queensland

Gold Coast light rail gets $95m federal funding boost
The Federal Government commits $95 million for the proposed expansion of the Gold Coast Light Rail project, with Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull saying it is a vital piece of infrastructure for Queensland (11 October 2015).  More...

Federal Government invests $3.5 million in Solar Plant for North Queensland
A $23.4 million Solar Plant will now supply renewable energy to Weipa's bauxite mine, processing facilities, township and port in the first commercial diesel displacement solar plant at a remote mining operation in Northern Australia (29 September 2015).  More...

All systems go on the Gold Coast
Acting Premier Curtis Pitt visited the Gold Coast to discuss some of the city's major development proposals and announces that ASF Consortium has appointed local architecture firm, Cox Rayner, to lead an international design team in the development of the Gold Coast Integrated Resort master plan (28 September 2015).  More...

Practice and courts

Infrastructure Australia Board:Project assessments September quarter
The Infrastructure Australia Board has assessed the following project briefs for the September quarter: CityLink-Tullamarine Widening Project and Strzelecki Track (29 September 2015).  More...

NSW: EP&A Reg amendments start today: fire safety reports
Changes to the Environmental Planning and Assessment Regulation 2000 commence today and relate to fire safety reports (02 October 2015).   More...

QBCC Annual Report
The QBCC Annual Report for 2014-2015 financial year has been released (01 October 2015).  More...

QBCC Disciplinary Decisions

Licensees suspended or cancelled - 27 September to 04 October 2015 (PDF)

Licensees excluded - 27 September to 04 October 2015 (PDF)

Cases

Nolan v Sims Group Australia Holdings Limited; Nolan v Delta Pty Limited [2015] NSWSC 1424
CRIMINAL LAW – Offences – Breaches of load dimensional requirements by consignor and loader – Where combination loaded with scrap steel collided with an overhead beam in tunnel – Substantial damage occasioned to tunnel as a result - Necessity to close the tunnel to traffic following the incident - Consequent traffic congestion for a period – Where consignor had no direct control over or knowledge of the circumstances of the loading – Where loader's safety measures at the time of loading were essentially limited to carrying out a visual check of the load by reference to the upper lip of the trailer bin – Culpability of loader greater than that of consignor – Mitigating factors in each case including early plea of guilty, expressed remorse, agreement to pay substantial compensation and substantial steps taken directed towards ensuring that there would be no future offending - Fine imposed in each case.   More...

Russell v Queensland Building and Construction Commission [2015] QCAT 362
GENERAL ADMINISTRATIVE REVIEW – stay and transfer of proceedings – where application to review scope of works – where stay of proceedings was refused by the Tribunal – where Tribunal made decisions about direction to rectify and unsatisfactory rectification of work – where proceedings issued in the District Court under s 71 of the Queensland Building and Construction Commission Act 1991 (Qld) – whether the District Court has jurisdiction to determine issues to be considered in the review proceedings – whether Tribunal should grant a stay or transfer proceedings.  More...

Aramac Constructions Pty Ltd v Queensland Building and Construction Commission [2015] QCAT 364
GENERAL ADMINISTRATIVE REVIEW – jurisdiction – whether application for review out of time – where extension of time sought – whether Tribunal may grant extension – whether decision of Commission duly served – whether presumption of service by post rebuttable – whether presumption rebutted.  More...

Freestyle Constructions and Maintenance Pty Ltd v Chen [2015] QCAT 343
Terms of contract - minor civil dispute - transfer to the building list - credibility –variations - application of Domestic Building Contracts Act 2000 (Qld) - unreasonable hardship - exceptional circumstances - lack of evidence to the building.  More...

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