Gosford’s glow in the dark footpath lights-up savings

Phosphorescent surfacing on fast track from Feds.

1 September, 2014

NICTA called-in to plumb depths at Sydney Water

By Julian Bajkowski Top boffins at Australia’s government-funded information technology research and development lab, NICTA, have been called in to help fix notoriously leaky plumbing at state owned utility, Sydney Water. A statement released by the two organisations says that under a new agreement, NICTA’s machine learning capabilities will be applied to try and predict […]

13 February, 2013

Adelaide funds Victoria Square overhaul

Adelaide-based Victoria Square will be redeveloped for $24 million with funding from the council budget. Victoria Square will be redeveloped with Adelaide City Council funding from its own budget over the next two financial years. According to the council, $23 million will be included as an investment in the Square, with the remaining $1 million […]

6 June, 2012

Kingston projects given contractors

Public works in the City of Kingston will proceed from an award of about seven million dollars in tenders. The projects worth $7.1 million will be based in the suburb of Mordialloc, including the second stage of dredging at Mordialloc Creek, sheet pile installations at Lambert Island and Mordialloc Shopping Centre streetscape works. Council awarded […]

6 March, 2012

Rate rise ahead for Queensland councils

Councils in Queensland will face average cost increases of 7.5 per cent, according to the latest local government cost index report. Commissioned by the Local Government Association of Queensland (LGAQ), the 2011 council cost index report forecasted an increase in the cost of road and bridge construction, due to the recent natural disasters. The report […]

8 March, 2011

Great Southern towns to receive facelifts

Local governments in Western Australia's Great Southern region will receive State Government grants to upgrade their streetscapes, roads and lighting. WA Minister for Regional Development, Brendon Grylls, announced the creation of the Great Southern Town Centre Enhancement Program (GSTCEP), which is an initiative of the Great Southern Development Commission (GSDC). The $1million grant program will […]

4 February, 2011

Public building reaches for the stars

By Katrina Ganin William McCormack Place, a six-star rated government building in Cairns, North Queensland, was fully completed in July last year. Created in a two-stage process the building is a demonstration of how effective a new construction can be in terms of simultaneously saving money, meeting accomodation needs and remaining 'green'. Stage one of […]

9 November, 2010

NSW develops an innovative procurement process

Working with Clarence Valley Council, NSW Public Works has developed the early tenderer involvement (ETI) process and introduced it for the Shannon Creek Dam project's construction procurement phase. “An Australian Contractors' Association national survey of its major public sector clients found that clients believed that all types of contracts could be improved if there was […]

2 November, 2010

Climate Change office given tick of approval

A proposed office fitout for the Department of Climate Change and Energy Efficiency has been given the thumbs up by a parliamentary committee. The parliamentary standing committee on public works has recommended that the Government approve the proposed project to be located in the New Acton precinct, Canberra. The proposed $20.5 million project will provide […]

22 June, 2010

Smart infrastructure to be rewarded

By Angela Dorizas The Federal Government has launched the Australian Smart Infrastructure Awards to recognise innovative solutions to infrastructure bottlenecks and urban congestion. The inaugural awards were announced by Infrastructure Minister Anthony Albanese at the ThinkFuture Smart Infrastructure Conference held at Parliament House today. In his keynote address, Mr Albanese said the awards recognised project […]

12 March, 2010

Infrastructure tool needs public, private buy-in

An infrastructure sustainability measurement tool for major projects can only succeed if it can operate within government regulation and has broad industry support, according to the Co-operative Research Centre for Construction Innovation (CRCCI).   CRCCI chief executive officer, Dr Keith Hampson, told the AFR National Infrastructure Conference in Sydney that the measurement tool, which is currently under […]

6 April, 2009

Unsuccessful council land grab raises questions over PPPs

By Angela Dorizas Parramatta City Council has called on the New South Wales Government to make legislative changes that would allow councils to compulsorily acquire private land for public-private partnership infrastructure projects. Last week, the High Court quashed Council's attempt to seize land as part of its $1.4 billion Civic Place redevelopment project. The case […]

3 April, 2009

Govt infrastructure projects under threat: IPA

By Angela Dorizas Infrastructure Partnerships Australia (IPA) has called on the Federal Government to invest in public-private partnerships to avoid a critical shortfall in debt financing for major works. Lobbying on behalf of private and public sector stakeholders, IPA has released a research paper warning that without Commonwealth intervention the industry will risk loosing the […]

24 March, 2009

Organised crime behind construction theft

Increasing evidence suggests that organised crime gangs with links to the construction industry are behind the majority of heavy equipment theft in Australia. According to research presented at a recent Construction Industry Theft Summit, the cost of equipment theft in the construction industry could that it may be as high as $50 million a year. […]

19 January, 2009