In the media
Strategic Partnership for Northern Australia
Agreed
The development of Northern Australia has taken a major step
forward with the agreement of a Strategic Partnership between the
Premiers of Queensland and Western Australia and the Chief Minister
of the Northern Territory (29 February 2014). More...
Abetz Urges CFMEU to Act on Corruption
Employment Minister Eric Abetz has warned the CFMEU that if they
are not prepared to change their ways others will do it for them.
Senator Abetz told a building conference that Australia cannot
afford to have an unproductive building sector and has flagged
revised building laws (28 February 2014).
More...
Streamlined offshore petroleum and greenhouse gas
approvals commence
A new streamlined approach for offshore petroleum and greenhouse
gas activity environmental approvals comes into effect today.
NOPSEMA will now be the single point of contact for titleholders
seeking regulatory approval (28 February 2014).
More...
Lend Lease pull out of Abbot Port expansion
plans
Expansion of the Abbot Point coal terminal near Bowen on northeast
Queensland has suffered a setback with Lend Lease pulling out of
the project. The project was to expand Abbot Point's capacity
to handle large scale coal projects in the region, particularly in
the Galilee Basin, however Lend Lease would not elaborate on the
move (28 February 2014).
More...
Downer awarded coal processing plant
contract
Downer EDI announced it has been awarded a $100 million contract
for construction of the Maules Creek coal handling and processing
plant at the Gunnedah basin in the northwest of NSW. The contract,
is for the construction of all structures, buildings, facilities,
equipment and services for processing plant, and includes civil,
mechanical, electrical and instrumentation services for the
erection of the 1600t/h facility (28 February 2014).
More...
The Fair Work Amendment Bill 2014
The Government has introduced the Fair Work Amendment Bill 2014
which will address Greenfields agreements, Union right of entry,
Individual Flexibility Arrangements (IFAs) and Fair Work Act Review
Panel recommendations (27 February 2014).
More...
Discussion paper for the review of the Federal Safety
Commissioner released
A discussion paper informing the review to modernise the Office of
the Federal Safety Commissioner and the Australian Government
Building and Construction OHS Accreditation Scheme is now available
on the Department of Employment website. For more information
please view the discussion
paper, (24 February 2014).
More...
Torres Strait Gets Funding for Coastal
Protection
The Australian Government will invest a total of $12 million to
support improvements to vital seawall infrastructure in the Torres
Strait (26 February 2014).
More...
State of Supply Report highlights need for action on
housing supply
The UDIA has welcomed the Government's decision to release the
first stage of the National Housing Supply Council's 2013 State
of Supply Report. With the NHSC now disbanded, UDIA is calling on
the Government to continue undertaking much of the Council's
valuable research on housing supply within the Treasury Department
(26 February 2014).
More...
Green Property Index for green buildings
released
The latest Australia Green Property Index has found that green
office buildings continue to outperform the general market on
investment return, net operating income, CAPEX, vacancy rates and
weighted average lease expiry (20 February 2014). More...
National Standards published ten standards in the NS
11000 series
National Standards has published the first ten of a series of
Standards on the labelling and declaration of the environmental
attributes of building products (19 February 2014).
More...
ADC forum: Underfunded infrastructure hurting
growth
Major underinvestment in essential transport infrastructure has
led to a yearly decline in Australia's national productivity
growth rate, according to the ADC Forum. Investment in transport
infrastructure has fallen behind by $250 billion since the
mid-1980s, which has led to a decline of between 0.2 and 0.5 per
cent in productivity growth (19 February 2014).
More...
New South Wales
New pedestrian bridge for Moore Park sports
precinct
NSW Premier Barry O'Farrell and Roads Minister Duncan Gay
announce a new pedestrian and cycling bridge to span Anzac Parade
and to be known as the Albert (Tibby) Cotter Walkway. The bridge
proposal will be displayed from 21 March to 13 April as part of the
Review of Environmental Factors (28 February 2014).
More...
Key rail, road infrastructure projects identified in
reports
? Several rail infrastructure projects have been identified as key
to boosting the capacity at Newcastle port and creating jobs in the
Hunter. Two infrastructure planning documents, commissioned by the
Federal Government, have been released today (26 February 2014).
More...
$40m under New Program to Improve Regional Water
Security
The NSW Deputy Premier announces $40million in funding for
regional infrastructure projects to promote water security under a
new program, Water Security for Regions, offering $40 million worth
of funding for infrastructure projects in regional areas that
enhance water security (25 February 2014).
More...
Planning report shows record breaking housing approvals
for Sydney
According to the latest monthly housing report released by the
Minister for Planning and Infrastructure Brad Hazzard, approvals
for new homes in Sydney last year were higher than at any time
since 1999 (21 February 2014).
More...
Santos signs MOU with NSW Government
The Memorandum of Understanding will see Narrabri listed as a
'strategic energy project' by the state and ensure a
decision on approval will be forthcoming by January 2015, in line
with current plans (21 February 2014).
More...
Sydney Airport Master Plan approved by
Government
The NSW announces that the Master Plan meets the requirements of
the Airport Act 1996 and sets out Sydney Airport's strategic
direction for the next 20 years. Sydney Airport is required to
publish the final Master Plan within 50 business days. (18 February
2014).
More...
Victoria
Underpass Relieves Congestion
The Australian Government has continued its productivity agenda,
with work commencing on a new underpass at Warragul railway station
in regional Victoria (28 February 2014).
More...
Queensland
Local firm to build Burdekin Cyclone
Shelter
Work on the Burdekin's own cyclone shelter will begin soon
with a local construction company winning the tender for the $2.7
million project (27 February 2014).
More...
Mine expansion reflects resources strength in
Queensland
Innovative technology to extract thick seams of coal will be used
in Queensland for the first time thanks to a $1 billion expansion
of a coal mine in the Bowen Basin (26 February 2014).
More...
ARTC to Investigate Incorporating Queensland into
National Rail Network
The Federal Abbott Coalition Government and Queensland's
Newman Government have agreed to investigate incorporating
Queensland into the national rail network with a view to expanding
the ARTC's 8,500 kilometre national network (25 February 2014).
More...
Contract Awarded for Gateway Motorway Project at
Wishart
Major works are set to kick-off on Brisbane's south side, with
McIlwain Civil awarded one of the Gateway Motorway project's
main contracts (26 February 2014).
More...
PPP in Queensland: construction starts on high school at
Highfields
Local construction firm FK Gardner and Sons has commenced
construction on a new high school at Highfields. Construction had
also begun on a new primary school in Pimpama and a high school in
Burpengary – two of the 10 schools to be built in Queensland
as part of a $1.517 billion public private partnership (21 February
2014).
More...
James Cook University to design engineering inspection
scheme for extreme weather
James Cook University (JCU) has been engaged by the Insurance
Council of Australia (ICA) to design an engineering inspection
scheme for strata-title properties in North Queensland to ensure
they are resistant to future extreme weather events (19 February
2014).
More...
Santos GLNG marks 75% completion in Qld
The Santos GLNG project is now 75% complete and on track for the
first shipment of LNG to sail out of Gladstone Harbour in
Queensland next year. Santos GLNG construction milestones in 2014
include the breakthrough of the pipeline tunnel underneath
Gladstone Harbour and the completion of the final modules which
will form the first LNG processing train (18 February 2014). More...
In practice and courts
Master Builders New Period Trade Contract
Master Builders Australia has updated its Period Trade Contract
with a 2014 version. The Period Trade Contract is designed for
situations where builders need the ongoing, but intermittent,
services of subcontractors. The Period Trade Contract permits the
engagement of subcontractors on known terms and conditions (27
February 2014).
More...
Office of the Federal Safety Commission review:
Discussion paper
A discussion paper informing the review to modernise the Office of
the Federal Safety Commissioner and the Australian Government
Building and Construction OHS Accreditation Scheme is now available
(24 February 2014). More... More...
Review of the Renewable Energy Target: Terms of
Reference
The review will consider the contribution of the RET in reducing
emissions, its impact on electricity prices and energy markets, as
well as its costs and benefits for the renewable energy sector, the
manufacturing sector and Australian households (17 February 2014).
More...
Cases
Director of the Fair Work Building Industry
Inspectorate v Construction, Forestry, Mining & Energy
Union [2014] FCA 126
INDUSTRIAL LAW – admitted contraventions of s 348 of the
Fair Work Act 2009 (Cth) – statement of agreed facts –
appropriate penalties to be imposed – agreement between the
applicant and respondents on penalty – relevant
considerations in the assessment of penalty – totality
principle – course of conduct – prior relevant conduct
– deliberate contravention - involvement of senior management
– contrition, corrective action and cooperation –
specific deterrence – general deterrence. More...
Anderson Street Banksmeadow Pty Ltd v JCM
Contracting Pty Ltd [2014] NSWSC 102
BUILDING AND CONSTRUCTION - Building and Construction Industry
Security of Payment Act 1999 (NSW) - adjudication determination -
whether plaintiff denied natural justice - whether denial of
natural justice material to determination of adjudicator –
summons dismissed with costs. More...
Other
Croker Construction (SW) Pty Ltd and Stonewest Pty
Ltd [2014] WASAT 19
Construction Contracts Act 2004 (WA) - Contractual provisions
required to avoid implication of statutory implied terms -
Determination of what constitutes payment claim. Construction
Contracts Act 2004 (WA), s 3, s 6, s 16, s 17, s 18, s 26, s
31(2)(a), s 31(2)(b), s 46(1), s 46(2), s 53, Div 2, Div 4, Div 5,
Pt 2, Sch 1. Result: Application granted; Decision under review set
aside and reversed. Summary of Tribunal's decision: The
applicant applied under s 46(1) of the Construction Contracts Act
2004 (WA) to review the decision of an adjudicator dismissing an
adjudication application. On the facts, the Tribunal found that
particular correspondence and an invoice did not constitute a
payment certificate as held by the adjudicator, and that the
requirement to pay the certified amount within 14 days did not
apply. More...
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