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).
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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).
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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).
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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).
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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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