China’s $115 Billion Boom in Australia
Australia has emerged as one of the world’s fastest-growing construction sectors, largely due to massive, multi-billion infrastructure projects across the nation. Leading the way is the construction of new port terminals, mining, and energy projects, many of which are focused on providing China and India with coal and iron ore for steel production. Plans are underway to construct port terminals with a capacity of some 1.5 billion metric tons a year by 2022, and to lay up to 3,700 kilometers of rail track. Companies winning bids to facilitate these massive mineral and energy projects include Australia’s biggest builder, Leighton Holdings […]
Construction Workers Not Receiving Full Pay
According to unions, many of Western Australia’s construction workers are not receiving all the pay they are owed. The Australian Building and Construction Commissioner (ABCC) recently released figures stating it has recouped over $92,000 in unpaid wages and entitlements for WA’s building and construction workers last year. In 2011 alone, the ABCC recouped over $20 million worth of wages and entitlements, with the single largest being $65,774 in back payments for 13 concrete workers at a Perth building site who had not been compensated for several weeks’ work. Some, like Construction, Forestry, Mining and Energy Union national secretary Dave Noonan, […]
Construction Site Stunt Claims Life
A man who edged his way onto the arm of a construction crane on an impulse plummeted to his death to the horror of his friend. The 29-year-old scaled a tower crane on a construction site in College Green, Sydney, on Australia Day. The man, who had been partying with friends at several houses on Bower Street, entered the construction site with two friends around 12.30 am, climbed the mast of the crane, and made his way from the counterweight onto the main arm of the jib before falling 45 metres to his death. “I heard the bang when he […]
Australia Hot Property for Chinese Investors
In recent years, the number of Chinese consumers with significant purchasing power buying property overseas has increased, with Australia becoming one of the favoured spots for investment. Recently released figures show that Chinese developers were responsible for nine per cent of the 30 per cent share foreign developers took in the Australian apartment market in 2011. In the fourth quarter, over 1,200 apartments were in the planning, marketing, or construction stages by Chinese companies in Australia, with the biggest markets being Melbourne and Sydney. There are a number of factors for China’s growing passion for Australian property. Unlike China – […]
Construction a Hot Job for 2012
Australia’s civil construction industry has been pegged as one of the booming sectors for work this year, along with mining, resources, and Information Technology (IT). Specific skilled trades – such as carpenters, bricklayers, electricians and engineers – will likely remain in demand throughout the year, according to forecasts. A representative from Launch Recruitment says the most sought-after industries for hires this year will be communications, energy and power, engineering and mining, IT and telecommunications.
Think You Know All About Wood? Think Again
It is one of the world’s oldest building materials, and many of us take it for granted. Across Australia, thousands of design and construction professionals are creating an online resource on wood, and giving the world a fresh perspective on timber. Attracting thousands of online visitors, WoodSolutions (www.woodsolutions.com.au) contains vast amounts of information about timber and timber products. The challenge, says Ric Sinclair, Managing Director of Forest and Wood Products Australia, was to assemble the information from a range of sources and present it in a way that was both attractive and accessible. “Research indicated a lack of easily accessible […]
Keeping Cool with a White Roof
In the Australian building industry, sometimes the simple solutions are the best, like the one put forward in a recent study from the University of Melbourne: if you want to lower the energy needs of your buildings, paint your roof white. Depending on the area, white-painted roofs on large, low-rise structures such as retail developments can reduce indoor temperatures by as much as 4 degrees Celsius on sunny days, according to university researchers. The resulting drop in temperature would significantly reduce the need for electricity to run massive industrial air conditioners, not only lowering electrical bills, but helping the environment […]
Eureka Tower
The Eureka Tower dominates the Melbourne skyline as a shining example of engineering and architectural ingenuity. In order to create one of the tallest residential buildings of its time, numerous organisations had to come together to overcome the multifaceted challenges of constructing a super high-rise of this magnitude. Through an integrated approach, Grocon Constructors, Fender Katsalidis architects, and their many teams conquered difficult geology, high wind speeds, and other complex design considerations to develop a strong, sleek, and unprecedented Australian landmark.
Whitsunday Regional Council
Widely known as one of the world’s finest tourist destinations, Australia’s Whitsunday is acclaimed for its striking scenery and lush beaches. Famous for the Whitsunday Islands – a group of 74 Islands off the coast of Queensland and part of the Great Barrier Reef – the area’s many pristine beaches, coral reefs, and designated national parks are popular not only with tourists but locals, and visited by hundreds of thousands every year. Rich in history, the area’s name comes from Captain James Cook who, awed by the natural beauty, named it Whit Sunday, after the seventh Sunday following Easter. Although Cook’s date was incorrect, the name remained.
Planning Institute of Australia
The culture of how we plan has become increasingly important in a nation where national disasters, weather and a fluctuating global economy can change the way a community operates overnight. With five thousand unique members across a broad range of sectors, the Planning Institute of Australia (PIA) has the challenging task of representing not only the needs and interests of its professional members, but also of upholding the interests of the industry itself.
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February 26, 2018, 11:50 AM AEDT
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